Check, Check & Check

Yipppeeee.  They're off in the mail.  Well the majority of them at least.  Man it felt good to check that off the list! 


Sending out our Christmas cards is my joy # 63 in the 100 Joys Project.

Joy #64 ... remember that parking ticket I wrote about.  Well I got a letter in the mail today saying they've reviewed my petition and have decided to 'grant me a one time courtesy dismissal' and my balance is zero.  Oh happy day.  Seriously made me smile.  It actually doesn't hurt to petition things now and then.

Joy #65  Aunt Shell Shell (who will make me an Aunt in June!!!), Mimi & Pa arrrived at our doorstep today.  The kids were ecstatic, especially because Aunt Shell wasn't supposed to make it until tomorrow, but she surprised us.


Joy #66 This sweet angel and all of her excitement to perform in the preschool recital.  

This is the seventh recital at the preschool that we've attended.  It's quite a show retelling the story of Jesus' birth, singing the traditional Christmas songs complete with little drummer boy and a special "Happy Birthday Jesus."   

Every time I get sentimental.  The first one, Jackson was two and I was pregnant with Ava.  And I cried.  So corny I know.  But it was like all of a sudden it hit me, I'm officially a mom.  My first recital watching my own child perform.  These are the simple things that make you step back and feel blessed.  It's simple and yet filled with so much joy.


Tomorrow we have the class parties and then we've officially checked off our school obligations.  Christmas break is almost here!

Joy #67 Seeing these three together like this.  They're buds.  Yes they fight sometimes and they don't always speak with the kindest tones to each other.  

But they do love each other.  And that big brother is proud of them and will grow up looking after them.  They are blessed to have him, and he is blessed to have his sisters.  Do they know how much they'll rely on each other in the years to come?  I hope they hold onto the fact that these will be the best friends they'll ever have.


Joy #68 Our bedtime routine.  It's not the most calming routine.  But somehow it has evolved that after bath, after story, and sometimes before the story has finished, a chase breaks out.  It's this sort of cat and mouse game.

Daddy becomes the tickle monster and starts chasing the kids or trying to capture them.  They sort of want to be caught, 

sort of don't want to be caught.  


When one is trapped the others will fight with gusto to get their sibling free.


Then a new child becomes caught in Daddy's web.   And I'm sort of put in the mix as the declared safety zone.  But sometimes Daddy turns on me too.  And then they try to rescue me.  It's so cute.

There's screaming and giggling and roaring.  They sound like little warriors protecting each other.


Daddy jumps out to scare them.  


More screaming and giggling and fighting with great bravado.


It's hilarious and of course not very calming.


But somehow it has become our routine.


And somehow we quiet them down, say our prayers and they slip away into slumberland unaffected by the excitement of just a few moments ago.


Sweet dreams little ones.  


Christmas is getting closer.  Can you feel the joy?