The Puddles

1. Wake up at 6:00am to get to the grocery store and back before Chris leaves for work at 8:30am. √
2. Have Chris comment about the amount of groceries by asking me if I left anything in the store for other people. √
3. Feed everyone breakfast and then start to unpack all of the groceries.  √
4. Put away all of the groceries, clean kitchen, finish laundry, and other household chores.√
5. Allow Madie to go on a walk with Hank around the neighborhood.  √
6. Implement  the neighborhood watch (a.k.a. The Finkes) to make sure they were home in case something bad happened to Madie she had a safe place to go. (They are at the half way point of her walk).√
7. Worry for an hour while Madie is out walking with the dog. √√√ √√√ √√√ √√√ √√√ √√√ √√√
8. Watch Santa’s elves feed the reindeer on Live Cam from the North Pole.  √
9. Let Ben build a Santa alarm (you should read the plans).
10. Convince Ben that stringing wire throughout the house in order to alert Ben that Santa has arrived is NOT a good idea.√
11. Practice reading Bible readings with Madie for tonight’s church service.  √
12. Take baths in the middle of the afternoon and get dressed for church.  √
13. Get myself ready. √
14. Make it to church on time. (That one didn’t happen.)
15. Get to church only to realize that the first and second lesson isn’t included in the service, so Madie is not reading that night.  √
16. Rush Ainsley to the bathroom in the middle of worship after the glow stick that they gave the children exploded all over her.  √
17. Convince Ainsley that I can wash the glow stick out of her dress after we get home.  √
18. Daddy tells Madie that she can read the gospel during the 7:00pm service to make up for the miscommunication at the 4:00pm service.√
19. Take the annual Christmas picture of the kids all dressed up. √
20. Run to the store on the way home to buy one last present from the kids to “someone” in the family.√
21. Go and see Christmas lights on the way home.  √
22. Bake cookies for Santa.  √
23. Prepare plate for Santa and reindeer.  √
24. Write letters to Santa.  √
25. Print a picture of the family for Santa to take back to the North Pole  with him (This was Ben’s idea. He wanted to give Santa a present too).  √
26. Clean up the glass jar that Ainsley broke on the fire place when she tried to climb up the cabinets to get the book.  √
27. Read “Twas the Night before Christmas.”  √
28. Have wishes to harm sister for texting me that she was completely finish wrapping presents and was ready for bed at 9:00pm.  √
29. Call NORAD. √
30. Send the kids to bed delighted with life especially Ben and Ainsley (who kept shouting after we got off the phone with NORAD, “Mom. Go to bed!!!  Call Dad!!! Tell him to come in quietly in case Santa is already in the living room.”).√
31. Make coffee. √
32. Give Madie more medicine to help her feel better so that she will sleep (she has a cold.).√
33. Wait for kids to go to sleep. √
34. Wrap ALL of the presents.√
35. Hope Chris gets home quickly from the 11:00pm service.  √
36. Go to bed at a decent hour.

This is a good list and I think we accomplished most of it!  My bed is calling my name . . . so until tomorrow!   I hope the kids remember how to make mommy coffee.  I think I am going to need it!!