Dear Santa,

Dear Santa,
I'm so sorry but I'm afraid I've been more than likely put on the naughty list this year and I would like to at least have the opportunity to plead my case. You see today started out as any normal Thursday would. Breakfast for the kids on the table minor debates of which cereal really has the most sugar in it versus which cereal the kids will actually eat. Small compromises were made and both sides felt satisfied. We hurried along our morning to prepare our house for visiting friends and fellow yoga-goers. Lizzie was especially excited for the opportunity to play with other kids. You know how much she loves other children. When the guests arrived along with the small army of children we were more than grateful for the basement and the toys to keep them entertained while we the "mommys" worked on getting our non-mommy bodies back. The hour seemed to flit by seamlessly so much so that when time was up and a plea from Lizzie to prolong her playing time at a friends house with the mother's approval was unavoidable. I took the opportunity of quiet time to catch up on my latest read and play a little more with Abby. Will was slumbering quite peacefully and would be doing so for at least another couple of hours. I know I should have been cleaning, putting up the rest of the Christmas decorations and tidying up my finances but all those things didn't seem nearly as pertinent as reading and mothering my child. I guess now seeing what was to happen I should have listend to my mother's advice of work then play. My hour of relaxation was suddenly whipped to an abrupt hault by a phone call placed by one of my fellow mommy yoga-goers. It seems that while we were trying so desperatly to cut our weight upstairs Lizzie had found a way to cut things much faster down in the basement. It appears that Lizzie in attempts to appease everyone had stolen a pair of scissors from the craft box (set on top of the fridge) and some paper to make snowflakes with everyone. No one was interested in making snowflakes so what is a 5 year old girl with a pair of scissors to do? Well they started with the stuffed animals. After apropiately trimming as many pets as she could it was time to give a hair cut in her hair cut hut otherwise known as an igloo tent bought from IKEA. She started with her first victim. Lizzie knew she couldn't cut her own hair. We've been down that road before. So Audrey asked for her braided pigtails to be trimmed up a bit. Then I guess Audrey being satisfied with her own trim recommended her little sister (19 months old) to Lizzie the barber. Audrey was pretty sure that something short would be really cute on her. Short and Sassy were her exact words and thus Lizzie took some off the top. Amazingly enough in the hustle and bustle of cleaning up and getting out no one noticed the hair or the scissors or the lack of hair on one adorable 19 month old girl. When the mother called me my relaxed peace melted away into a serious red rage. Thankfully enough the little hairdress would be was at her friend's house. A phone call from me to the mother of said friend's house was placed and a short conversation with Lizzie on the phone revealed the full truth. I knew what needed to be done and the best plan was set in place. I worried dear Santa that use of your image may be considered hanous or even blaphmaous but it needed to be done. When I picked Lizzie up I let her know how disappointed I was in her. She was put in her room for a serious time out. At the end of the time out I told Lizzie I was expecting a call from your office to inform me of her move from the good list to the naughty list. Her pleas were intense and I said if she would throw away the scissors and accept her consequences that I might be able to barter her back on to the good list. She accepted the terms. I then umm "recieved" the phone call and played the conversation easily within hearing range of Lizzie and her little ears. Once again there were pleas when I mentioned the naughty list and a deal was made. Throw away the scissors, no friends for 3 days, and a very very good girl till Christmas day and she would be put back on the Good list. We went and found the scissors and then with so many tears and gnashing of teeth the scissors were thrown in the dumpster outside. More gnashing of teeth and the cursing of your name along with endless screams of what a mean Santa you had become. Again I appolagize. The tantrum continued and then eventually melted into sleep. And here I sit asking for my own forgivness I'm sorry I had to make you into the bad guy. You know sometimes on Christmas morning I feel a little cheated anyhow where as you get so much credit so maybe instead of placing me on your own naughty list we can call it a mutual understanding. If not I guess I'll expect nothing more from you this Christmas other than a toothbrush and underwear. Really I'm okay with it. I need them both.
Respectfully yours,
Andrea


For the rest of you still reading here are a few pix from decorating our Christmas tree.

Abby loved decorating the tree this year. So much so that every day she redecorates the tree.

The closest shot we'll get of all five of us around the tree. Notice the grip Jeremy had to have on Abby to get her to sit for the picture.

It's hard fro me to remember that this is Will's 1st Christmas. It seems like he's been here longer than that. We'll do an update on Will our almost 1 year old later on this month.