Christmas with the Vinson's

I was completely awake at 4:30am, looking at my clock every 5 minutes wondering when the kids were going to get up!! Finally at 5:40 they were up so I called my sister Rin and we waited for her and Bec to arrive so they could see the kids open all their presents.

Oli received a sack of potatoes this year from Santa, he was pretty aware he was getting this. He had been given lots of chances and warnings. Landon is the only other Tucci who has ever received potatoes for Christmas, and it had a great outcome. He was perfect after that! I was hoping that this would be the same. I guess we will have to wait and see if he changes. Santa did send a letter both times and they did get plenty of presents after the terms and conditions of the letter were agreed upon!!

Everyone else was very happy with what they got from Santa. I love watching the kids open their gifts and seeing how excited they get. Laith gave me a beautiful card he had made with 10 vouchers for things like massages, cleaning the house, a voucher of my choice and even a no fights voucher!! He is such a thoughtful kid! That was probably my favourite gift.

After presents dad made mango smoothies for everyone. Nan, Rin and Bec all went home to have showers and get dressed, and the Tuccis, Coulsons, and Vinsons all had a swim. We spent the day in and out of the pool.

We had a big Christmas lunch, turkey, ham, pork, and lots of yummy veggies. Chocolate, ice cream cake, cheese platters, food, food, food!! We had afternoon naps. Swam some more and headed home around 9pm that night, exhausted, full, and happy!!

Christmas Eve

It was going to be our first Christmas in our new house. Damion was keen to have Christmas in Melbourne with all of the Tuccis. However we decided to do something a little different this year.

Things were going to be different for the Vinsons this year as some of my family members were not going to be around for Christmas. My brother Joshy is living in NZ at the moment and wouldn't be home and my brother Benji had his wifes family here from QLD so he wouldn't be there either. Things would be a little quiet for my parents so we decided to have a sleep over at mum and dads house.

 The kids were so excited. I have a brother who is 14, so my kids love to hang out with their cool uncle. My dad was also very excited and decided to set up the tent for the kids to sleep in. My parents are on 5 acres so there is plenty of room for the kiddies to run around. I packed up presents and clothes and sleeping bags and drove down in the afternoon. Dame worked the day and so arrived late that night. My brother Ben came over in the afternoon, with his kids. So the kids got to see their cousins and have a play together. We had a bbq for dinner. Mum and dad went to deliver gifts to some family friends for a few hours.

Kesh and I gathered the kids and rehearsed the nativity that we would perform, when mum and dad returned home. Acting out the nativity is a tradition we have every Christmas. Nan was there so she was roped into being the angel. Sienna and Oli played Mary and Joseph, Landon and Noah were shepherds and  Laith and Landon and Noah were all wise men. My mum has some amazing costumes she has made as well as a donkey and sheep costume she had sent over from the states. The kids were so fantastic, they sang and acted the nativity so well. We all had a great night together, and for a while were able to focus on something other than presents.

 The kids all went to sleep in the tent at about 10, even the twins slept out there. Trooper, Kesh and Tim's dog, guarded the tent the entire night.

 I felt like a kid again, I havent slept at my parents house on Christmas Eve, since I was married, thats 13 Christmas's ago!! I was so excited I literally could not sleep!! Christmas Eve at my mum and dads house was great, I could definitely do this again. It was a really special Christmas.

STRESS!!

I know I have been slack with my entries lately, but when I get stressed I withdraw a little from life!! I love being a mum, I know I have said this. This week I have been a little stressed! I have lots going on, and due to certain circumstances I will not go into I have not been able to start my Christmas shopping until this week, stress number one. I also have a lot going on at the moment with assignments from church, stress 2 and 3 and 4. I also have a very difficult 4year old who for some reason seems to be throwing tantrums that last his entire waking day! I think it is sometimes easy for mums to feel run down at this time of year! There seems to be so many things going on. From the usual Christmas shopping to school presentations and talent shows, and Christmas party's.

