Chapter 12 What A Day......

The time for Sister to travel back to the North Pole is coming fast. She loves being with all the family, but Santa has called her five times in the last two days. He always gets so stressed in late October.

Sister stops in at Alex' office to see if she's free for lunch.

Alex is a bundle of nerves. There is so much pressure on her to run for Mayor. Naturally she has some concerns. Not about her ability to manage the city though.

"Since Dad died, I've been helping Mom with money for the younger sisters' educations." she explains. "Through careful saving and investments, my accounts have enough to take care of mom and pay the girls' tuitions for the next four years. But what if Mom becomes too ill to manage on her own? What if one of the girls wants to go to medical school? What if Mom's house needs extensive repairs? What if I don't like being a mayor?"

Sister didn't have any answers other than she's never been to Olive Garden and would really like to try lunch there.

MEANWHILE OVER AT THE ST. JOHN HOUSEHOLD

"Oh Tyler....I am so ready for the guys to go to deer camp. Basil has lists. He has piles of hunting supplies. He has 5 bushels of sorted acorns to feed the deer!" Emme moaned to Tyler.

"Pete wants me to pick scent blocking body wash and deodorant! He wants me to make up a huge pot of chili!! He wants to know if he should take the tv/dvd player!!! He wants to know where he put his thick socks!!!! The cabin doesn't even have electricity!!!!! What are they going to do with a tv??????" Tyler screeched.

"Men" they both groaned.

Up in the kids' room, Marley and Marybeth were entertaining Ellery and Jessamyn with the Halloween puppets that Aunt Brenda sent. The little kids still haven't used all the stickers that Aunt Brenda and Aunt Diane sent. The kids even decorated the crib.

The moms haven't realized that Aunt Brenda sent Halloween bags in the package with the puppets.

Oh my, its good to be a kid.

Well maybe, Ellery really likes his kitty puppet, but Jessamyn isn't so sure about the mummy puppet or the skeleton puppet or the Frankenstein puppet....

Russell John picked Esme and the kids up after nursery school. He doesn't understand how she can be so calm after a day with so many munchkins. The running and giggling would be more than he could take.

Little Daniel Jim was creating some of the havoc. Grandma made some new overalls for him with his favorite character, Mr. Wiggs, the Giant Goldfish, on the bib. The girls are unhappy. They wanted Mr. Wiggs on their new rompers - instead of bows.

Matt takes one look at Daniel Jim and shouts at Elissa, "What have you done to my son?"

"He looks like a conehead!"

"No he does not." Elissa smiles. "I tamed his hair with gel. He looks so much like you with his hair this way."