Happy Holidays!

I've been trying to make a post for the past three days but everytime I start one I have someone or another that swears if I don't come see/help/referee/fix/etc. it will result in the end of the world! It's so wonderful having all my boys home with me but it can make things a little busy for me. Especially since hubs tends to go hide upstairs on his computer more when all four boys are home. He loves them as much as I do but they are normal, active boys and their high spirits can sometimes be a bit much for someone with severe PTSD.

I'm extra pleased with my boys right now too. Sadly my father hasn't embraced my husband's two boys as his grandsons so when he sends my two boys cards with money in them and not the other two it always makes me feel a little awkward and bad. On the one hand it's not fair to Tom* and David* but it would also be unfair to force Steve* and Chris* to give up some of their money just because my father isn't a better person. They solved the problem nicely all on their own when they bought Monopoly, Twister, and lunch for everyone! Not only was it just incredibly sweet but we've all had so much fun playing those and our other games together!

One of our gamers made homemade ziti for us one night which was delicious! The kiddos and I have snuggled up together under a big dryer warmed blanket. Then this morning we watched the boys open their presents which is one of my favorite times of the whole year! They've been busy most of the day with video games, a punching bag, a ripstick (it's like a skateboard but all the new rage with my kids), flying micro copters all over the place freaking the birds out to no end, and making candles. Which means I've been busy most of the day answering questions about video game installation, taping hands and demonstrating how to throw a punch, insisting that children wear all kinds of helmets and pads, trying to calm screaming birds, and cutting wax, dye, and scents!

On top of that I decided that we needed gingerbread men. Only the youngest wanted to help me cut out and bake the cookies but they all came running when it was time to frost them! I tried! I really tried to supervise where all the frosting was going but these kids are starting to get HUGE! Heck the oldest is probably twice my size already! With all four of them crowded around the table I couldn't even see the cookies much less where the frosting was going! But in typical ravenous teen boy fashion they slopped frosting onto the biggest of the cookies then backed away munching happily for a moment letting me dart in to run a little damage control. By the end of today with all the candle and cookie scents everyone says the house smells absolutely delicious though!! All in all I think this has been one of the greatest, delightfully messy, noisy, fun Yule's we've had so far!

I wish all of you a holiday full of fun, love, laughter, and magic too!