time is drawing near...

Well Christmas is VERY close...less than 10 days now. Am I ready? NO Could I wing it? probably
Last week the big nasty sickness that is going around took 5 days of my life. My recovery might have been slowed by the fact that I threw out my back just before the illness hit me.
My first day back to join the land of the living, CO and I went to cut down the Christmas tree.

CO had been up that day since six and the two nights before up at four and I think he missed his nap the day before...so he was weary too...about 20 minutes before we were set to leave to get the tree, this is how I found him...passed out cold

My son has a 'now' personality. I knew once we got that tree there was NO holding off getting it decorated so he dug out the lights and went through the process to change burnt bulbs

unfortunately there were too many burnt out ones that we needed to just buy new lights, but we couldn't head out until after J got home from access, so crazy me took two boys shopping for Christmas lights after 730 at night...I was going to go to Home Hardware but it was closed, next option was TSC (I wanted an environment that wouldn't be too over stimulating this late at night and close to the holiday...so no Walmart). Mission success and on clearance to boot.

I the boys had a lovely time decorating the tree together. I handed out the ornaments and attached hooks. I have no photos of them decorating or of the finished project yet...

Mom gave me the Christmas Carousel to put up.

(photo from Amazon)

We have it set up along the bottom of the tree. The boys play it ALOT. It plays different Christmas Carols.  I bought it with my mom one of my last years in high school. It is nice that it still works. We were inspired to buy it because we saw one at Grandma Willman's house on her fireplace mantel. (Grandma Willman is an old neighbour of my father that we grew up calling Grandma Willman and she is actually CO's great Nanny...how cool is that)

 

This past week we (mom and I) took the boys to the mall to get their photo taken with Santa.

Results turned out well:

I was torn if I should get their photos taken separate or together. J should have been gone weeks ago. But now I'll have him at least until mid January. Nothing like trying to get your grandson back with the minimal amount of effort possible.
Life with J is less fun these days. He is only with us 3 days per week. Two weeks ago he was sick with pneumonia, so he was under the weather, I'll give him a pass for that week. This week, I am not sure what his problem was but there was a lot of time spend on 'time out' for kicking, biting, swearing, hitting and disobedience. Our trip to the mall was a complete bust other than the photo as he spent the rest of the time screaming in the stroller that he wanted to be a bad boy...sigh. After days like that I feel bad in thinking that his grandparents can have him! I am not sure if they are ruining him or if he was just reacting to his crazy life where he lives 4 days a week in one environment and 3 days each week in a different one. His two worlds are SO different and never overlapped. Which is too bad. I think that it would be easier for him if there was an overlap but that isn't going to happen as the grandparents just see me as the enemy and are too busy trying to stir up garbage to focus on J and his needs.

 

This weeks goals: finish Christmas shopping and making of gifts, bake gingerbread men and string popcorn for the tree, do Christmas cards (yes I do not have these done yet..sigh)