Away in a Manger

Sunday morning Jeff and I headed out to the garage to get the Christmas decorations while the kids ate breakfast.  We keep the decorations in plastic tubs on overhead shelves, and it's just easier to get them down when we don't have an audience of toddlers, preschoolers, and dogs around to "help."

Leon watched, his eyes growing wider and wider, as we brought the tubs into the house.  The kid was squirming with anticipation as he sat in his booster seat.  There were new latches to master and so many potential goodies inside.  It was a Leon dream come true!

I can't remember if I even attempted to flat out tell him "no."  Whatever happened, it wasn't long before I said, "These are Mommy's boxes and THIS is Leon, Michael, and Ree's box," and I handed him the box with our nativity set.

We happen to have a Little People nativity set, and I just love the dang thing.  I am a dork and think it is the cutest thing in the world.  I may actually enjoy playing with it more than the kids do.  I also love that Little People are virtually indestructible (so far) and the dogs understand that they are neither treats nor chew toys (so far). 

While I cleaned up the kitchen after breakfast, I heard Leon busily playing in the sunroom.  Since everything is an ingredient to Leon, I figured he was stirring the poor shepherds and sheep in a bowl and calling it "soup."  Much to my surprise, as I walked out to the living room, I found the people and critters scattered all over the floor.  Baby Jesus was face down on the rug with the manger still stuck to his back.  (Must resist the urge to add a "plight of the Jews" joke here.)  But the stable was missing.

I found the stable sitting on the kids' train table in the sunroom.  It was void of living creatures.  Instead, it was filled with little Tonka trucks.  The stable had become a garage.  I can only imagine the angel on the roof was the parking attendant.