Miracles at Midnight

This is my sister's friend Chrissy, and she's a great storyteller. I thought you might enjoy reading the latest in the lives of her boys.

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For some reason, my insomniac sons have decided that the month of Dec is going to be the month that they sleep for a half hour, stay awake for three, sleep for a half hour, stay awake for three. And it results in all sorts of nonsense like, "Mommy my dreams are waking me up!" (You can't dream if you don't go to sleep) And the usual, I need water, I have to go pee, Elliot is too loud in his room, I want to watch TV too. You're taking a bath at nighttime? Can I come in? NO NO NO AND NO!!! Elliot, Oliver's PIC (Partner in Crime) shrieks and calls from the other room, "MUH?" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, MUH?" As if to say, Ma, you out there? Can I come out there? If I could climb out of this crib, I'd come hang with Oliver too and see what you're doing taking a bath at 9 o'clock at night.

Anyways, last night I'd had it. I put the kids to bed at 8:30pm. I settled down with some books and the possibility of watching "The Nanny Diaries" and it was up and down up and down til midnight. (Tony went to bounce at the bar, so he missed all the fun) I had a choice, I could get pissed or I could laugh and say screw it.

I threw on their lights and said, "Let's go SHOPPING!" Heck, Super-K is open 24 hours and its not like I'm going to get anything ELSE done around the house. So I bundled up the boys, pj's and all and we shopped for OTHER PEOPLE-as in Noni, baby Aidan, Rob-as in, "You can hold it and play with it in the store but YOU ARE NOT TAKING IT HOME WITH YOU!"

I've never seen such pure joy and relief on my kid's face when I said that. To Oliver it meant, I get to get out of bed, hooray!! Elliot was equally ecstatic and ran all over the living room while I tried to chase him down to put his hat on. We talked ALL THE WAY there about why people put lights up and "OOOHH MOMMY look at that snowman, santa, reindeer. Wish we had that, maybe Santa will get it for me, or maybe Jesus."

And that's when I realized that part of my X'mas wish is coming true-no I don't get more sleep, but at least Oliver knows to pray to Jesus when he wants something or when he wants help.

I know this miracle is taking place because just the other day he was looking for one of his Star Wars guys and he angrily said, "I just can't find it anywhere." And I told him, "Just pray that we find it" So he falls on his knees, literally, crosses himself and starts BEGGING GOD to help him find it. Minutes later he finds the guy in the front hall closet. And Thank You Jesus' ensued.

Let us remember all the miracles the holidays bring us.