Christmas 2005

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Christmas this year was such fun! The kids are 6, almost 4, and 2 and sooooooooooooo into Santa and all things Christmas. The join and excitement on their faces when they saw all Santa brought them was just priceless. They got some really great stuff this year from Santa and others. The moms spent the night with us and I'm not sure who enjoyed Christmas morning more this year, the kids or the moms watching the kids.

Roman was a bit disappointed last night as it was too warm to really start a fire. We've had such a mild winter this year. Last year as he was inspecting the cookies and milk and fireplace he found a small piece of red fabric in the fireplace that was slightly singed. He had warned us that Christmas Eve that if we didn't put the fire out early that Santa might not be able to come down the chimney afterall. His delight over invisioning Santa burning his butt on our fire was priceless and he's still laughing about it this year, so was a tad disappointed that he couldn't reenact it. Sick little boy, yes! No big surprises this year, a few footprints in the soot and some crumbs in the fireplace... that Santa sure is messy! ... otherwise it was a pretty calm, until he went to open his stocking stuffers and discovered a sandwhich box for his lunchbox with a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich. He was so upset and got the funniest look on his face. His conclusion... "Santa accidently wrapped his lunch up and stuck it in my stocking!" "I'm not supposed to get his lunch for Christmas!" The funniest part of all is that about an hour laterly he defiantly sat down and ate it with this devilish little sparkle in his eye cause he wasn't eating Santa's lunch!

After opening presents and everything we all got dressed to head up to Kari and Kermit's for Christmas dinner. I got the kids dressed and was finishing up getting ready myself when I hear a scream from mom in the living room. Ran in to find Barbara holding Bethany, both covered in puke! So they both got cleaned up, changed clothes and I was cuddling with Bethany while everyone was finishing and she threw up all over me. It was so incredibly disgusting! By then we had decided we weren't going to chance the hour drive up with a sick baby. Problem was, mom had taken off with Hope in between incidents so we had to go. James ended up staying behind while Barbara, Roman and I loaded in the van and headed to Fredericksburg. It was a really nice afternoon and dinner. Aside from us, Kari, Kermit, Abby and Megan, Aunt Bonnie, Gloria, Ashley, Joel, Aunt Philly and Uncle Dave all came over. The kids practically had a second Christmas with all the presents!

When we got back home Bethany was feeling much better and we just enjoyed a nice relaxing evening while the kids watched their new movies and played.
Bethany throwing up

What's Santa's Name?

Last night I was cooking dinner and Hopey came in and told me she wanted to write a letter to Santa, but didn't know his name. What? So I inquired further, "but mommy, I don't know his www name to find him!" Welcome to Christmas in the 21st Century!!!

Tanta

Yesterday Bethany awoke to presents under the tree that I had wrapped up the night before. They were for the moms, aunts, uncles and whatnot. They were under the tree before, just not wrapped. Well she thought Santa had come and got so excited that she sat down and started opening them before we could tell her otherwise. It was too cute! She is soooooooo excited about Santa. The other 2 didn't even know who he was at this age, but I guess that's a benefit of having 2 older siblings. She has been running around for days telling everyone that "Tanta's Toming!"

Sibling Protection

James came in and saw someone had unplugged the printer and began to fuss at the kids. "So, who did it?" "Well, if no one's gonna fess up everyone can get punished" Roman speaks up, "Punish Bethany only, she did, I saw her." So James looks at him and says, "Jeez Roman, what happened to protecting your sisters?" Roman's answers, "Well, I gotta protect myself!"

Who Loves Ya?

Today we got our first snow of the year. Roman got up first and we checked together to see the white covered ground outside. Next came in Hope. Roman told her to peek out the window and she was soooooooooo excited at what she saw! Roman asks her, "See, who loves you? Hope just looked around and smiled at everyone then shrugged her shoulders. And Roman says, "God! God loves you very much and sent all this snow down just for you!"

The Tall Tall Tale

Last night we met Angie and Jason and crew for dinner at Don Jose's. Afterwards while the adults talked in the parking lot, the kids played in the back of the van. Somewhere, Josh found Roman's old switchblade comb and asked to borrow it. We were meeting them the next night anyway to see the lights downtown at the James Center, so he said okay, to just bring it back the next evening. Well today, Roman comes home from school with the comb and note from Ms. Neal asking us to please not let him bring it to school again. Here's what Roman had to say:

Well, Josh's teacher caught him with it and got freaked out thinking it was real and called the cops. The cops interrigated him and he ratted me out, telling the cops I gave it to him, so they came and talked to Ms. Neal who talked to me and sent me home with the note and comb. I didn't have to talk to the cops though.

What actually happened, or the closest thing we can piece together from Maddy and Josh's side of the story is that Josh carried it to lunch and gave it back to Roman then. The lunch lady saw Roman with it and told Ms. Neal who just took him in the hallway and had a little talking to on why we don't bring things like that to school.

What are we going to do with this boy?!?

The Farting Deer are Back!

Okay, so the "Farting Deer" is a Roman story from last Christmas that didn't make it on here because I didn't create this blog until February! So in short, everyone has seen the white lighted deer, specifically the buck, that people put on their lawns around Christmas time. Well, last year in the middle of Lowes as we were looking for new outdoor decorations for the holiday season, Roman starts laughing hysterically... that I can't stop, I can't breathe, I'm gonna pee my pants, obnoxious laugh that at home would literally have had him rolling on the floor. Of course, you just have to ask! "What is so funny?" I mean come on, we're in the Christmas decoration section, what could possibly be THAT funny? Roman's response:

"See that deer? He just farted!"

Cute, but not quite following you. "Why would you say that?" Roman's response:

"His tail is sticking up and he's going 'hmrrr'" The part you can't see in that statement is a 4 year old struting across the floor then stopping, sticking his butt out behind him and puffing his chest up with chin up high going 'hmrrr'! Hence, then and forever in the Trettel household we have the "farting deer"!

I had absolutely forbid them to bring that thing home, but after about a week is snuck onto my lawn, much to the sheer joy of my son.

For those of you in the Richmond area you can only imagine just how obnoxious he got when we visited the James Center a few weeks later! There must be 100 "farting deer" there!

So, this year, I caved and as they were on sale, we bought an entire herd of "farting deer". I believe there are 9 total in all sizes and Roman and his sisters could not be any prouder of their holiday cheer!