Holiday Meltdown Kids Activities Blog

Christmas is my favorite holiday. Always has been. I beloved everything about it. The tree, the decorations, the neighborhood in brightly colored lights, sending cards, the works. I even love the shopping. Just being at the mall, with Santa and the holiday music piped into every shop makes my heart soar.

At least information technology used to. Right at present my heart is fluttering wildly as I panic at all that I need to become done before St. Nick arrives. If I went to the mall and heard the holiday music and donation bell-ringing, I ™d probably grab the bell and throw it at the faux rock speaker spewing the music.

It's not that I don't desire to enjoy the flavor; I actually do. Information technology's but that there's too much to do and not enough time. How could that be? Shouldn't I have more than time now rather than less?

We started out strong, picking out our Christmas tree the Saturday later on Thanksgiving. Nosotros also purchased tons of poinsettias for a quick splash of color. Married man pulled the lights out of the closet. We were on a roll.

And then where are nosotros at present? The tree is upward and it's inside. It does take lights; just that'southward all it has. Still no ornaments. We ™ve watered it, although it's starting to list to one side. Maybe it'south an Italian tree, the Leaning Tower of Yule. Hubby managed to get the lights exterior so at least the neighbors retrieve we're on schedule. Little exercise they know that the inside of the house looks similar early on disaster area, with Halloween décor still visible, discarded newspapers all over the table, a pile of clean socks on the ottoman and canis familiaris hair piling on the rug under the tree. The dog loves to be close to the tree; information technology must be her way of getting into the holiday spirit.

At tiffin Hubby says, So what do we need to buy for the relatives this year?  I tin can feel my blood pressure level rising equally now we have to contact everyone for suggestions. Maybe we can give them each a pair of socks from the pile; at to the lowest degree they're make clean.

And cards! OMG. How can we forget these? Which of the 997 pictures from our recent vacation should be included?

Augh! My email just pinged with a note from a friend nearly a job opportunity. Are you kidding me? Who has time for that correct now? There are important holiday decisions to be made, treats to bake, shopping to do and carols to sing. Where'south our drove of Christmas movies? Those need to be watched too. No fourth dimension for something equally trivial as a new job.

What'south happened to me, to u.s.a.? The more I think nigh it, the more than stressed I become, to the point of almost beingness paralyzed. I can hardly movement, think, exhale.

Remain calm, a vocalism tells me. Everything will get done. The voice is soothing, reassuring. I must exist having one of those near-death experiences, without the bright lights. My bad " it'due south just Hubby, trying to coax me out of the fetal position that I ™ve taken in the eye of the living room.

Problem solving is what I practice best, he reminds me. So effort to solve the problem. Which one?  I shriek at him. The tilting tree, the shopping, the Halloween decorations, the pile of socks, or the ever-nowadays dog hair? He slinks back, knowing I ™m on the brink of a holiday melt-downwards.

Pulling myself together, I realize he'due south right. An undecorated business firm is no lucifer for me. I go along thinking WWMSD? What would Martha Stewart do?

A fleck of holiday energy creeps dorsum in. I make a listing and cheque it twice. Ready, set, here nosotros go.

Decorations: We ™ll take the discarded newspapers, wad up each page into a ball and pile around the room. Viola! Dirty snowballs. The Halloween décor is now a non-issue, since everyone will be staring at the muddy snowball decorations.

Blistering: I recollect Oreos come in holiday colors. Cheque baking off the listing.

Cards: We have 997 vacation pictures and only 200 friends. Then we spread the photos around the floor, face down, similar a giant came of pairs . I randomly pick a photo and hand to Married man, who places it in an addressed envelope. No need to sign them since the picture show shows who it's from.

Carols: This is easy; nosotros multi-task. Carols sung every bit we bake Oreos; as we option out photos; as we create dirty snowballs. Carols sung in the shower, while cooking, while driving. All carols, all the fourth dimension.

Presents: We have an abundance of make clean socks. Everyone can use socks. I see some synergy here. Double Snap!Dog pilus and movie watching: Nosotros ™ll combine these two into 1 fun evening. Nosotros can use the domestic dog hair as furry tinsel to decorate the tree while we watch the motion-picture show. Snap!

Shopping: Now I have time to hit the mall and relish the holiday spirit, fight the crowds at the food court, battle for parking, button kids out of the fashion so I can go to Santa. With the presents taken intendance of, I tin can even shop for myself. A win all the style around.

Ahhh ¦I ™m much more relaxed now. The program is in place. Operation Holiday Joy has begun.

And to make Martha proud, nosotros ™ll use some of the actress socks equally ornaments for the tree.

It's going to exist a great holiday. If merely everything was this like shooting fish in a barrel.

© Tami Cannizzaro 2011 All Rights served

Kids Activities Blog is Holly'due south blogging home.

She is the co-author of 101 Kids Activities that are the Bestest, Funnest Ever! and The 101 Coolest Simple Scientific discipline Experiments.

She is the mom of three boys ages 13, 15 & 17 who partially homeschools. She believes that you lot shouldn't have to purchase stuff to have fun when there is a kitchen junk drawer full of possibilities.

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