A Whole Lotta Things For Christmas

Like Penney’s, I gotta whole lotta things for Christmas this Festive Season.  A couple of nice things happened and one was even slightly miraculous in its own way, but more anon.  The first really nice thing was Screecher Creature No. 3 defied all my expectations in the Baby Led Training department and more or less, potty trained, of his own accord.  He has set a new record in our house, being not quite two and a half years old yet, and a whole 7 months younger than his older brothers when they were trained. Some of you may recall my attempt at potty training him some time ago.  And how I packed it in using the feeble excuse that I needed to be at home for a good three days to have a decent go at it.  Well, Screecher Creature No. 3 had other ideas. One day last week, in the pre-Christmas madness, daily business was conducted as usual.  Came home from the first school run of the day and decided it was not going to be one of those days where cleaning of the food and cooking of the toilets got in the way of my cyber world.    No sooner were we in the door when he appeared before me, a little skinny vision of nakedness from the waist down, a nappy dangling from his hand.  At first I thought he had gone on the floor somewhere, but no, my little bright spark wanted to use the facilities.  And what’s more, he didn’t want the potty, he wanted to pass go, collect 200 euro and use the toilet proper.  Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I plonked him on the throne and waited to see what might unfold.  I didn’t have long to wait.  Like a performing seal, he did his business and delighted with himself, announced he wanted his “big boy pants.”  I did as I was bid, no further instruction needed.  Four days and counting he has had as many accidents.  These days, if you are passing our house at any given time, you are quite likely to hear loud cheering and several rounds of applause.  All the better to encourage him and ensure he starts as he means to go on.  I don’t quite know what to do with the extra time on my hands.  I’m quietly confident though, that I will come up with something. Or someone else will on my behalf.   The other thing that happened was very nice indeed.  And very unexpected.   I won a hamper from The Bay Tree on Christmas Eve! At Screecher Creature No. 1’s excited insistence, we hot footed it in to Tony to collect my bounty. This was a nice round up to an otherwise dubious afternoon.  Basically, who puts paint for kids into a tube and in teeny tiny small print declares that it is “not suitable for finger painting?”  FFS!!!  A half hour of floor washing got most of the green paint from my hands but the Screecher Creatures are still sporting green palms.     And then Christmas morning arrived.  It was on the cards anyway, it being the 25^th and all, but, it didn’t start out too early for us.  And for that, words cannot express how pathetically grateful I was for that small blessing.  I am not even remotely religious but I admit to offering up a small prayer before going to bed on Christmas Eve.  I eyed up the loot before retiring and closing the door behind me.  There were an assortment of bicycles, several VTECH educational recording toys (hasty note was made to self - watch P's & Q's tomorrow. High chance of being caught on tape bitchin') some boxes of Lego, a horses head on a stick and four fuzzy red Christmas stockings. Tomorrow morning, I whispered in pagan prayer - let's be havin' ya!! But not too early! In my head I was hoping for 5am at the earliest.  I could just about handle that.  But the Screecher Creatures stayed put till 6.30am!!  Happy days.  Excitement was rife and several shouts of “this is the best day ever!” brought home again, that Christmas really is for kids.  But that doesn’t mean us adults can’t enjoy the materialistic side of it too.  I was delighted with a new collection of notebooks from my Wise Men “for all your scribbling, Mammy” and a bottle of my favourite perfume.  Someone obviously heard me wailing and moaning about my expanding waistline as a new Davina DVD ALSO made its way to my house.  I’m looking forward to a cup of coffee with a packet of biscuits later on tonight when the Screecher Creatures are in bed because I intend to sit down and watch it.  I feel I can indulge because…………………….. I’ve kept the best bit till last.  Despite all my greed over the last two weeks, I’ve still managed to lose a whole pound.  I got up on the scales today just to torment myself, expecting the worst and thinking a bit of shock therapy would catapult me back into action.  But I got a lovely surprise.  It’s only a pound but it’s encouraged me to get walking again now that we’re on Christmas holidays and there will be someone at home to watch over the Screecher Creatures. I’m going to start tomorrow morning.  Well, that’s the plan anyway.