Daycare reports that the boys were getting into it yesterday. Lots of pushing of each other as well as other kids. (Do they not know that Santa is watching?) I am sure everyone is looking forward to a break there.
Nate was then a TOTAL TERROR once I picked him up. He screamed and cried getting into his car seat. He screamed and cried the whole ride home. He screamed and cried getting out of the car seat. He screamed and cried going into the house. He continued this behavior as he got a time out, would not take his jacket off, etc. etc. etc. This lasted about 45 minutes. I was ready to tear my hair out. Of course, he calmed down once it was time to go to Dominic’s house for PEPs. Zach was just quietly playing with his trains and ignoring Nate through all this. (So glad they were not ganging up on me.)
Paul got home and we were off to Christmas PEPs. It started off normal with playing and pizza. The kids were being good. Finally, once everyone was done eating, it was PRESENTS TIME. We wanted to institute the taking turns rule, so I offered the youngest-to-oldest used in our household. (Which then caused us have to figure out what time Zach and Matthew were born to figure out who was older. Zach is by about 7 hours.) I ordered the kids to sit down and they actually listened. One of the other parents called me the baby whisperer. I said since I was controlling who was getting the presents, they had motivation to listen to me.
Baby Adam went first. (Nate got him the present). Heidi had to help him open. As soon as she started to help him open, all the other kids surrounded him like a pack of wolves. Paper was flying everywhere. They were ravenous to open a present. It was chaos. I tried to settle them down for Ella’s turn next. She is perfectly capable of opening her gift by herself, but the pack of wolves wanted to help. At one point, she picked up her present and tried to run away but the wolves chased her down. She did get to open most of it by herself. We got things a little more controlled for the rest of the kids. (Nate, then Andrew, then Matthew, then Zach, then Dom, and finally Jacob.) Nate got a Handy Manny flashlight, which Zach used to go to sleep last night. Zach got a couple Cars games. One is like a fishing game where you fish the tired out as they open and close. The other I have not looked at closely, but it is some sort of sand art thing involving Cars. I will check it out when I get a moment.
We left PEPs a little after 8 and I put Paul in charge of the kids so I can wrap. (Paul is going out after work tonight for his holiday party. This will involve a cab ride home. Thus, I needed some time last night to wrap.) I wrapped from about 8:30 to 10:30. I am still not done with everything. It is going to take us years to open everything. Zach was still up around 10 and I put him to bed then. Nate had already fallen asleep in our bed with Paul. (I have no idea what time, but it should be early given how exhausted he must have been from tantruming forever.) When I put Nate into his bed around 10:45, Zach woke up. Thus, I doubt Zach got a super good night’s sleep. Nate woke up this morning around 6:30, turned on his room light, and came looking for me downstairs. Zach was not happy the light was on in his room so early. I got Nate settled watching TV with Paul before I left for work. (Only two more days of work!!!!!)