Finally Here, It's Christmas

 

Christmas Eve....what a special night

. 

For some it's getting together with extended family, for others it's opening gifts, for some it's people that can't be with their families.  I really pray for the last bunch. 

 

Here at the Fairchild Farm, things really got heated up:  "Where do you think Santa hid the presents Mom?" an excited Grace asked me. 

"No idea," I said as I worked on the mountain of dishes that I had to wash.  Ron and Cody were at church (I go tomorrow with the girls, long mass gets little kids whiny, nuf said.) 

we don't have a chimney, so Santa has to expertly hide gifts somewhere outside, (without getting caught by eight policing children).  I had to grab them out of my closet, through the french doors of our bedroom, slap them into the bed of the 4 wheeler, then look for a place to hide them. 

While not looking suspicious with sparkling red wrapped boxes whipping around the farm looking for a place to hide them.  One time I even lost one and had to go back for it. 

Eeks. 

 

So while we wait for Santa,  we will eat,

• Meatloaf
• hot buttered noodles
• broccoli
• cookies.

Supper was finally over, the table was cleaned off.  They were getting all the presents out of mom & dad's closet to put under the tree. 

All of the sudden....

A knock at the door!

The little kids rushed to answer it....(hurry Cody, get back through the garage door...these little punks are fast!)

No one was at the door....

Santa!!!!!!!!!

Quick put on your boots...

Slap on your coats...

Where's Rachel?

She's outside.

Don't forget Jessica!

Levi needs his coat!

Can't the baby just stay in? 

NO!

Then, ma and pa (that's us) hunker quietly in the bathroom with the lights off as all the kids trudge with their winter gear out to the sheep barn.  Why?  I don't know either, its almost 50 degrees and there's no snow.

Pa gets an idea in his head that he has to go to the back of the house to sound like Santa....not sure the kids heard, but I'm glad your getting into it Pa.

The kids find all their gifts!  Woohooo!  Time to celebrate!

Oh no!  There's one little lady that doesn't have a gift from Santa.

What?????

She comes in empty handed with a tiny tear out of her eye.

Has ma, err, um Santa lost his mind??? No present for Rachel? 

Quick...slap on my boots

No time for a coat

She's still crying. 

Hop on the four wheeler

Vroom vroom!

All over the farm

All through the barns...

Nothing.

What??? I forgot my precious girl? 

"Mom was I bad?" she asks quietly.

"NO!  Go in the bonus room and look there! What the heck Big D?" I look at him in utter disgust for the both of us..

"I don't think we got her anything."  He says.  "Now what?"

I snatched a present under the tree, wrapped it in Santa wrap and winged it outside through our french doors onto the yard, "Rachel, lets go out and look for your present out back.  Maybe it fell of his sleigh."

"Okay..." she whispers quietly.  "MOM!  I found something! It has my name on it!"

Really...have I fried my brain?  Am I going through dementia?  I'm 37....whats going on with me?

We open our presents and have a great time.  All the while the guilt is reeling in my broken down brain at what a bad mom I was, when Ron stands up and yelled, "Mom!  The present for Rachel...is in the shop!" 

We forgot what Santa had bought her was in the side room of the shop...a brand new bike.  In the end, we just said it was from us. 

She loved it and wouldn't' stop riding it.   We're only partially dork parents. 

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Fairchild Farmgirl

PS Make me feel better and tell me you've done this before! =)