A Christmas to remember

This has been a little bit of a different Christmas this year. The plan WAS that we would go to our friend Becky's house on Monday, after we got back from a friend's wedding (5 hour trip), then go to Bethany's house on Tuesday, spend the night, go to my aunt Nancy's house on Wednesday, come back home then go to my aunt Jan's on Christmas day. Well, plans were abruptly changed while we were on our way back from the wedding. H got sick. The stomach bug. Yep...the stomach bug on a 5 hour trip...let's just stay that it was a pretty miserable trip for her to be throwing up in the car...well that part was miserable for us all, but poor girl. She did not even complain. Well, that was the beginning of it. The next few days was filled with 5 out of 6 of us getting the stomach bug. That meant that we missed Christmas at Becky and Bethany's, and I missed Christmas at aunt Nancy's. I was so so sad to miss it and yes, I felt sorry for myself the whole day. Had a little pity party in the midst of the stomach bug...all by myself!

So, we had a great, stomach bug free Christmas eve. We took pictures outside (see previous post), opened presents, opened stockings and told the story of Jesus' birth. It was great, and I will post in more detail about that later. What I really wanted to post about is today....Christmas at aunt Jan's. I was so excited to see everyone and get together and eat and just enjoy the family. We made the hour long trip to aunt Jan's without any problems. Bethany and cousin Sarah couldn't be there today and cousin Macy wasn't there yet, but everyone else was there and we had a great welcome as we walked in. Everyone went separate ways as we came in...we all hugged different people, the girls went immediately to play and watch t.v., and Autumn and I were captivated right away by my grandma's new gift....a digital frame. We stood there and watched the old and new photos and laughed and remembered different memories. We were having a great time! Aunt Jan and the others were in the kitchen getting food ready....girls were quiet and all was well........wait......girls are quiet??? HMMM..........so I thought I better go check on them.
I went upstairs and found M and H in the little room watching Tom and Jerry. Then I went to the next room and found S and A playing....looks good. Better look again.

They were playing with this cute little phone and with their new dolls. I actually forgot that this was a real phone until A said, "Umm...we are just hanging it up like this." That didn't sound right. Then I remembered that this tiny little pink phone was real and really worked and called people. So, I told them to please not mess with the phone, that it really works, then I unplugged the phone, just in case they didn't listen to me. I left the room feeling proud of myself for thinking to unplug the phone.

I thought I better tell aunt Jan that i unplugged the phone, just in case I forget to plug it back in. So, I went downstairs to the kitchen and told her what had happened and I started to walk away. That's when she said, "Oh...you don't think THAT is who called 911 do you?"

What??? I had no idea that just seconds before, they got a call that multiple calls to 911 had been made from their number.

OH......MY.......GOODNESS!!!!!!

THE GIRLS CALLED 911 ON THAT LITTLE PINK PHONE!!!!!

So I went up and asked the girls......sure enough, they did. I couldn't quit laughing about it, only because I laugh in awkward situations. I laugh at the MOST inappropriate times really. I actually felt sick to my stomach, and not from the stomach bug. Don't they fine people for this? Oh great...Merry Christmas aunt Jan...here is your fine because my darling criminals called 911 multiple times!

We were all figuring out what had happened, when there was a knock at the door. We all kind of hoped that it was our cousin Macy, but when we looked out the window there was a police car, and Macy does not drive a police car!

My uncle Mike opened the door and immediately starts explaining to the poor nice police officer that had to work Christmas day that we figured out that the two girls had made the dial. He started apologizing and the nice officer was just glad everyone was ok and that it was just a "mistake".

Well, when I talked to the two girls to figure everything out, A first said that she didn't know the phone was real, then said she was just calling to tell them Merry Christmas! I did laugh when she said that!

The officer wished us a Merry Christmas and was about to leave when aunt Jan and I asked him to please talk to the girls and let them know how serious this was. Aunt Jan told him to play bad cop for a minute and he said, "But it is Christmas!" And I told him to please do not be nice to them. They really needed to realize the seriousness of the situation!

I really didn't think the nice and smiling man would be able to pull it together for the girls, but as soon as I brought them out, he did NOT smile. He did a great job at letting them know that 9-1-1 is always there to call for emergencies, but it is NOT to just call for no reason!

Oh, and when the girls came out, they immediately said "sorwy" to him. A kind of cried, but pulled it together. She was kind of crying, and in her raspy little voice and big brown eyes she looked up at him and said, "We just wanted to call and wish you a Merry Christmas." I thought he was going to crack up then, but he did good.

He did, however, thank her for wishing them a Merry Christmas, but told her not to call to do so! I had to turn my head and laugh at that part (again....my laughing at inappropriate times).
We apologized again and again to the poor man and he went on his way. Only moments later, he was back. OH GREAT!!!!!! What now? Uncle Mike went out and talked to the officer again, and came back with COLORING books....9-1-1 coloring books. He told Mike that he thought the kids would enjoy them and learn from them. Well, I think they already know HOW to call 911, we just need to work on WHEN to call 911!!!! I just couldn't give them a color book...then they might just call 911 to get a color book!

Needless to say, the girls realized that it was quite the mistake to make that phone call! It actually didn't seem to bother S much at all...she said sorry and went on. A, however, doesn't get over things quite so easily. Whether she just can't get past it, or was enjoying the attention for it, she just couldn't get past it. We ate, and I finally went to her and told her that it was over and she just HAD to get over it. About 5 minutes later, she came to me at the table and whispered in my ear, "I need a little help getting over it." I laughed and loved on her and we had a good rest of the day.

All throughout the day, one of us would just laugh or bring up "the incident". I'm pretty sure that we will talk about that phone call every Christmas from here on out!!!

A Christmas to remember for sure!!!