Mom, I'm bored

For me, the whole days leading up to Christmas Day, are what make the Season. The sights, sounds, anticipation of gifts under the tree and a waffle iron fire can make the month exciting.

After baking cookies, seeing lights and making a quick, reminiscent Christmas Eve ride to Shelley, this is what I heard from the back seat of the car.

"Mom," long drawn out sigh. "I'm bored."

BORED?????????????????????????????????????? My eyebrows crinkled like they'd been tossed in the waffle iron.

I didn't tell him the classic teacher comment to this reply:

"Only boring people get bored."

that I've heard and seen on signs at the schools.

It was Christmas Eve and I didn't want to hurt his feelings, and Ya Know, I think that saying is Balderdash, anyway. It does take some creativity and huge amounts of discipline to not get the post Christmas "let down."- Even if you are not a boring person.

For instance, Christmas Eve was going along about as casual and mundane as a child waiting for Santa to come, could expect.

The youngest Grandkid was on the rug,



playing with J's old Thomas the Train set with Papa.




All the grandkids got to open a gift:









We'd consummed a meal in moments that took all day effort to prepare. It was as boring as you could get, right?

After everyone convinced Padre that it was Christmas and Jack needed to come in and feel the love, Lil Brother went out to get the poor guy from the freezing cold. We promised the newest addition would sit on the rug by the door.




That didn't happen, Jack has had a Major turn around in health since his being saved from euthanization. An antibiotic and being loved has turned this once calm, collected dog into, well, a typical lab. Totally took us by surprise.

We all felt sorry when he slept like a newborn after being saved from the chink, sneezed and wheezed while playing catch with J, and looked at us with eyes that seemed to echo every sadness, ever felt, on planet earth.

It must have been the excitement of the whole family together, cause Jack came in and before we knew it, raced passed the front rug pulling his owner with such strength he about knocked me over onto the hearth. In my defense, I was crouched down taking pictures. If Lil Brother hadn't reigned him in the tree may have come down.

An otherwise snoozer of an evening went to high octane excitement. Especially for Padre. Jack was rassled away from the Christmas tree, pulled across the center rug over to Lil Brother and moderately calmed down with a treat.

As you know, "we", I mean Padre, is NOT an indoor dog person. He isn't an outdoor dog person either, unless it is located out someone else's back door.




Padre disappeared down to the shower where he stood under a dribble of water for a good 45 minutes while the rest of us sweated it out. Grandkid K wasn't worried cause he had Woody to entertain him



and J was just glad Jack was there.

But at that point we all were pretty much convinced that Padre was just running the shower to throw us off as he climbed on the roof, put Santa in the locker like he'd been threatening us the last couple days, and took all our presents back for a refund.

He must have tried to do it in his bathrobe because he came upstairs wearing it and donning a fake shower appearance. Before blow drying his hair in the upstairs bathroom, he mumbled something to the effect that 'that was the last time he'd cuddle up on the rug again.'

Sugar plums ricocheted in our heads that night, Santa escaped Padre cause the goods were under the tree come morning and Padre forgave cause he even pulled out the camera to commemorate the event.

We basked in the glorious, sunny day streaming through the windows sitting on the couches and chairs next to our stuffed stockings. J rifled through all his gifts and contently played with them well into the afternoon. Finally, it was Christmas Day.As I pondered the meaning of Christmas, J broke the silent reverie:

"Mom, I'm bored."


Jack huggin' Lil Brother for saving his life.