Raising My Girls

It has been a long two weeks… and it’s not even over yet! 

The big girls have been out of school for almost two weeks now.  They will finally return to school next week on January 6th, and it can’t come fast enough for this tired mommy.

The first week is always decent.  They’re excited to be out of school.  I’ll have them cleaning their rooms and doing this-n-that around the house.  However, in the second week, the joy wears off and the annoyance begins.  They fight, bicker, pick at each other, the older two run a stand contest to see who can make the youngest scream the loudest.  Ugh!

Then add to all of that, the hubby was off for five days last week, and starting tomorrow he’ll be off for another five days.  He has been sitting on the couch, right in my way, playing Xbox for hours at a time.  He grumbles and groans if anyone walks in front of him, so I do it on purpose because it’s my house too and just because he’s sitting on his behind doesn’t mean I have the luxury (or desire) to do that too.  Therefore, I walk in front of him allllll the time and then give him the evil eye if I hear one groan escape his throat.  I know, I’m evil… and I enjoy it too!  LOL

The girls did have a good Christmas, with loads of presents and goodies.  The three year old had a great time anticipating the arrival of Santa.  The oldest knows the secret of Santa and has strict instructions to go along and not ruin it for the other two…. or else she’ll not get any gifts.  LOL

Here’s a cute picture of the youngest surprised with her Santa gift at 5 a.m. on Christmas morning.

She’s such a card when she wants to be.  LOL

Keep me in your thoughts until these crazy girls go back to school and I’m left in peace again.  LOL

Every year we let the girls go shopping to buy gifts for their sisters.  All three of them end up buying 2 gifts and receiving two gifts.  I give them a $5 per person limit (since I’m paying for it) and let them shop.

It’s really funny to watch the girls shop for each other.  They choose items and then see something else, so they put the first back and get the next.  This goes on and on for at least thirty minutes before I finally make them finalize their decisions and move on.

 So, with all that said, we took the girls shopping this past Saturday.  It felt like we were roaming around the toy section of Walmart forever.  The oldest chose her two gifts first, so I sent her and their dad to the front to check out and put the gifts in the van.  Then I was going to send him off with the middle daughter as I took the youngest.

It didn’t quite work out that way though.

When Dad and the oldest returned both of the younger two were done and trying to hide the gifts from each other.  It was very funny to hear a 3 year old saying, “Don’t you look, sister!  It’s a secret!”

So we managed to check out with both of them at once and no one saw anything.

As soon as we got everyone into the van the older two were giving each other hints on what they’d purchased.  Doh!  I swear those two can’t keep a secret for anything.  LOL!

They have 17 days until Christmas, but I’ll guarantee that they will either have opened their gifts to each other, or at least know what they are before Christmas arrives!  Secret gifts don’t last long with three little girls in the house. 

Christmas gifts are running rampant under my Christmas tree.  I don’t think it looks like we have as many gifts as we usually have under there, but the truth is that there are just smaller, more expensive gifts under there.  With the exception of a couple of grown-up gifts for the hubby and myself.

This year I’ve been very secretive about the gifts I’ve gotten for the hubby.  I got him a new fleece robe and flannel pj pants.  He’d mentioned he wanted a fleece robe (currently he has an old flannel one) and I noticed that his favorite pj pants have a huge tear over one of the knees.  Not only that, but he’s been begging for an Xbox 360 for several months now.  I kept telling him no because who wants to spend that kind of money when there’s a perfectly god Playstation 2 sitting in our livingroom?  With great excitement in my heart I snuck out Friday and bought the Xbox 360. 

Now, come back to the fleece robe.  My 3 yr old was with me when I bought the robe.  Her daddy has been trying to get her to tell him what it is, but being the wonderful little Mommy’s Helper that she is, she tells him “No daddy! It’s a secret!”  We’ll all laugh and I’ll commend her on being such a good girl at keeping a Christmas secret.

Then one day my 8 yr old took the 3 yr old off in another room and got her to tell her about the robe.  The 8 yr old promptly returns to tell her daddy, “It’s something that you wrap around your body!”  To which the hubby deduces that it’s a fleece robe!  ACK! *Smacks forehead*

Let me tell you, I could have pulled my hair out when she said that.  Geez!!

Therefore, the hubby knows his one gift.  Then today he guesses the pj pants without anyone even saying anything about it.  Of course I told him that he was completely wrong.  LOL!

 Now we come to the Xbox 360.  This is the big gift.  The gift I want him to be uttery shocked and surprised at receiving.  This is the gift that will top all other gifts.  The gift that will cause me to stick my digital camera in his face to capture his elation for all eternity at receiving something he’s been begging for.

I have threateningly warned all three girls with fear of not receiving a single gift from me or Santa if anyone opens their mouth about daddy’s third gift.  The 8yr old in particular is under strict notice of pending giftlessness if she even hints, sniffs, or glances at the location of the third gift (hubby thinks all his gifts are in a single box and I’ve hidden the Xbox 360 behind the tree).

In the end, I don’t care about the robe or the pj pants, but these girls better keep their little mouths shut about that Xbox.  LOL!

The 3 yr old keeps saying, “I’m a good girl, Mommy.  I don’t tell Daddy nothing!”  LOL!  She’s right, she refuses to even entertain his pleads for hints.

Beware of expecting little girls to keep holiday secrets.  They ill let it slip everytime.  That is, unless you threaten them with not receiving gifts of their own.  LOL!

Tomorrow I’ll talk about the girls gift shopping for their sisters.  Doh!