ANY DECEMBER MORNING

A typical December morning in the Trachsel household:

5:53AM
Grace - Mom, how many more days until Christmas?
Me - One less than yesterday, Grace.
Grace - How many was that?
Me - You tell me.  It was the 9th yesterday.  Today's the 10th.  Christmas in on the 25th.
Grace - Okay, so 15 days, right?
Me - Right Grace.

6:47AM 
Grace - Mom, the 'Elf on the shelf' didn't move.
Me -  (dammit, forgot to move the Elf) Maybe he's tricking you, Grace.
Grace - Why would he do that?
Me - I don't know.  Maybe he's stuck.
Rosie - Elves fly, mom.
Me - Well, then, maybe he's just tired.
---> Who invited this Elf thing again???!!!  Clearly NOT a parent.
Grace - Mom, is the Elf real?
Me - What do you believe, Grace?
Grace - Well, if he's real he would have moved.
Me - (no response)
Rosie - Is Santa real or do you just wrap the presents and put them under the tree.
Me - Come on, Rosie.  What would be the fun in that?
Grace - Does the Elf know Santa?
Me - Probably Grace.  Now, go get ready for school

7:22AM
Grace - (after having opened the advent calendar) Mom, Can I eat my Hershey's Kiss?
Me - No, Grace, it's 7:30 in the morning.
Grace - Can I eat it after breakfast?
Me - No Grace.
Grace - After school then?
Me - Maybe

7:48 AM
Me - (yelling up the stairs) Girls, let's hustle.  We have to leave in 10 minutes.
----> 8 minutes later
Me - GIRLS???!!!  What are you doing up there?
Rosie - We're working on the costumes for our skit.
Me - What skit?
Rosie - Our Christmas skit.  The one we're doing with Katharine, Elizabeth & Will (their cousins).
Me - You have plenty of time for that.  They're not coming for another week and half.
Grace - Mom, can you help me make reindeer antlers?
Me - Yes.  No.  Girls, we have to do this later.  We've got to get to school.
Grace - We have school today?
Me - Of course you do.
Grace - But it's Christmas.
Me - IN 10 DAYS!!!!!

EVERY.  SINGLE.  DAY.  In our house, December is by far the longest and craziest month of the year.  Thank goodness for running.  And coffee.  Ho Ho Ho!

Listen to this:
That Did It - Sleigh Bells (feat. Tink)  
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