Christmas Break

It has been quite the week. The kids have all been out of school for Christmas break (a total of 8 school days plus 2 weekends). Needless to say, (That really is an odd phrase, isn't it? So, why do we say anything when we have just said it was needless to do so?).....anyway, back on track....5 of my grandchildren have been at my house for this break from school. The oldest is an 11 year old girl who will be 12 in January and acts like she's 16 in the "mouth/attitude" arena, and 2-3 when it comes to her cousins and little brother. Then there are two 8 year old boys - both have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and one of them also has ODD (oppositional defiance disorder). - (my opinion is that all 5 act like they have both, at times). Next, there is the 5 year old boy who is an Indiana Jones JUNKIE, and finally a 4 year old boy. That makes one girl, and four boys in one tiny house, during the winter, all day long, with nothing to do except fight and bicker when they are not watching movies or playing Nintendo DS.



It's hard to entertain kids nowadays. When I was a kid, we didn't have things like computers, cell phones, IPODs, Nintendo, XBox, Playstation, or any of the stuff they have today. We had to make our own fun. (And this topic can be reserved another day!) It's even worse when you have a tween girl standing very precariously on the precipice of puberty. Let's just say she is pre-PMSing. I remember this sweet adorable little child who totally had my heart and now I look at this girl, who can be sweet when she wants, funny, helpful, and totally amazing, and then turn into this.......thing.......that I don't even recognize. And guess when it happens - for the most part, when she is around her cousins - all boys.



So, we have had a week of electronic games, Home Alone 1, 2, 3, 4, Despicable Me, Toy Story 3, building forts inside the house and outside in the snow, playing box games (like monopoly, etc.) and special agent forces with them chasing each other through my little house with nerf guns and the like. Total chaos, laughter, and tears (when they decide to pound each other).



Me....I have sat at the kitchen table with my lap top inbetween cleaning the kitchen, picking up, fixing meals, doing laundry, and all the other endless things that need to be done. I even mended a coat for one of the boys because their St. Bernard had ripped holes in it and tore both of the sides open, mended two gloves, hot glued a ribbon on a "Indiana Jones" hat so it wouldn't keep falling off, duct taped a play shotgun that broke in half, and super glued one of the tail fins on a helicopter.



Such is the sweet life of a grandma.