Christmas Eve

I had a meltdown the day before Christmas Eve. It all ended around 8:30 when I slammed Sugar's door and yelled at her so much that she peed her pants. My lowest moment. I share it because I want to remember how horrible the whole day was and to never, ever feel that way again. Why do I let a 3 year old break me? Who is in charge here? Oh, I wish Mary Poppins could fly into my upstairs window!! Finally, when she passed out from crying, and I had vented my gallons of tears too, I promised the boys that tomorrow would be a better day. The next day was still on the not so good list. Sugar did not force me to endure a 5 hour tantrum marathon, but Christmas Eve sort of looked like this:

Sick Baby

Filthy, cluttered house

Shawn calling me and telling me he needed a triple batch of toffee delivered to his work by 1:30

A trip to Wal-Mart with 4 children whiny and hungry and a line of 20 grumpy people

Finding a kid on the roof

Pinching my hand when I tried to put the ladder back in the garage

Sweetie knocking over a very full trash can

Trash man kindly waiting for me as I scooped up slimy, filthy trash with my hands so I could take the can to the curb (the kids ran off with the shovel, naturally)

Using all my willpower for the next century not to start cussing at the top of my lungs in front of the trash man

Kids chasing Sweetie down the block

Sugar chasing Sweetie onto Main Street

Me crying as I drive my car about 100 mph out of my neighborhood to get Sugar off of Main Street

Offering a prayer of thanks that Sugar was okay, and giving her a big hug and feeling like a horrible Mother for how I treated her yesterday

Toffee not setting up. 3 batches turning out 3 different ways, for no logical reason

Luke refusing to sleep

Kids fighting and complaining that it isn't a very fun Christmas Eve day

Cole giving Luke a bottle filled with apple cider vinegar

Seth mad that Cole got him to drink apple cider vinegar

Trying to make rolls for the Christmas Eve party at my parents and burning them

My Dad calling me and asking me "why do you never answer your phone, dammit!"

Cole crying that I had promised him this day would be totally unlike the day before. I told him, "Hey, I haven't cussed at you today, right? Consider it a much better day than yesterday."

At least the cousins came, they got to play, eat a lot of really good food, and have a good Christmas Eve. We read the story The Fourth Wiseman, and the kids did a little talent show. We sat in nasty traffic, got home around 10 pm and my wrapping marathon finished around 12:30. I was so glad to call it a day.

And that is why I have no pictures of Christmas Eve. Better left undocumented with photographic evidence.