Today is day 2 of the school holidays. The house is trashed and the kids are cranky. I have been working on something I need to present at church on sunday. So after I picked up Laith from a party, I gathered everyone together and said "The house is a mess, there is 4 loads of washing to fold, I need to cook dinner and clean and vacuum the house before dad gets home. Does anyone have a solution as to how I can get all of this done?" Straight away Sienna starts to say in her sweet little voice, "We should all love each other and share our toys and help as team work to clean up the toy room." then as soon as she finishes Laith begins with his lecture on how the twins are messy and make all the mess and so should clean all the mess, and why does anyone else have to clean up their mess!!! He was getting louder and louder. I say "maybe I will just do only the work that is mine?" He starts arguing again, and saying you are just stressed, the other boys join in saying they don't have to clean the twins mess either. So in order to not get angry and start yelling, I send them all to their rooms and say in frustration " I will do it all by myself!!!"

10minutes pass and Landon who has cheerily been cleaning upstairs with the twins comes down to me with a note from Laith that says:

 "I have a theory. In your mind is a train of thought. And on that train of thought is you. Now this train of thought only goes one way. Forward. You seem to think that, since it is YOUR train of thought, it is the right train of thought. That is where you are wrong.

In your mind, right at the back, you know that what I said was true. You DO suffer from stress. That stress is from overwork. If you don't believe me read 'Dr Dog' What you need to do, is relax. Let your brain run. Think. Think about what I said, and what I will say....

Punishment on us is not rational at all. If you really are going to punish, punish me! The boys don't deserve it. I really don't think I deserve it either, though. All I was doing was trying to bring you to your senses. Think about what you've done to us. And think, "should I really have done that?" And relax.

Laith."

I was cracking up the whole time I was reading this! Laith is 11, he wrote that in 10minutes!!! I think he is going to be a lawyer! His powers of persuasion are very impressive! Needless to say, the kids are all out of their rooms and the house remains a mess, for now!! I was reminded today by my 11 year old boy, that some things are more important than a perfect house!!

Sunday!

Every Sunday we go to church as a family! Getting everyone ready is quite a challenge! I usually iron all the clothes the night before as we have to leave the house at around 8:40am. We are usually running a little late! Even though the shirts all get ironed they often end up on the floor before they end up being worn!

This morning I got up first had my shower dried my hair and came out to find Laith sitting in his pyjamas reading Harry Potter, "Hurry up get dressed, then you can read!" The ritual of harassment begins! I have to go around to all the kids saying "Have you had breakfast?" "Can you find your tie please?" "Where are your shoes? Put them on" Meanwhile I am going in and out of the bathroom periodically to finish getting myself ready! Dame usually gets the kids to eat, while I do all the finishing touches like hair, and finding socks, and breaking up fights! It is really quite exhausting! Today we had Kesh and Tim staying with us, Kesh was a great help getting the twins ready for me. Tim was able to get a few great shots of the kids!




 


 


 Church goes for 3hours, the first hour we are all in one room together, we try to encourage the kids to be reverent. We let the kids draw or look at books. Today Noah drew a picture of Laith picking his nose! This made Laith very upset, Laith is quite a passionate kid, not really sure where he gets that from! Damion thinks it's from me?! So Laith elbowed Noah, who in turn elbowed him back, this went on for a few minutes until I gave them both a filthy look! Then Noah decided to make a list of all the 'Mean people in the family' the list said Laith Tucci, Laith Tucci, Laith Tucci and so on, all down the magna-doodle we take to church for the twins to draw on! By now Laith pretty much had smoke blowing from his ears. Laith looked at me with fury in his eyes and said in a very angry, but quiet voice, that Noah was making a list about mean people and it only had HIS name on it! Trying not to make the situation any worse I said with a chuckle "Well that is pretty funny" Noah knows exactly how to get a reaction from Laith, and I explained this, and said maybe he should just ignore it?! I was thinking the whole time it is quite ironic that we are sitting in church hoping to increase the feelings of love for each other, and here they are fighting the whole time! I wondered if in fact anaything was sinking in?! Then Noah wrote a list of the 'Nice people in the family' and wrote Mum, Dad, Landon Tucci, Sienna Tucci, Oliver Tucci!  Laith was really struggling now, and looked at me again with a snarl on his face! "I whispered Noah is pretty clever don't you think?" Then Noah looked at me and wrote Laith Tucci then underneath wrote sometimes, and had an arrow pointing to Laith's name! Laith grabbed the magna doodle and wrote the heading 'Cool people in the family'. I was thinking Ow no, here we go!Underneath he wrote one name, and it was Noah Tucci. He handed the magna-doodle back to Noah with a smile!! Now Noah was smiling too, but my smile was the biggest! A little moment of victory! Perhaps our efforts to get to church each week really are paying off!!









