My kids want socks and bricks for Christmas

Truth.

B was supposed to be with his dad this week, but they have a nasty flu bug, so he's home instead.  It's really insane when B first comes home, chaos and loud voices are the norm, but today it seemed like it was even crazier.  Maybe it was because it was cold outside, and I couldn't kick them out to play, or maybe it's just the Christmas spirit. 

This mom feels like a bottle of wine and a straw might remedy this situation...or, at the very least, make it to where I don't notice.  Whatever works, right?

As I made dinner, I respectfully requested that they write their letters to Santa.  N does it to go along with the magic, but also because he knows that Santa doesn't bring him anything if he doesn't believe.

That said, Santa has no idea what to get them.  Santa's not on his "A" game this year.

B said he wanted a brick for Christmas.  A brick.  Not Lego bricks...a regular brick brick.  Where does he come up with this stuff?  I also asked the boys what they wanted from each other.  My parents always had my sister and I pick a gift for each other...and it was usually the one present we couldn't keep a secret.  My sister and I had a deal: we would tell each other one present that we knew the other was getting each year. 

To this day, I still have no idea why we thought it was a good idea, but it was tradition.  Go with it.  N is still adamant about wanting socks for Christmas.  It makes me wonder why I bother trying to come up with ideal gifts for them.

We picked up a few grocery items and I promised I would do the rest of the grocery shopping tomorrow minus children so they wouldn't drive me crazy.  B and I dropped N off at basketball practice and set off to purchase B's "brother gift" to N.

He chose headphones (which is only fitting since B broke N's headphones over Thanksgiving) and a Beastie Boys cd.  The question is: Can he keep it a secret?

I honestly don't know.  He wants to tell N everything he HASN'T gotten him, but I think it's a terrible idea.

Sometime this week, we're going to decorate our Christmas tree.  We're going to watch Home Alone and/or listen to Christmas carols and argue over which ornaments should go where.  It's fun.  Oh, and we eat Whataburger.  Why?  Because it just makes life easier.  Texas traditions and such...

They went to bed without (major) incident, which is where I'm headed riiiiiiiight now.

Aubs