The Longest Day

If I am ever in charge of buying plane tickets and I have choices, I will make sure to leave late morning, rather than in the evening.  All this waiting around is really killing the boys!

Mitchell and Ben got up before the sun this morning, asking if it was time to leave on vacation yet.  I stalled them for a little while (until the sun came up, at least) with cartoons in bed with me, but after one episode of Curious George, they were again asking if it was time to leave yet!

I don't know how many times today I have reminded them that we do not leave until after lunch, but my helpful reminders did not keep them from packing their backpacks with all their good stuff and then wearing them on their backs around the house all day long.  

I finally convinced them to lay down and try to nap as a way to magically make the time to leave come sooner and it worked!  Now I have a few last minutes of peace and quiet before this "longest day" gets even longer for me!

I hope their excitement carries through this entire trip - from long ride to the airport, through the long lines at the airport, waiting around to get on the plane, then the long sit on the plane.  My guess is as long as Matt and I have fun, they will have a lot of fun as well.  

I am not sure how much blogging I will get done over the next couple weeks, so Merry Christmas, everyone!  (Does this count as a the Christmas card I never got around to making/sending out?  Hope so...)

Mitchell's Backpack

Mitchell loves his school backpack.  I don't think he cares too much about what it looks like or that he can wear it on his back, but he LOVES having something to put his treasures in and bring them with him wherever he goes.  

Sometimes, he has specific things he is supposed to bring home from school like an announcement from the teacher or a picture he drew.  Sometimes he needs to bring something to school, like two objects that begin with the letter "F," for example. Most days, though, he doesn't really even need a bag, and any other boy might just either leave it home on those days, or at least carry it empty.  Not my boy.  Some days, when he gets home from school and I ask him if he has anything in his bag to show me (expecting a picture or an announcement), his face brightens and he says "Yes!  I have all kinds of stuff in here!"  He then sits down at the table and theatrically pulls one thing after another out, in a seeming never-ending stream of objects!  We are talking Mary Poppins style here!  

He hasn't pulled a lamp out yet like Mary Poppins, but sometimes the stuff coming out of it is quite funny and surprising: toys of all kinds (of course), assorted kitchen utensils, my checkbook, books, empty water bottle, flashlight, vacuum attachments, mittens, scissors, jack's hat, a fossil... you name it!  If it will fit in there, he will sneak it in!