The kiddies had a perfect day playing with the uncles, Aunt Alli and grandparentals--for hours and hours. That is truly what these holidays are about!! They realize how much they are loved by many different people. (And I get to realize how much I love to finish conversations and cups of coffee...)
Worst Part of the Day-
We arrived home from the 30 hour Christmas madness at roughly 6:30pm and gave the kidz a small/late din din. At 7:30pm Liam began vomiting. (One week--to the minute--after Scarlet had her GI issue!) He threw up every hour until 7am. I was there by his side the whole night. It got to be such that I would just hear him rustling around in his sheets and I would know what was coming next. Though half asleep, I would instinctively get up to assist and coddle and clean up the next emesis output. Poor, poor buddy boy.
Unexpected Christmas Twist:
Tough love is not dead.
At 1am (after an insane amount of Cold Duck was swilled), I made the executive decision to give Scarlet 1 lump of coal and 1 present for Christmas morning. (Please, she had just opened tons of presents from aunts, uncles and grandparents--and she was in the more, more, more mode and it was not pretty.) Also she has been on and off whiney, sassy and continues to have selective hearing despite my best intentions with behavior charts, behavior modification, etc. Feeling kinda like a bad ass (I don't know if any of my mom friends would make this move...), I stoically put the remaining 7 or 8 other presents for her in the trunk--never to be seen.
Hours later Santa left a note that informed Scarl of her gift status:
Dear Scarlet,
1 lump of coal and 1 present are under the tree.
Better luck next year,
Santa
She didn't bat an eyelash at the note. She looked at the coal very dryly and then happily opened her other present (a piggy bank). She and Liam played with their respective piggy banks for a longer time than I thought possible. (Piggy bank are total hits, by the way.)
When people would ask S. what she received today, she would gloss over the coal part and even euphemistically add, "I received this lovely black toy and I pretend it's a doll..." (Oh my.)
At the end of the day as we drove back home Scarlet was atypically quiet. She then said, "Mom? I know why I got the coal." Ahh yes, admission, comprehension. After many more minutes of quiet she added, "I can still play with it, though." My sweetie--the glass is half full.
I feel like this was a pivotal moment and a smart parenting decision. (Or I just scarred her for life...we shall see.) Feels good to stick to the guns, though.
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