‘Twas the week before Christmas, when all through the house,
All the creatures were stirring, and there were lots of shouts.
The stockings were hung on the mantel with care,
By a tween girl whose life she claims is unfair.
The children protested getting snug in their beds,
Always wanting one more snack or ride on their sleds.
And Mom in her slippers and Dad in his shorts,
Just want to sit and watch anything but sports.
When from down the hallway there arose such a clatter,
We rolled our eyes and asked ‘What’s the matter?’
Away from the door they ran with a crash,
Back to reading their books by the glow of their flash (lights).
The smart TV is loading a new episode,
Giving ample time for more laundry to fold.
When, what to my mothering eyes should appear,
But on the wall, an unidentified brown smear.
Made by a child so tiny and cute,
I knew any punishment would only be moot.
More tired than ever, my folding went on,
As I muttered and mumbled my joys through a yawn:
“Now eleven, now nine!
Now four and six!
On sixth grade! On fourth grade!
On first grade and pre-K!
Four kids in our school!
Swim lessons in the river since we don’t have a pool!
Now clean the house! Clean it!
Clean it all!
As pom poms and googly eyes fall out one by one,
I use our new Dyson to suck up the crumbs.
A block from math class, a crayon from art,
The pieces litter my floor and fill my heart.
And then, in a twinkling, I thought back on our year,
It was truly a good one, and I grinned ear to ear.
We sledded and skated all January long,
And we all carried the wood, which helped us get strong.
February birthdays with hot cocoa by the fire,
We found a sledding hill where helmets were required.
Our oven worked overtime all throughout March,
Baking pies and breads full of butter and starch.
April saw the end of our great northern freeze,
And Grayson learned to bike in his last days as three.
We hiked, biked, and roller bladed into May,
Ainsley even thought the river warm enough for play.
Sunrise solar eclipse dates with Rayleigh,
The sunshine in June made river life carefree.
Lots of rain made the month of July quite damp,
But we did have fun with friends who came to camp.
In August I swam, biked, and ran 70 plus miles,
Completing a half-iron race with plenty of smiles.
September had us back to ‘school’ and splitting wood,
A month full of apples, games, and sweatshirts with a hood.
An October road trip, temporarily an Oklahoma resident,
And Kevin, now a partner, is also a Vice President.
Turkey and Dillon-baked pies in November we had,
Visits from family made us all very glad.
December, here again with fresh fallen snow,
Movie nights and puzzles with the fire aglow.
I check on the kids, and without turning on a light,
Whisper “Joyous Solstice to all, and to all a good night!”
Happy Holidays to You & Yours—
Kelsey, Kevin, Rayleigh, Dillon, Ainsley, and Grayson
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