A Long December
I was a little off with yesterday's prediction, as Ryan and Erin got a mega-early start on Christmas -- 2am! Neither Ainsley or I could get Erin back to sleep after getting herself up, and Ryan started a hacking, every-three-seconds cough that had us pulling out strange options like Chloroseptic (he said it tasted 'yukkie') and cough drops. The saving grace was that Ryan didn't seem upset about the events, a sweet smile on his face while we gave him medicine. He seemed generally happy to see us, which contrasted from the attitude of little miss gotohell next door.
I finally laid down next to Ryan on the floor and he fell asleep a little before 5, while Ainsley got Erin finally down around the same time. She was up again at 6, but I was able to get her back down in just a couple minutes, then Ryan was up crazy-coughing by 7:15. Ainsley brought him into bed with us for a bit, but when he wouldn't stop coughing in my face, she took him into the shower with her, after which Erin was crabbily awake, around 8.
Thankfully, we were able to tell the kids that Santa had used that small window between 5 and 6am to stuff himself in our house, fill stockings, eat cookies, and leave Ryan a 6-foot rug with town painted on it, roads, schools, pizza places, and four new cars from Cars to go with his others (Erin got a small doll with a stroller and a little baby bottle she kept slapping up against its forehead).
Managed to get through stockings before Grandad and Tim arrived to start on theirs, then took a break from all the festivities to have a small parade around the downstairs, Ryan the Conductor out front, telling who needed which instrument, when to start, when to stop, huge grin on his face being in charge. We then opened a handful of presents before getting a few bites of lunch into the kids, who then both enjoyed the heartiest of naps either of them have had in a while. We were able to get all the Big People presents opened before getting everyone ready and out to the Boivins', where the usual spinach dip and cheeseballs awaited, not to mention a Newcastle Brown Ale, opened and ready at my spot on the coffee table.
Throwing tradition to the wind, we opened presents right away, while everyone was still in a good mood (Erin more so thanks to the spinach dip), then despite the small grease fire and spilled water glass at the table and Erin spinning and clonking her head on the leg of a chair, we enjoyed a lovely family gathering.
Erin fell asleep on the way home, and I was able to transfer her into her crib, where she stayed asleep until past one (then four, then seven, if you're sensing the pattern). Ryan's cough was better, thanks to the kiddie mucinex pop rocks we had him swallow allowing him to get to sleep relatively quickly, and Ainsley and I even got to bed before midnight for a change. Our little present to ourselves.
I finally laid down next to Ryan on the floor and he fell asleep a little before 5, while Ainsley got Erin finally down around the same time. She was up again at 6, but I was able to get her back down in just a couple minutes, then Ryan was up crazy-coughing by 7:15. Ainsley brought him into bed with us for a bit, but when he wouldn't stop coughing in my face, she took him into the shower with her, after which Erin was crabbily awake, around 8.
Thankfully, we were able to tell the kids that Santa had used that small window between 5 and 6am to stuff himself in our house, fill stockings, eat cookies, and leave Ryan a 6-foot rug with town painted on it, roads, schools, pizza places, and four new cars from Cars to go with his others (Erin got a small doll with a stroller and a little baby bottle she kept slapping up against its forehead).
Managed to get through stockings before Grandad and Tim arrived to start on theirs, then took a break from all the festivities to have a small parade around the downstairs, Ryan the Conductor out front, telling who needed which instrument, when to start, when to stop, huge grin on his face being in charge. We then opened a handful of presents before getting a few bites of lunch into the kids, who then both enjoyed the heartiest of naps either of them have had in a while. We were able to get all the Big People presents opened before getting everyone ready and out to the Boivins', where the usual spinach dip and cheeseballs awaited, not to mention a Newcastle Brown Ale, opened and ready at my spot on the coffee table.
Throwing tradition to the wind, we opened presents right away, while everyone was still in a good mood (Erin more so thanks to the spinach dip), then despite the small grease fire and spilled water glass at the table and Erin spinning and clonking her head on the leg of a chair, we enjoyed a lovely family gathering.
Erin fell asleep on the way home, and I was able to transfer her into her crib, where she stayed asleep until past one (then four, then seven, if you're sensing the pattern). Ryan's cough was better, thanks to the kiddie mucinex pop rocks we had him swallow allowing him to get to sleep relatively quickly, and Ainsley and I even got to bed before midnight for a change. Our little present to ourselves.
posted by Dan at 2:26 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home