Christmas is coming...kind of.

Christmas is my favorite time of the year.  It's magical!  I like Thanksgiving too, but mostly just because it marks the day when I can start the Christmas festivities.

We visited with Santa, and much to my surprise delight, everyone made the "nice" list again this year! Natalie still wasn't sure of the big guy, but she didn't scream in terror this year, so we call that a win.  And, as you can see, she was even willing to stand near his chair.   The boys rattled off their Christmas wishes, and Santa is so cool that he didn't ask for hugs, but instead gave them "knucks."  Luke told me that he was looking really close, and when he saw that Santa's beard was real, he knew that it was actually Santa! 

Our tree is up, and well protected from the little hands that are constantly pawing at it.  It is also tied to the wall with fishing line...doesn't everyone that has kids do this?  I was shocked to learn that they don't.  Oh well!  We'll see who's laughing in the end.  Aaron could do a trapeze act from a branch on our tree and that sucker isn't going over.

My Christmas decorating and festivities came to a screeching halt on the day that I bent down to fix the baby gate and noticed water trickling out of a downstairs electrical outlet...Panic..Panic..Panic.  I ran upstairs to find a small pool of water coming from behind the kids' toilet and obviously running down the wall, which happens to come down into the kitchen.  And that's where I noticed that the hardwood floors were warping, and I knew the fun had just begun.  Let's just say that our house has been completely torn apart, and is in the slow process of getting put back together.  Hopefully by Christmas, it will be back to normal.  Not that cooking on a single burner hotplate isn't fun, cause it is, but I'd love to have my kitchen island, actually in my kitchen.

So, in honor of this holiday event, I wrote a poem...

Twas the season of Christmas and all through our house

water was falling, first a drip, then a douse. 

The plastic sheeting was hung by the ceiling with care

In hopes that the contractor soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While the droning of fans swirled dust 'round their heads.

And daddy was calling to file a claim

While I canceled all plans for us to entertain.

Out came the ceilings, the bathroom, the floors,

The kitchen, the pantry, the carpet, the doors.

So instead of decorating with lights and the glitz,

I booked a few nights for us to stay at the Ritz. 

The insurance adjuster  came to look at the scene

And wasted no time letting us know what kind of idiots we might be. 

But what to my wondering eyes did I find

A check to cover the damages arrived just in time.

So, our season will be filled with our traditions and fun,

But the decorating scheme is a slightly new one. 

Drywall and sanding and many repairs

Are happening all over the up and downstairs

So instead of a gift that comes from Fred Meyer,

I'll have some new hardwood floors to admire.  

We like to keep life interesting, and live without regret.

But, the year of the leaky toilet, we’d like to forget.


***I'm not really a poetry kind of girl, so I hope you see the humor in this!