Christmas Is Coming

I made Richard his fudge this morning. It's in a big Tupperware in the fridge, I start my Christmas baking with fudge because my husband loves it and because, unlike me, he can open the fridge eat a piece or two of his treats and make them last for two or three weeks. Thankfully, I am not tempted by fudge especially now that Adam walks around calling it pudge, I think I have all the pudge I can handle.

Closer to Christmas I will make Peanut Brittle and Toffee and Sugar Cookies and Molasses cookies, and Divinity and Carmel Popcorn... oh dear! I seem to be getting carried away with the visions of sugarplums dancing in my head.

I thought it would be fun to share my children's Christmas lists.

Jacob, 16 years.
A Drivers license (not until he gets the application filled out for his Eagle)
A Car (I just found out that our insurance goes up to, gasp, $500.00+ a month with the two we have, add, hyperventilate, gas to that!)
A Leather Jacket (hmm, possibly since walking is still going
to be his main form of transportation.)

Joshua, 15 years.
The Wii (This is the latest , greatest, electronic game system)
The Wii ( we told him he got one the day he was born. He told us, "Yes, but you won't let me play with it.")
The Wii. ( arghhmph! groan of exasperation.)
A baby Sister (OK, where do we get a Wii)

Jeremiah, 12 years.
"Jeremiah what do you want for Christmas this year?"
"I don't know"
" What?" (He always knows!)
" So, for sure we can't get a Wii?" (I told you he knows!)
" arghhmph!"
"OK I just want gloves and a Chocolate Orange (Then he ask
me if he could donate the thirty dollars or so in change, he has been
saving, to buy shoes for needy kids, proud tear.)

Benjamin, 10 years.
A game Boy DS Light.
Pokemon Diamond.
"um, Mom remember last year when I didn't get the only thing I wanted..."
"Last year when you cried from 5:00 am until 11:00 am Christmas morning? I remember!"

Isaac, 6 years.
A dresser (What? he is growing up and his clothes are getting bigger
and he needs more room!and then Joseph could have his dresser
that he has now and Adam could have the one he is sharing with
Joseph and... Isaac has a lengthy for explanation for everything.)
A Dinosaur (My, what a grown up toy)
A Pokemon Fire Red game
A Scooter
A Piggy Bank ( good thing, because mine will be empty.)
Mack-A-Mole Tower (no Joseph wants that, no they both want it, no,
he want Flipping Frogs Game,)
Molding Sand (maybe he'll settle for a moldy sandwich.)

Joseph 5 years on Dec. 22nd.
A dinosaur
Flipping Frogs Game
Thomas rail road stuff.
Spider man web blasters
Spider man
Super man
A Scooter
A piggy bank
A new bike
Play dough
A Horse
Pokemon beanies
Boots, and hat and gloves
(This list just keeps growing every day, No funny comments
because Joseph doesn't do funny!)

Adam 3 years old.
"Adam, what do you want for Christmas?"
"Dora and Boots, you idiot." (Idiot is used interchangeably as a term of affection or anger.)
"What else?"
"And Fwiper and iego. (Swiper and Diego, for those not familiar
with Nick Jr. cartoons or three year old speak.)
"Do you want anything else?"
"Fider man"
" What kind of Spider man?"
"Soup-Er-Man kind" (As he jumps from the chair to the ottoman to the couch to the love seat.)

So there you have it not a single Doll or Christmas dress or Barbie or Polly Pocket or Littlest Pet shop. Any one want to swap kids for the holidays?

Toys From...

Last night I ran to the bathroom, can someone please tell me how many years of daily kiegel exercises it takes to overcome the bladder control issues of carrying and birthing seven children? OK back to topic, so I'm running to the bathroom only to find the door locked. I knock, nicely I thought considering the urgency of the situation, I'm thinking, hallelujah! one of my children has discovered the need for their privacy while using the restroom, perhaps soon they'll give me some. Wrong, Benjamin my 10 and 1/2 year old opens the door fully clothed, wet hands and cupboard, a bundle of towels on the floor, a guilty look on his face; I sit down, while I ask what are you doing and begin picking up the towels, now that's multi tasking. Before Benjamin answers Buzz Light Year, soaking wet and covered with soap rolls out of the towels; I, assuming it must be Adam(it's his Buzz Light Year and he has a thing for chaos in the bathroom lately), yell "who did this?
"Mom, I'm just washing him," Benjamin finally answers.
"Benjamin he takes batteries, you don't wash battery operated toys, you know this! Does he still work?"
I push his buttons, he still says "Greetings, I am Buzz Light Year, I come in peace." Only now he sound like one of the green alien guys from Toy Story, creepy! I usually don't mind to much when noisy toys lose their voice, but this one has to last till Christmas because Grandma, who gave Adam Buzz for his birthday(picture), found the matching Woody toy for Adam's Christmas gift. I wonder what strange voices we can conjure out of poor Woody?

A few minuets later, as I'm not so much helping my rug rats pick up the toy room but picking it up for them, I toss a little stuffed dog in the toy box only to hear an eerie child's voice start into a prayer..."Dear God hear my prayer for all your creatures everywhere..." This is a sweet little child's prayer but coming from a four inch stuffed dog with his eyes closed and arms folded who cannot be shut up until he gets through the entire prayer is frightening.

Lights out, every one is down for the night in their own bed, Yea! I'm walking in the dark around my bed when suddenly an engine revs under my feet I jump into bed nearly beheading Richard and we lay there hearts pounding as motion activated Lightning McQueen revs his engine for about a minuet. It's surprising how loud a toy can be in a quiet dark house in the middle of the night.

The thing that gets me is I am intending to spend the next month buying the loudest, most frightening, creepy toys I can find so that my children, and some of yours, will think I'm a really great parent/aunt. Go figure!