Let There Be Light

This is the light fixture that was in Caleb's room. It has had some problems with producing light. We tried the simple things like flipping the switch to the on position and replacing the light bulb with a bulb we knew worked, and still we had no light. Caleb has a lamp in his room, and he would use the lamp for light while he was in there. However, he would still flip the light switch on every time he entered the room. One evening he flipped the switch, and he did not flip it to the off position. That night his light started flickering in the middle of the night (not a pleasant thing to wake up to). We decided that it was a wiring thing, so I decided to get a new light and replace it.

This is what I got.
Now Caleb has a light that works, and we are all happier with that (he can walk in and flip the switch, I can walk by his room and flip the switch to shut it off rather than walk into his room to turn off the lamp - which has three different bulbs and switches on it).

Christmas Eve Pranks

Three years ago, Brett's parents came out to visit for Christmas. If I remember correctly, Christmas Eve was a Sunday, so on the way home from church, Joyce was saying something to the effect of, "Let's all draw names and then do something nice for that person (service)." The boys interrupted her and said, I know, we draw names and then do something nice - in a snotty, mocking voice, and in the middle of what their grandma was saying, she changed it and said, "No! We draw names and then pull a prank on that person."

This is what we got that day.

Christmas Eve Pranks – Grandma Asay was telling the children a story on the way home from church about drawing names and doing something nice for the person whose name they got. The children kind of belly ached about it, so she changed it to playing a practical joke. The children jumped right on that and decide that would be fun. The rules were that the prank had to be pulled by bedtime and it wouldn’t hurt them. Emily had grandma Asay. She came right home and drew a picture of grandma. Then she said, “Merry Christmas” to grandma and hit her in the face with a pillow. Here are some of the trouble makers hiding after pulling a prank. Eli had grandpa Asay and grandma suggested making up grandpa while he napped.

Here is the prank they pulled (sorry Grandpa Asay)…

The next prank was one played on Emily. Caleb tied her up outside and then took a picture:

Grandma Asay had Caleb, and she was going to wrap up some sticks and rocks and give it to him for his Christmas Eve pajamas. Instead, we wrapped up his pajamas from last year. He didn’t recognize it, so he was excited and went to the other room to put them on. All of the adults were laughing, and he couldn’t figure out why. When we told him that he had last year’s pajamas on he kind of grumbled about it and wanted to change, but we made him pose with everyone so that we could remember the prank. Then grandma gave him his new pajamas, and he was happier. (The funny thing is that he didn't like them the year before, and when he opened them he said, "Thanks grandma, you really outdid yourself.)

Brett had Eli and when we sat down for cookies and eggnog, Brett put a pickle and a rock in his eggnog. Eli laughed and so did we. Grandpa had Claire and didn’t pull a prank. Claire had me and I had Brett, so I made 2 signs that said, “Kiss Me!” and had Claire tape them to our backs. The children didn’t think that was quite fair, but it worked. It worked out really well and the kids had fun.

On to this year... Since we knew Brett's parents and his grandmother were coming, the children were excited to do the "traditional" pranks (it is only a tradition when we celebrate with grandma & grandpa Asay). So we drew names. This first one wasn't really a "planned" prank, but it was fun. Grandma & grandpa wanted to play a game called "Oonga Boonga" and the children had to be initiated into the club. Grandma would do a dance, and the child would have to repeat it.

Here is grandma initiating one of the children.

While the child was standing up, grandpa slipped a wet towel under their bottom, and they sat on it.

Claire sitting on the wet towel.

Emily sitting on the wet towel.

Eli very skeptical of what is going on - he didn't end up sitting on the wet towel.

When it was Caleb's turn, he was very skeptical, also. I told him to play along, and he did. Instead of slipping a wet towel under Caleb's bottom, Brett had a different plan..

Brett enjoying his slyness.

Grandma's wet bottom.

Brett slid in behind (no pun intended) his mother and slipped a sopping wet paper towel on her chair. She had no idea it was there, and she plopped down. It took a few seconds for the water to soak in and register, and she jumped up. We all got a good laugh...

or at least most of us did (thanks for being such a good sport - mom).

Great grandma Asay had Caleb, and she could not think of anything to do, so grandma came up with an idea to wrap up grandma great's dentures and give them to Caleb. They got grandpa to make a "presentation" about a family heirloom that was his father's and he was supposed to pass it on to the oldest "Asay" grandson. During this "presentation," Caleb is almost getting emotional to think that he is receiving an heirloom, he is thinking how cool it will be, and he is thinking about what he might tell his friends... Little did he know he was being pranked. (As a side note, I started feeling bad for Caleb while grandpa was giving his little speech because I could tell that Caleb was really starting to feel some emotion about the whole thing.)

Grandpa Asay giving his speech.

Presentation of the heirloom.

A close-up of the "heirloom."

Needless to say, Caleb was not impressed, he was grossed out, and he thought they were really his great grandfather's dentures. He was ready to throw them out. Some of the others tried to touch them, but we stopped them and told them that they were grandma great's teeth.

Grandpa Asay had Emily, and he had grandma help him with his prank. Every year they give the children pajamas for Christmas. This year, Emily's pajamas would not go on.

Emily showing that her pajamas will not open.

The stitch in the back that grandma put in.

Caleb pranked grandpa. Grandma had got pajamas for grandpa, too. Caleb took them, wet them down, and then put them in the freezer. They pre-wrapped a box, so that all they had to do was put the pajamas in and tape a flap down.

Grandpa Asay with his frozen pajamas.

There were other pranks like bugs in beds, being tied up while napping, calls from the "missionaries" asking to bring a big family over for Christmas Eve, calls from Santa Claus, chocolate covered garlic cloves, snow balls down shirts, old books wrapped up for presents, etc.

It was very fun and something the children looked forward to. It is also something that makes memories, and that is what it is all about.