SANTA'S GOT ISSUES

Santa's plan was to leave Ethan a Radio Flyer Discovery wagon under the tree...but the box was damaged in shipping and when it arrived, one wheel was taped to the outside of the box. Yes, most people would check the damaged package to make sure that all the other parts were there; but with all the hustle and bustle, we didn't find out that a UPS truck somewhere was still carrying the fourth wheel to our wagon until tonight. Santa and his elves started the assembly process and realized this at 9Pm - which is a little too late to go out in search of another gift. I called Amazon & the customer service man in India promised me that a replacement would be overnighted for delivery on the 27th...which would be great if we could convince 3 small children that Santa's sleigh had been delayed en route to our house for 2 additional days.

Santa luckily had a back up - a tricycle that was intended for Ethan's birthday in the spring...now he'll be getting a wagon. Hey, what he doesn't know won't hurt him (until later in life when he reads this blog). We've learned through many experiences now that it's always best to have a backup. (A similar issue came up last year when my nephew Cade happened upon his "Santa" gift in Grandma's room & and emergency unwrapping/rewrapping party began...we saved Christmas with some quick thinking and some clever answers to a few dozen of Cade's questions/concerns).

Ethan's cousins, Sam & Jake arrived from California tonight with Uncle Jared & Aunt Tiff. The boys ran wild after dinner & Ethan wasted no time getting in on all the action. Grandma Judie & Grandpa Steve got them all Christmas pj's - so cute! They paused for a moment while we took this picture, but as soon as the flashes stopped, Sam and Jake started wrestling & Ethan watched for a brief moment before jumping right on top of the pile. It's going to be a fun week with family here, though I'm trying to prepare myself for Ethan's disappointment when his cousins have to leave. I dread the thought.