School's In!

I love back to school days.
Not when I was a kid, but I really love them now.
I have to say, though, that the kids were great over the Christmas holiday. They were busy, productive, and I didn't hear from them very much at all. I think the reason was not just the new things to play with and look at, but that Brandon got an iPod touch. We never heard from the boy at all, unless he was coming to me to use my password that I had put on it so that I could keep tabs on what he was downloading from the app store.
I didn't really want to get him an iPod this year, as he got a 3DS for his birthday and in my mind that's too much...how do I top that next year? But this is what happened this year:
Brandon originally asked Santa for an iPod. That's all he wanted...nothing else. He didn't want anything in his stocking, no other toys or gadgets. Just an iPod. Well, Santa brought him a go-cart. Which he loved and didn't show any disappointment in receiving.
When Brandon and Mike put it together, however, we knew it would not work at all. It said on the box good for up to 13 years old, and 110 pounds. Brandon is half that in weight and just turned 10. Good to go, we thought. After it was put together, it was apparent that it would fit Jacelyn, who is 6, or a five year old at best. We all were disappointed, and Brandon, while saying nothing, was heartbroken that his Santa gift was useless to him.
So Mike and I went to the city and he got his iPod. And we haven't seen him much since.

Now that school is back in things feel more normal, despite the absence of the usual blustery January weather. The Christmas stuff all got boxed away on New Year's afternoon, and the yard is as bare as the inside of the house. It's funny that as much as I love putting it all out I can't wait for it to all get put away. I suppose that's what makes the holidays special.

The kids and I spent some time outside in the gorgeous weather last week, after the inch and a half of snow that fell one night, which is half gone now. Between doing that, going for a skate, catching up on laundry, and a trip to Edmonton to...yep...Costco, the week was uneventful and, well, normal. Which is more than alright with me.