Here comes Santa Claus...

The local Santa Claus parade was earlier today. We went for the first time with the kids. My three year old loved it so much she thought she'd join in the parade. Unfortunately, she thought the best way to do this was by walking out in front of an armored security truck. Luckily he was going typical parade speed and she was never in any danger. But I often wonder what goes through kiddo's head.

About halfway through the parade, our two year old has to go pee. Lucky for us, we're standing on the sidewalk right in front of a diner, so hubby goes in with her - only to be told he must purchase something in order for this recently potty trained two year old who's waiting for Santa to appear to be allowed to use the loo. Merry Christmas! Talk about a community coming together for such a special event. Letter to the Editor to the local paper will be forthcoming.

Today was a repeat of last Sunday. I think cause #1 is early wake-ups. How are the kids supposed to be getting enough sleep if they wake up at 4:45? And how are we supposed to be getting enough rest? Hubby started the day on the wrong foot, which put me in a bad mood... throw in the kids' moods this morning, and I'm sure we made quite the little pleasant quartet.

Things got better after lunch and a nap (OK, hubby and I napped while the kids played quietly in our room). I've hit a wall for explanations for their behaviour. I'm assuming it's a combo of lack of sleep, cold weather and the fact we're not nearly as much outside as we were in the summer (yes, they go out twice a day at daycare, but my kids live outside in the summer).

That in mind, next challenge:

9. Play outside.

This is going to be a biggie for me. I *hate* the cold. In the list of all the things I hate on this planet, cold is a first place tie with dentists. And I have a serious phobia of dentists, so you can only imagine how I feel about living in a city that has six full months of sub-zero temperatures, at least.

But I want to test this theory to see if spending more time outside will help the kids be a little bit better behaved. That being said, if it doesn't help them, I may be deleting this challenge as the weather gets colder!