Christmas countdown

We have music time on Mondays.  Yesterday I decided it was time to start to work on our song for the Christmas sing.  Here is the conversation that ensued.

Me:  If you have been a student at Bonneville, you know that we have the Christmas sing every year.  This year it will be on December 14-15 and we are going to start practicing the 3rd grade song today.

Students: (excited rumblings)

Me: It is called the Christmas Candy Countdown.  So we start with 6 peppermints and we count down in the song.  When we say peppermints, what we are really saying is days.  (You can't over explain at times like this.)

We started singing the song.  "It's 6 pink peppermints til Christmas and there's lots and lots of things for us to do..."

Student:  Wait, is it really 6 days until Christmas!?!

Me: No, Christmas is about 7 weeks away, we're just learning this song for the Christmas sing.  The Christmas sing is December 14-15.

We started singing again.

Different Student: Wait, what day is December 12? (That's his birthday.)

Me: On December 12 (I couldn't resist).

Me:  (repenting) It's in a little over a month.  Today is November 7. (I pointed to the white board where the date is written.)

We started singing again.

Different Student: Is Christmas really only 6 days away?

***

You would think I would have developed more patience by now.  I mean, I have so much practice!

***

Clarissa and I walked in the dark.  We were both excited because our husbands were coming home.  Marie Louise called me on the way to the walk and had some treats she wanted to drop off.  I told her I'd pick them up on the way home.

When I stopped by, she waved me inside and said, "I hope you walked some extra laps."

I said, "These treats will be our reward after Mark and I get our flu shots."

We got our shots and they are never as terrible as you think they're going to be.  We came home to potato soup and Marie Louise's Russian Creams.  On the drive home, I told Mark I was going to turn on the Christmas lights in honor of Adam coming home.

He, of course, argued that it was not time for Christmas lights yet. (If there is something to argue about, Mark will find it.)

I told him they were holiday lights and once Halloween is past, it is the holiday season.  

He said, "You just called them Christmas lights."  He continued to argue, but I am as good at tuning him out as he is at pontificating his opinions.   When we got home, I turned on the lights anyway.  

I spend my day arguing with children.  The 8 year olds get me warmed up for the 19 year old.

Good thing Marie Louise gives me a treat from time to time to sustain the arguing energy.

Also, Adam is home!  Hurray!