Christmas

Each year for Christmas we have a family gift, usually it's the latest video game as if we really NEED them all. The kids weren't too forthcoming of what they wanted for Christmas because I've decided that they really didn't NEED anything. We got a couple of things out of them, but not a whole lot. So Mike and I decided, well Mike decided and I supported, that our family gift this year would be a pool table. We transformed our garage, that we don't use for cars into a really cool game room/pool room for the kids. 

We set out and thought it would be really simple and just go to Sears and order one. We spent the entire day looking at pool tables and then looking for a pub table and chairs to add to the whole game room theme. We finally decided on a pool table and pub table and chairs. They would be delivered on the 24th. There Christmas is done. You would think it would be that easy but NO. SO the kids get out of school on the 19th, Mike comes home from picking up Jessica, Michael and Dani and says to me we have to go and look at these other pool tables he wasn't getting a good feeling about the one from Sears. Really he didn't want to spend hours putting the thing together, I can't blame him though I wasn't anxious to help. He finally finds a pool table company and we decide to head out first thing Saturday morning. We found the perfect table, they would come and set it up on Christmas Eve and they even had the pub table and chairs Mike was looking for. 

When we came home the kids knew we had gone shopping for something....immediately Jessika said we are getting a trampoline right? I just started laughing so Michael and the Jessikcas said yea that's what we are getting. Then out of the blue Jessika says yea they probably are buying 6 little trampolines for each of us they really wouldn't buy us a big one. But they still convinced themselves they were getting a trampoline. 

I quickly sent out an email to all my friends looking for a small trampoline to have some fun on Christmas morning. Being the good sport that my husband is he went right along with it. We found one so we just waited until Christmas eve to go and get it. 

Fast forward to December 23rd. We had bought carpet to put down in the garage and even painted one wall a cool orangey looking color. Mike started to lay the carpet late Tuesday night while I was in furiously wrapping presents. Not long into the whole process Mike runs into the house bleeding from his arm....yes he cut his arm and needed stitches....
Luckily at the end of our street there is a walk in clinic that we use quiet often.


One hour later with stitches Mike was back and he and Jayson were laying carpet until 1:30 am. It looks great thanks guys! The next morning the pool table company was supposed to be here between 9:30 and 10. So I had to take Jessika and Mckenna out to finish some last minute shopping. Actually we really didn't have to get much but I had to be gone for a couple of hours. Can I tell you that I really don't like shopping, especially on Christmas Eve AND then walking around trying to waste time!!!  Four hours and three stores later Mckenna was done and was begging to go home. I ran into Publix to get a couple of things, meanwhile Jessika said she would just wait in the car with Mckenna...she was done shopping too.

I called Mike and the guys were still there setting up the pool table. I told him I had to come home, I too only had 4 hours of sleep the night before. Mike told me we could come home but I had to make Jessika close her eyes and promise not to peek...yea right. So as I was checking out I decided to get a paper bag to put over her head when we pulled up the street. 

Jessika really thought I lost it when I told her she had to put the bag over her head. She reluctantly agreed as to not to ruin the surprise of the "trampoline"!!!  I led her in the house, bag over head and all was well. I wish I would have gotten a picture of that. 

We finally got the kids in bed, I finished a little more wrapping and just as I was getting ready to go to bed at 1:30 I hear Mckenna in her room saying Dani are you awake? Are you ok up there? (They have bunk beds and Dani is on the top). I waited a few minutes thinking she would go back to sleep....nope. So I brought her in our room and I think she fell asleep sometime around 3....

We had told the kids not to wake us up until there was at least some light outside. When Mike woke up he went out to the family room and there all 5 kids were sitting quietly waiting for more light before they woke up the parents. 

Now back to the trampoline. The night before Mike took care of the whole logistics of placing the small trampoline outside......I don't think he realized that I didn't want it where the kids could actually see it before we got up. They had already saw the little trampoline so the jig was up....but they still thought the real one was in the garage. SO after they opened up all their presents we did a treasure hunt and the kids had to go to the small trampoline and then into the garage. 
                                        Waiting patiently for their BIG Christmas surprise! 
What's the problem?? They all fit!

The boys were SOOO excited, however the Jessikcas were a little mad. You see, they had told all their friends they were getting a trampoline for Christmas. Now they had to go back and tell them otherwise. Needless to say they didn't speak to us for a few minutes. They were really mad because they really wanted a trampoline. After about 10 minutes all the kids were happily playing pool and loving their newly created game room. 

They got over being mad pretty quickly!