Days 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9--Survival of the Fittest
Christmas Day and Beyond
This photo sort of sums it all up!
Christmas Day was a joyous, chaotic, noisy, frantic, stressful, messy, best-day-ever sort of day. We celebrated quietly with just our little family (well, as quietly as possible with 6 littles in the room). I forgot to take any pictures. This year everyone of our kids knew what presents were all about and each was in gift opening frenzy within minutes of waking up.
But before anyone else woke up, Manny throw up on the pillow next to my head. Merry stinkin' Christmas, Mama!
Before the crack of dawn, poor Boo climbed up next to me in bed, moaned and groaned and thrashed around for a few minutes, and then let it rip with the vomit. So that sort of sprung me out of bed and I rushed him to the toilet. Everyone else quickly joined us around the commode (I guess to give Manny moral support) and then they remembered it was Christmas morning and they ran full speed for the presents.
Surprisingly, they managed to keep their hands off the pile until I had gotten Manny cleaned up, the bed stripped, and blueberry muffins in the oven (which I ended up burning, I suck at cooking). But once we gave the all clear it was paper tearing madness.
After all the presents had been opened and the smoke cleared, gift envy set in. Big time! Manny wanted Haven's guitar. JoJo wanted Manny's drum. Louise wanted anything that was in Kat's hand first. Everyone wanted Haven's radio control car. It got ugly, and it got noisy. Punches were thrown. A little blood was shed. There was no clear victor. But we still have 6 living, breathing, screaming kids.
The day after Christmas was more of the same. I had to put the guitar in time out. The car was banned to the front yard. The drum was already broken. I think the gift below is probably going to be my favorite. Six sets of head phones and a 5 way splitter. For 30 minutes straight the Littles watched Paramore videos on Youtube. No screaming, no fighting, no bloodshed.
The next day Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Cathy arrived. Whoooh, reinforcements. The distraction of extra relatives kept the fighting somewhat at bay. The extra toys that came with the relatives will surely add to the mayhem in the coming days. Grandma came bearing another guitar (thank goodness) and enough Thomas the Train tracks to reach Congo (JoJo is in heaven). Aunt Cathy brought one of those giant jump on pianos. Aunt Cathy also brought the doll pictured above. She only survived Louise for about an hour. Louise hugs really hard. They both brought lots of loves and hugs and kisses. And they left a little too soon.
We've just finished nap time on Day 9. The relatives all left after lunch and Grace hung her head and slumped into the house. Now we're all out playing in the front yard. The weather is clear and warm. My kids are all barefoot, climbing trees and riding big wheels. At this very moment no one is crying. And I'm feeling a little misty this afternoon. My vacation is more than halfway over. These sweet glorious vacation moments slip by too quickly.
