Xmas Prep

Kate was home sick today, but there was a lot to do anyway, so we kept busy.

- Went to CVS to get her prescription for amoxycillin (probably misspelled). She has strep. Couldn't find a quarter in the car to feed the meter, so I spent some time looking. Told Kate that Mommy didn't leave me any quarters. "Mommy didn't leave you any quarters!" she said sympathetically.

- In the store, she walked up to a random shelf. "I get medicine, Daddy. I get medicine." She started pulling things off the shelf. Oops.

- We headed to the grocery store. Kate wanted to ride in the cart, and did. She said, "We get coffee? We get fyoot?" (fruit) "We get sooweeall?" (cereal)

- Came home and Kate had her medicine. Spat it all down the front of her shirt. My jaw dropped. After 10-15 minutes of pleading and yelling and cajoling, she finally took a dose. Said, "I like medicine!"

- She ate lunch. Halfway through she said, "I'm ready for my nap." She napped.

- We went to get Jack. Spent 10 minutes looking through the lost and found, again, for his winter hat. Jack also said he wanted to show me something. He walked us into the school, all the way down the hallway, to show me Christmas decorations in this big storage box. He walked us right over to it and opened it up. "See these? Aren't they cool? Can we buy them?" Woman nearby said, those will be for sale at the holiday boutique next week. I said, um, Jack, not now.

- Jack saw Aunt Cathy and stopped, set down his backpack, opened it, and gave her a Hanukah card he'd made.

- We came home and put up Christmas decorations on the lawn. The kids admired them. Kate went out and stood on the sidewalk. "Hi snowman! Hi Rudolph! Happy Christmas!" Jack corrected her. "It's MERRY Christmas," he said.

- We came inside and read "The Grinch." Then they watched The Grinch while I put up more decorations. Then they bundled up again and came out to admire the decorations some more.

- They set up the Playmobil Nativity scene. Kate walked over to me at one point and held up her hand. "I have rings," she said. I didn't understand her at first. "Rings," she said. She was wearing the little hair pieces of the figures. They did a pretty nice job setting it up; I was relieved that they put the Baby Jesus in the manger. Last year I think Jack put the donkey in there.

- Emily read Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to them. Multiple times.

- We had dinner, and then dug out the Christmas CDs. Emily played her favorite, Jack made critical noises. Then they played The Muppets CD, and were happy.

- Jack read a Charlie Brown book to himself. Slowly, carefully sounding out each word. Then said, "Daddy! You've got to see this funny joke! Her EARMUFFS are too tight! Of COURSE she can't hear!"

- Put Kate to bed and kissed Jack goodnight. It had been a day.