Joshua's Ruining Chrismas.

Went to the annual Christmas-at-Target event today. I think I've posted about this event for the past 3 yrs now, because it's usually a noteworthy (albeit somewhat traumatic) event for me.

Each year the Target here in Carrollton hosts a Christmas event for all the special needs children in the Carrollton school district. They have carolers, santa, free baked goodies.. In theory it's really sweet and picturesque. IN REALITY it's a madhouse. Last year the boys' classes didn't go - only Rachael's class attended. I guess the boys' teachers felt seasoned enough to take on Target this year.

As usual, I got there late with Abby and Daniel. Jacob had already tried to coax his teacher into buying him about every R rated movie on the shelf. His teacher said she felt just the slightest bit hysterical saying over and over "No Jacob, you can't have "Disturbia". No Jacob, you can't have "The Hills have Eyes".. and so on and so forth. Joshua's teacher had him pretty covered - they had him sitting inside a shopping cart. Rachael was with her favorite aide in the whole wide world, Ms. Karen, and was walking up and down the aisles shouting "where's the neckhorns!" (unicorns, in Rachael speak). She finally settled on a Barbie horse with 2 interchangeable heads (which I find rather disturbing). Who knows.. some days you just feel like a brunette horsey instead of a blonde..

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE EVENT, however, was not Jacob finally settling on a lowly PG movie, or Rachael and her 2-headed horse, but Joshua taking on Santa Claus.

To set the stage for the "Santa incident", as it will now be called, I need to talk a bit more about Joshua and his fluff obsession. Now let's face it, we're not stupid here. We know our house is not the vacation destination of choice, but to those who have mustered up the resolve to visit us recently you would probably take note of a couple things: 1) shredded Christmas tree tinsel everywhere.. and I mean everywhere 2) the trojan horse (formally Rusty, the wooden rocking horse with mane and tail) sitting in the corner of the living room and 3) tufts of black fur - looking suspiciously like the faux fur mane on Rachael's stuffed horse toy - in those few areas not already covered with red metallic tinsel. Yes.. this is all the work of Joshua. The boy loves to shred things and toss the pieces in the air. The other day Rachael walked up to me with a hand full of plucked garland and a sad look on her face. She said "Joshua's ruining Christmas, momma." (by Christmas, she meant the tree)

Well getting back to poor Jolly Old St. Nick.. when it came time to take pictures, Joshua wasted all of about a second before he started yanking tufts out of the store Santa. The beard.. the white fur on the custume.. I ask you: what is not for a Joshie to love?? Me and Joshua's school aides laughed hysterically, and then tried to deter him from plucking Santa for a moment to look at the camera. Say "Merry Christmas!"