December 19

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting is getting fat, that's all I have to say about that.

Today we bid Zach a merry Christmas farewell as his vacation has henceforth begun. He will be happily spending the holiday with parents and grandparents whom I would like to wish a merry Christmas as well. Have a great time Zach, we'll miss you. BTW, thank you guys for the awesome frosty the snowman coffee mug. I have been needing a replacement mug every since my favorite mug, the "Handicup" Erin got me two Christmases ago, was broken in a tragic magic mishap. Elijah was swinging his Harry Potter wand next to our console table chanting some incantations and, as I was would like to understand it, made the mug and contents magically levitate off the table and onto the floor. The fact that it was done using magic almost made the whole thing worth while, but I do miss the mug. I suppose for a kitchen item to be used almost every day for the last two years is a pretty good run. They should all be so lucky.

It's been a great day for all of us. Fred and Amelia seem especially ecstatic today with grins from ear to ear. The Christmas bug bites at an early age and I'm thinking he's got a couple more aficionados to add to his list. There's no Krampus in this house.

Every so often we will have one of the cats on a brave streak hopping the baby gate for some attention from the little ones. It is such a rare and special treat for the kids, often not so much for the cat. Today, Tiki Tavi decided she'd give the gauntlet a try. Surprisingly, all three kids were quite gentle with her. We're lucky to have such a patient and gentle cat. She's taken quite a few hair pulls and tail tugs and not even made a peep. Most of the time I'd have to shoo her away for her own protection, but she'd always find her way back. I guess she knew that eventually the kids would start to understand what gentle means too and when they did, she'd gain three friends for life. Hey, it worked in her relationship with Elijah and Cordy, so it must be a universal truth.