Stories About James & Jude

Oh my word.  James was acting every bit of the 3 year old that he is today.  He wore me out.  How is it that he can be so exasperating and then make me laugh so hard...all in the same minute.  He's such a little monkey.  I tried all my tricks...the corner, his room, taking away tv, I even told him I was going to return his Christmas gifts to the store.  He was unfazed. 

When we were running down his list of his grievances with Daddy at the end of the day he owned up to everything.  Brad had him come and sit on his lap so they could have a talk about disobedience and such.  During the talk, James just all of the sudden licked Brad on the lips.  I had to bury my head in my sweater because I was laughing so hard.  Brad stayed all stony-faced and stern.  Maybe that is why Brad's discipline works and mine doesn't.

I guess in an attempt to show us that he was picking up what we were putting down he put Puppy in the corner.  Very Sternly.  Poor Puppy.

We have a regular nativity and then we have a little tiny nativity that is just the right size for Jude to carry around.  He loves it.  Today Brad came down the stairs with it and said, "Jude is not allowed to play with the nativity anymore."  He found it in the toilet.  But speaking of nativities...last night Brad and I watched "The Nativity Story".  It is a good movie and a good thing to watch to remember that Jesus' precious birth is what we are really celebrating.

We have been talking a lot with James about Christmas and Jesus' birthday.  He is confused why we are getting presents when it is Jesus' birthday. He asked me, "Are we Jesus?"  I told him that we are not Jesus, we have Jesus in our hearts though.  He said, "Then why are we getting the presents?"  That's a tricky one.  I tried explaining that the Wise Men brought Jesus gifts when he was born and it just sort of reminds us of that.  I lost him there and he just asked for another piece of Jesus' birthday cake.  I am one of those un-magical Mom's that tells her kids that Santa isn't real, he's just a made up person...but that Jesus is real and He is what Christmas is about.  If he needs therapy someday for a lack of magical disillusionment in his life as a child...I will cross that bridge when I get there.  It's not that I care if he knows about Santa or not...he watches Santa movies and we have a couple of Santa's around the house and whatever...he just knows he is pretend.

Tonight we had a couple of spirited rounds of Old Maid after dinner.  James' sitter taught him how to play and he is getting really good.

Somehow Mommy or Daddy always ends up with the old maid card and James wins.  Funny how that happens, no?

Tomorrow I'm going to start our Christmas baking.  Thursday we have our candlelight service at church. One of my sister's will get into town on Friday.  Saturday we will celebrate with Brad's family.  Midnight mass that night.  Then Sunday is the day!  Busy busy busy.  I love Christmastime!