 


 


 

Surprise!!!

I remember very clearly when my dad was 40! I was 15, we had a huge party. It was a great night, everyone told their most embarrassing stories of my dad, there was alot of laughing! I remember thinking "Wow, Dad is sooooo old!!" Now I am married to someone the same age! My husband Damion turned 40 yesterday!
Strangely though it does not seem old to me anymore!

Ten years ago when Damion turned 30, I threw him a surprise party in Melbourne. That is where he grew up and all of his mates are still there so it seemed like the best place! I sent the invitations which was very difficult without the use of facebook to track down contacts etc. I picked a theme for the night which was 80's, as this is the era Dame is still stuck in! I organised it all with the help of Damions family, and did it without Damion suspecting a thing... until Sarah called him to apologise in advance for not making it down from Sydney to his party! Damion played a poker face and did not tell me he already knew about the party until after the event! This has been a hard one for Sarah to live down!!  However after 10years she has more than redeemed herself!

Dame was not interested in a party for his 40th, he is a little sad about getting older, and did not want a fuss! I called Sarah through the week when I was struggling to come up with a good birthday idea for Dame. Sarah is full of fantastic ideas! She suggested we have a weekend away at the Magenta Shores Resort. The boys could play golf and we could relax by the pool! All I had to do was get him there, Sarah said she would take care of the rest! So Friday morning Dame headed off to work, and the kids pretended they were going to school. As soon as Dame walked out the door, the kids took off their uniforms and waited for Grandma to arrive!( It was a minor miracle they did not tell him what was happening. When my mum arrived the first thing Sienna did was say "Grandma those shoes are special, my mum bought you some new shoes for Christmas yesterday!" not so good with surprises.) After they had left, I cleaned and packed until Dame got home from work! He walked in the door and asked "Where are the kids?" I said "Gone" he asked "how come my golf shoes are on the bed?" I said "I don't know" He asked "Where are my converse shoes?" I said  cheekily "just get in the car" He was smiling and asking "Whats going on?" I was playing along and saying "You will have to wait and see!" He typed the address into the tom tom, and said in shock and excitement "Magenta resort that's an exclusive resort are we staying there?" I replied "Maybe"  The whole while he was smiling and saying "Wow this is great" I kept asking " Don't you just love surprises?"  To which he kept replying "Yep I sure do!" Finally when we arrived I went into reception and pretended to pick up the key, I called Sarah and said "We are here!" We drove to the apartment and walked in the door to balloons, party poppers going off, maison and a delicious mud cake that Shane had baked!! Dame was loving it! The place was gorgeous, and he was really stoked that I had done this, with alot of help from Sarah!! He couldn't believe that even the kids had been aware and kept the secret!

We had an amazing weekend, out to dinner, watched movies, lots of laughing, and even had a bit of a floor show from Sarah who loves to perform, and is very entertaining!! This morning we had a buffet breakfast then the boys had a game of tennis and a round of golf!! Dame had a great weekend, with great friends. He said it was almost worth turning 40 for!!