Holiday Stress

It's crunch time. I'm trying not to feel anything except peace and joy and love, yet the stress is creeping in with icy cold fingers gripping me. Subtly at first, and then when I least expect it the stress will put a strangle hold on me, choking out the air. No, not really.

Why the ever so subtle stress? Grab a cup of coffee and I'll tell you all about it.

A few weeks ago as we were discussing Christmas With the Crazies, as Mr. Happy and I affectionately refer to my side of the family, Muther mentioned that they all were wondering if Christmas could be at my house on Christmas Eve. They all being my brother and his wife and Muther. And since I am still not 100% with my back (I fell out of a chair rather ungracefully last night and my hip is feeling twingie this morning) Muther promised that they would come and help me clean and I wouldn't have to do any of the cooking. Bonus! So I said okie-dokie. I can handle a muther, step-dad, sibling, sibling-in-law and their 4 kidlets. Eazy-peazy. Except now? There are 4 more adults coming, possibly with another 2 or 3 more adults coming. So what was a week ago Eazy-peazy is today not so much.

So please help me, O Great Internets. I need a menu. Muther already decided for me that we're not doing turkey. Great. I'll do pull-a-part-pork in the crock pot (so delish!). Muther suggested potato salad. Gross. For Christmas? No. I can't have potato salad at Christmas. At family picnics yes. I still shudder at the thought - crazy, isn't it. So then I told Muther I'd make scalloped potatoes. And I love me a sweet potatoe casserole with the carmelized brown sugar on top, so I will make that as well to satisfy my craving. But what else should we have? Please tell me.

I didn't get any baking done yesterday because my desk took me from 7:30 in the morning to supper time last night to go through. And a large garbage bag is full of papers and envelopes and such that once lived on my desk.

I'm hoping to go the Mart of Wal today, but a nice one in the city...not the crappy ones nearby, to finish up last minute gift buying. What are you all giving your kids' teachers?

Miss Thumbelina is in a mood this morning. I'm not sure she's feeling entirely well. Tigger is still sick, but we sent him to school anyway, even though he has a low-grade fever and looks extremely pale.

This morning, Thumbelina wanted a clementine for breakfast (she's great at nodding and shaking her head). So as I was about to give it to her, I told her to say please. (She can say peeze but we will also let her have things if she uses the sign for please, which is your open hand making a circle on your chest.) She looked at me and slowly shook her head no. Little stinker. So I told her that she couldn't have the orange until she said please. And she just looked at me. So I turned to put the orange away and she half-heartedly swiped at her jammies with her thumb for please. Goodness. And I'm sure, if she knew how to do it, she would have been rolling her eyes at me too. This child has attitude.

Her new most favourite thing is Elmo. And her new word is Emmo. I'm not sure if that's good or bad yet...maybe Elmo is responsible for sending subliminal messages to my daughter telling her to roll her eyes at her parents. Who knows.

Anyway, the stress. It is slowly coming to get me.