A family day...with friends

Today was a great day. I had lots of plans for today and the days events turned out to be so much better. I had wanted to pack the kids up and drive 1/2 hour to the next town to attend a local kids Christmas event. It's put on the by local college and was slated to have all kinds of activities - gingerbread house and cookie decorating, crafts, Santa, a cake walk. I thought it would be a great way to kick start our Christmas. Instead our day was quieter and more meaningful, being together as a family.

Bean was up at the crack of dawn again - 5:30am, requesting company in the bathroom while he went for a poo. Last night was fraught with poo activity. For the first time in months and months, I walked into his room at my bedtime to be overwhelmed by the smell of poo. Poor Beanie was fast asleep with a big poop! I woke him up, cleaned him and his bed up and tucked him back in. A couple of hours later he came in to ask for help going for another poo. No luck this time, but at 5:30am he was looking for his Papa's help in the bathroom. He played in his room for a little bit until Schmoo woke up and then Papa got up to watch soccer.

I got up later and made french toast for breakfast - always a hit. Papa suggested that he and Bean come with Schmoo and me to church. We bundled up and walked to church too, which made the outing even nicer, despite Schmoo's whining about wanting to drive instead of walk. The kids went downstairs at church for Sunday school, leaving Papa and I to enjoy most of the service kid-free. After church we walked down to the local coffee shop for a muffin before making our way back home for quiet time. I left and returned to town to pick up some groceries and snuck in an extra 1/2 hour in the mall. I'm conscious of Christmas coming and being way behind in my preparations. I returned to a relatively quiet house. I roused everyone from their rooms and we got ourselves organized to go to our friend's house for dinner.

The evening was great. Schmoo and Bean ran around with C & S, while the parents visited. Mama C made a great roast beef with yorkshire pudding dinner and we all ate dinner together. It was relaxed and fun, even when the kids decided to play a game that consisted of turning the lights off in one of the bedrooms and spin themselves around in the dark. No one came away bleeding or maimed, so all was well. We have returned home in time for a bit later bedtime, but with happy kids. Like most Sundays, I am feeling refreshed so will likely stay up too late watching Sunday night TV. At least I know that the work that awaits me tomorrow is not urgent and that I'm somewhat caught up. Plus it's a short day, so I'll be at home with the kids in the afternoon before going to soccer in the evening.