BA HUM BUG

As many of you know I have had a few Christmas catastrophe's this year. Both involving poor Tristan. I am just writing this so that I will be able to look back years from now and laugh. Tristan is such a smart little thing and I love him for it, but there are times when I wish he wasn't quite so smart and so dang observant!

Catastrophe #1

It seems like lately Tristan and his best friend Ty are seeing what they can get away with at my house. Tristan loves to make him laugh and will do pretty much anything to keep him entertained. Last week when Ty was playing at our house they were supposedly playing "basketball". I figured while they were playing I would clean the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later I come out to check on them only to find them in the living room setting up the train track that we had gotten him for Christmas. Tristan was busy assembling it while Tyler had ridiculously large scissors in hand trying to open the box.

I had to do a double take when I realized what they were playing with. I was so angry and incredibly disappointed. I was really looking forward to seeing his reaction Christmas morning and now I won't get to see that. Tristan is so cute when he gets excited about things. He gasps and I love it! Now I will miss that. Not to mention all the other presents were by the train set - unwrapped.

We had the presents locked up in Bill's hunting room. The kids know not to go in there since that is where all of Bill's hunting supplies (guns not included. Those we keep in a safe at his parents house) are kept. I had no idea why they decided to go in there in the first place. I still haven't gotten a straight answer from him. Anyways, he pushed the chair over to the book shelf is in our computer room to try and get the key. When he figured out he was too short he came upstairs, got my keys off our key-holder, and unlocked the door himself. Little. Stink.

Needless to say he was grounded from playing with Tyler the rest of the week, won't be getting his train set for Christmas (not to worry though, he will get it for his birthday in Feb.), and won't get the monster truck he asked Santa for. We didn't want to be completely mean about it, but he had to know what he did was not OK. He shouldn't have been in Bill's hunting room and that was our biggest problem with what he did. We talked with him and agreed that if he didn't talk to Stella about the presents he did see and was good, maybe Santa would bring him something else. Maybe. He's been a good boy so far, so I'm pretty certain Santa will leave a few gifts for him.

Catastrophe #2.

Last weekend I went and bought the stocking stuffers. As I was putting all the groceries away Bill called the kids upstairs and so I hurried and shoved the (plastic) bag of goodies in the oven. Yes, we all know where this is going. I figured this was a safe place because the kids wouldn't see it in there plus I wasn't using the oven to cook dinner. Not the brightest I idea now I see in hindsight.

Fast forward a few hours later. I decide to make apple crisp. That's right. I pre-heat the oven. Tristan is my constant cooking companion so he is there by my side always. He asked, "Mom, is the stove hot?" Me: "Yes. Oh shoot. YES!" As I opened the door the Walmart bag is quickly melting, boxes falling apart at the seams, chocolate melting. Seriously! Use your brain Alicia! I threw everything on the counter and quickly covered it with a towel to try and hide it from Tristan. Of course he saw pretty much everything.

I've decided it's too much work to lie to our kids even if it is in good fun. I'm just going to tell him there is no Santa, no Easter Bunny, and where babies really come from and be done with it! I won't, but I have thought about it.

So there it is. My hectic Christmas season. And as Melissa pointed out, this all happened the day after my last post about holiday stress and trying to find my inner zen. It was a nice thought that didn't last more than a few hours! Ah well. Merry Christmas and a Ba Hum Bug!