I Wanna Be Sedated

We have reached that volatile point in the holiday season where I am biting my fingernails and chugging Diet Coke straight from the 2 liter bottle. Rocking and head banging start tomorrow. I was out late shopping tonight, and the kids were at Grandma's. When I picked everybody up, I made the mistake of mentioning that there were now presents under our tree at home. Will and Audrey are already at the boiling-over-with excitement/anxiety-stage, and hearing the news about presents under the tree just put them both over the edge. Olivia got caught up in the hubbub too, with the mistaken impression that we were going home to open presents tonight. When she found out we were indeed not opening any presents tonight, she was completely overwrought, and had a major meltdown/breakdown. Big screaming crying fit, insisting that tonight was Christmas, and those presents had to be opened immediately! I swear, if I had had some Xanax..... Well, add up a distraught Livvi, a messy, smelly house, laundry everywhere, 3 more wound up kids, sheets needing to be put on beds, presents to be wrapped, a Christmas budget to be managed, and homework to attend to, and you get one stressed out mommy. Thank heavens for bedtime routines and the Going to Bed Book. Something about teeth brushing with Princess toothpaste, washing a little face, and reading a familiar book worked wonders on both Livia and me. And all Will needed was some help wrapping a present for Maggie.
I'm not sure what made me think of this, but earlier today as I was walking out of Walmart, I found myself wondering what my great grandma Amelia would think of the money I had just spent on a dress-up princess dress for Olivia. I'm pretty certain she would think that I have lost my mind. Maybe she would be right.