The Christmas that almost wasn't

'Twas the day before Christmas

And one grumpy mother
Almost canceled festivities
For three little brothers.

From fighting and griping
To bleaching the floor,
Mom didn't think these boys
Needed presents any more.

The stress of the holiday
And upcoming travel
Were making this day
Really start to unravel.

The morning was rough,
To this we'll admit,
But the afternoon and evening
Were really a hit.

Once Mom got over
Her grumpiness bender
Some family activities
Became really quite tender.

First on the agenda:
Frosting cookies for Claus.
Zach and Ty's decorations
Deserved some applause.

Zach thought that frosting
Was a pretty good treat,
Though the dentist might disagree
'Bout the impact on his teeth.

Our neighbors stopped by
With some holiday cheer
And a new festive ornament
To remember this year.

We went to their house
To see their villages and train
And to get some advice
On making our home less plain.

Lasagna and french bread
Were on the Christmas Eve menu.
We ate in the dining room
For a fun change of venue.



We hung up our stockings
All named, in a row,
And put out the cookies
So Santa would know.


The boys' letters to Santa
Were hilarious to read.
Zach's admission of guilt
Was a good step, indeed.

Garry directed
Our evening of stories;
He told "Gift of the Magi"
In great narrative glory.

"Joy to the World"
Showed that first Christmas night
In Bethlehem and America,
The signs were just right.

After our reminder
Of what Christmas is about,
The boys opened presents
With a jump and a shout.

We usually give jammies
So the kids have the same look,
But this year we started
The tradition of books.

Zach was excited
To read of Grinch stealing,
While Tyler's I-Spy
Was endlessly entertaining.

Frosty the Snowman
Delighted our babe;
Singing the words
Really brought the "hoorays"!

Bedtime was happy,
The children were wired;
But even crazy boys
Sometimes get tired.

At long last it was time

For Santa's great gifts;
He did his work quick,
Ate some cookies, and left.

The grownups got to work
Packing suitcases,
Cleaning the kitchen,
Setting breakfast places.

In spite of the morning,
The grump, and the gloom,
The magic of Christmas
Hung in every room.

And wouldn't you know it,
At {almost} six a.m.,
Rang the chorus of "Santa!"
And all the fun began.

Stay tuned for a re-cap
Of our Christmas cheer;
We're on vacation in Nevada
And might not blog until the New Year.

But major holiday records
Won't fall by the wayside.
We'll be sure to loop you in
For the long and crazy ride.