Well, it's over. Christmas is finished for another year. All that's left, of course, is the tripping--over news toys, new clothes, and kids who insist on playing on the kitchen floor with their cool, tiny remote control cars. I figure it's just a matter of time until I step on one of those cars and squash it like a bug.
I went to sleep about midnight last night. At about 2:30 a.m., YoungestBoy knocked on our bedroom door and asked if he could go downstairs to open presents. "No," I said, "______, it's the middle of the night. Go back to bed."
Two hours later, at 4:30 a.m., YoungestBoy again. This time, I didn't give him a chance to ask. I just said, "______, it's the middle of the night! Go back to bed!" At 7:20 a.m., when my husband nudged me and said, "The kids are downstairs," I was having a bizarre dream about a full-sized tiger on a leash and a full-sized Newfoundland dog. I was taking these animals down a school corridor to find their owners. I didn't remember until I was showering that Eminem, the rapper, was also in my dreams--he was propositioning me and I refused him, knowing, even in Bizarro-World that I was married and chaste.
So, I showered and dressed and fed the baby and dressed the baby and pretty much tortured the children by making them wait until after 8:00 a.m. to open presents. They'd found all their stocking stuffers and were thrilled with those treasures. The first boxes they unwrapped were clothes--and like the boys they are, they just looked at the first shirt in the stack and tossed the box aside with a disinterested "oh, clothes".
The exciting presents of the day included computer and video games and a brand new computer for the three boys to share. Babygirl was uninterested in unwrapping anything, which is good since there wasn't much for her. She got some clothes, a kid-sized Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner, and a a cleaning caddy full of baby cleaning supplies--a broom, mop, bucket, sponge, rag, etc. She adores the broom. She was the most interested by a grey felt box which held earrings (a gift from my mother to me). She opened it, pulled out the earrings, put them back, closed it, and then did it all over again.
We had a quiet day at home (well, as quiet as a day can be with four children and their toys). My mom was here for brunch (coffee cake and bacon) and then she headed to my brother's house to celebrate with him and his wife. She planned to go to my sister's house for dessert after that. I was just relieved to be staying home. After Babygirl's nap (in my arms), she was in a very pleasant mood, so she played happily with daddy and her brothers while I prepared dinner (ham and the fixings). The kids were impressed by the "feast" we enjoyed.
I am resisting the urge to pull down all the Christmas decorations tonight. I am so finished with Christmas. Now, I want to paint the living room and Babygirl's intended bedroom. Of course, before that, I just want to sit in a movie theater, alone, and watch a movie! I have small dreams.