Twas The Day Before Christmas

'Twas the day before Christmas, when all through the house

  All the kids were excited, even the spouse;

The stockings were hung on the stairs with duct tape,

The tree has fell so much it has lost its shape;

The tinsel has been eaten and the ornaments are missing,

The nativity was arranged to show Mary and Santa kissing.;

And Dad in his flannel, and I in my yoga pants,

Might look like we have it together at first glance,

When up the stairs there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the chair to see what was the matter.

Away to the kids rooms I flew like the wind,

To see what was broken next that I might have to mend.

The kids eyes were wide and wild with joy 

For they had sat and unwrapped every Christmas toy,

I stood there stunned, unsure and certainly mad,

I finally stomped my feet and began screaming for their dad,

Up the stairs he came with a leap and a bound,

And stood shocked in all the present carnage we found.

More rapid than eagles his shouting became,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Bug! now, Belly! now, Bitsy and Sam!

Pick up all the Barbies, babies and wooly lamb!

Pick up the candy, PJs and big bouncy ball!

Now put is away! put it away! put it away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,

They picked up all the toys with a sob and a sigh,

The barbies, the babies and the little wooly lamb ewe,

There is now a bag full of toys, and bouncy ball too.

Dad and I crept back downstairs with the Christmas joy gone,

And wondered how we could turn this around before dawn.

The toys had been seen, played with and cuddled with love

But to destroy Santa who they thought so much of?

It would be obvious he didn't come by later that night,

If the toys were the same; the packaging torn and not right.

The spouse and I sat down with our confiscated toy bag,

Scratching our heads at this child induced Christmas snag.

Our foreheads wrinkled and our lips began to twitch!

As the laughter began in spite of the glitch!

This was just another typical day with our little offspring,

They always manage to cause that one little thing; 

That one little thing that starts a mess and a laugh,

Like crayon on the wall or overflowing the bath;

It never pays to let those things get us all mad,

But rather to laugh and look at the lesson we had.

In every mess there is something to be taught,

That you will never find in the parenting book that you bought.

The key is to be really fast on your feet,

And never assume your parenting lessons are complete.

As for us we are trying to explain,

Why a day early Santa had came,

Storing the toys for Christmas Eve night,

Because there was one reindeer who was scared of night flight;

So he came in the morning while cereal was served,

And left all the presents that the kids deserved.

So to all of you parents scrubbing the crayon from the wall
"Merry Christmas A Day Early from us all!!!

The Crayon Wrangler & Scribblers!