I try not think about that though...... a friend of mine thought we should send a copy of the book to her parents with a note of congratulations on raising such a stellar human being.... and while I will admit that the very idea *still* brings a smile to my face.... but I passed on the idea because while they have raised someone bereft of a conscience and any kind of empathy or compassion.... it's not really cool to piss all over an entire family's Christmas.
I should know... Yoga Girl & El Capitan already raised their legs and took a piss all over mine... hahahaha.
So instead.... today was all about the things a *parents* Christmas is supposed to be about... like running late for everything, realizing that I had forgotten to buy "Santa" wrapping paper and had to empty the help of my every wonderful and awesome Sister In Law to watch the kids for an hour while I went and bought some.
Then we came home, had lunch and watched Christmas Phineas and Ferb... because they are awesome. Then we opened up our Christmas Eve Pj's and headed off, in our Santa Hats, PJ's and blankets to get dinner at Shari's and then drive around our favorite neighborhood to see Christmas lights.
Last year we went almost every night.... this year we have only made it once a week at best.
The Girl asked for a "doctor baby" - which I already bought for $35 (full price was !$50!!) - so I was pretty pleased with myself for that.... and a few other Princess things worthy of The Girl. The Boy.... well... The Boy wanted an "Elf on the Shelf" that he could play with.
It all started with a client who has done "naughty" Elf on The Shelf things for years (google it and look on the images tab, you'll quickly understand) - and so after they had kid - he and I concocted a plan to do a "bad Elf" photo of our own.
I drove out to their place and we shot their shot playing with the Elf (a HUGE no-no because when someone touches an Elf it loses it's magic and can die..... so this is a BIG deal. But we had the kid eating the Elf, kicking the Elf, sitting on him..... then I shot the Elf cutting celery and making a LBS Stew list.... List Brother Stew.... then we stuck his son in a huge pot, put it on their stove and staged the Elf with a spoon as though he were "cooking" the son.
It's actually an EPIC card.... honestly. Best Christmas card EVER.
The Boy takes our Elf on The Shelf *very* seriously..... and I was super careful with the photo editing - but one day he came up behind me and saw the pictures I had taken of the little boy kissing the Elf.... and now The Boy is asking Santa for an Elf on The Shelf that *he* can play with, too.
This is actually a big ass deal. Parents spend *a lot* of time keeping their Elf on the Shelf tradition going... so I can't just "give" The Boy one without causing heartache for every parent we know.... because then *their* kid might get upset/confused, etc....
Honestly... look up Elf on The Shelf: it's life and death serious for most of us. lololol
But he's been on and on and on about it.... begging every Santa we see for one..... so I think I came up with a solution. I'm lucky he's seven and he still buys this stuff... lololol.
So. In The Elf on The Shelf movie, Chippy get's touched by the nasty older brother and he has to return to the North Pole and stay in the hospital to "get his magic back". (Earthly Mom's all know that sprinkling cinnamon *around* your Elf will also restore his magic if he falls or is touched) Anyhow..... I played around with the idea of buying an Elf and damaging him... but I think I'm just going to label him.
Then I had Santa write The Boy a letter about his special Elf on The Shelf.
Last year, OUR Elf wrote the kids a letter (see below) - so, this year, Bob wrote them another letter, so getting one directly from Santa won't seem like that big of a deal. Still..... he's pretty smart.... I think he'll understand the idea that Santa is trying to tell him.....
At least I hope he will. I love him so much.... If I could have one thing for Christmas it would be to go back 365 day right now and stop all of this from happening to the children. To find a way to better protect their hearts .... find a way to keep us whole. But I can't..... so. perhaps a little magic and an Elf from Santa might help.
I think we could all use a little magic this year.....
.... Merry Christmas everyone! :)