Customer Satisfaction is Dropping

Baby was particularly upset. She didn't want to eat, didn't need a clean diaper, didn't want to cuddle and certainly didn't want to sleep. What she needed was her binky (her pacifier, for you non-parental types). Alas, it was nowhere to be found! As I looked, she was more and more frustrated with me, her cries growing louder and her face getting redder.

Finally, I found it. The Boy had claimed the binky to use on one of his stuffed animals. But once I gave it to Baby, she continued to grunt and growl her dissatisfaction at me, even as she sucked away on the thing. It was kinda funny, getting yelled at through a pacifier.

Items for today:
1) Get more pacifiers.
2) Explain to the Boy about how toys do not need binkies.
3) Contemplate keeping spare binkies out of reach of small children.

What Would Santa Do?

So this last week opened me up to a new level of frustration and eye-rolling. The Boy took "pain in the royal behind" to heart and made it his personal goal to irritate the snot out of everyone. Don't believe me? Here's a little sample of what he did just in the days before Christmas.

• Stole Baby's pacifier and hid it when he knew she wanted it.
• Tantrums unnumbered over the most seemingly insignificant things (like which chair he got at the dinner table - the actual chair, not the place at the table).
• After first engaging Boo in a hug, he proceeds to bite her arm so hard that not only did it bruise, but it also broke the skin.
• Snuck most of the Christmas fudge. It took me a couple days to catch on that I wasn't the one eating so much of it.
• Swung my painting on the wall until it fell off.
  
• Took any and every opportunity to annoy Boo, making her either cry or yell at him - both of which would result in them getting in trouble.

That's enough for now, but there are more. Even threatening to call Santa and then picking up the phone to do so did not deter his bad behavior. He spent a portion of every day in time out but it didn't seem to affect him. I was at a loss as to what to do. Maybe it is the new baby, the holiday season where his schedule is off, or the influx of sugar. Whatever the cause, his behavior was making me cry daily (that could also be the hormones, as I was already getting weepy over some of the Christmas songs on the radio).

Then I had an idea. Remember how he kept asking Santa for a spiderweb and I had no clue what he meant? I had planned on making one from red yarn but come Christmas Eve, me and the Man stayed up way too late (playing Rock Band) and I decided I just couldn't make it. And to be perfectly honest? I really didn't want to. So I contemplated leaving him a message from Santa, saying something to the effect of "Sorry, but you landed on the naughty list so no spiderweb. And next year, don't bite your sister." I thought it was genius! The Man and I snickered over it for some time but in the end, I didn't leave a note, either. Besides, even a personal letter from Santa himself would be lost on the Boy.

And you know what? He didn't even notice there wasn't a spiderweb on Christmas morning.

Would you have left the letter from Santa?

Christmas Message

President Hunter gave this advice during the first Christmas Devotional in 1994. I received this fabulous rendering of those priceless words many years ago, as part of the Relief Society's Christmas present to all the women. The message touched me so much that I've kept it with my Christmas decorations. I decided I needed to share it with others. And I tried to find out who the artist was but no one would fess up.

Hope you are having a very merry Christmas!

Best Christmas Present Ever

Merry Christmas! And God bless us, every one.

The hospital gave us this stocking when Baby was born, made by their volunteers. After the baby is bathed, prodded and measured, they deliver the baby to the mother tucked inside these stockings. Since Baby spent her first day in the NICU, we missed out on that so I had to re-create it at home. The shirt she's wearing was part of her take-home outfit. The tag reads "Mom and Dad's best present ever" and ain't that the truth!

(I started this post as a Wordless Wednesday, made famous by 5 Minutes for Mom, but this isn't really a wordless post because, frankly, its nearly impossible to get me to shut up.)

Quick Tip for Today

When changing your newborn baby, it pays to have another set of eyes looking out for you.

So when your husband says - just as you are opening the new, clean diaper - "Hey, it looks like she's trying to poop!" you might want to pay attention.

Lesson learned.