Christmas hates me this year

[muttleynfelix]

I cannot win this year for the life of me. I'm just fighting an uphill battle. None of this is tragic or awful, it is just a giant PITA.

Friday I took the day off work so DH and I could go Christmas shopping while DS was in preschool. Ice storm in the morning, meant no school.  Once it warmed up enough that it was just rain. We did take the kids to see Santa (which we had planned to do after Preschool). Then we did go to Target and get most of what we needed. I still needed to run to Kohls yesterday. All I needed at Kohls was bathrobes for the kids. Not a necessity, but since we typically shower both kids together while one of us is showering and then we take the kids to the living room to get dressed, I thought it would be something comfy to get. Kohl's is one of the few places that carries a variety of toddler bath robes (we didn't see any at Target). I get there and they have lots of bathrobes for Toddlers. Only everything is 4T. JoJo won't be 1 until January and she is a big girl, but not THAT big.  I really needed 2T to make it work (she's in 18 month). I finally find 1 - 2T and then I compared it to the one 3T in another style that I liked better and the 3T was about the same size. So, it may just be huge and PITA this winter, but I found it.  I was also looking for some little stocking stuffer for her and found some slipper socks that I thought she might keep on her feet better than socks. Plus they had stickies on the bottom.  I get home and DH is thrilled at the robes and I had also picked up a jacket for her and he loved it, but the slipper socks were missing!  I could not find them ANYWHERE.  I went directly from Kohls and put the package in the truck of my car and the slipper socks were not in the trunk of my car. I don't know where they could be except that they never made it in my bag at check out.

A couple weeks ago, I ordered a gift card for our niece from my cash back bonus. It came yesterday and it was the wrong gift card!  Online it says that this gift card can be used at the place I had ordered, but the card doesn't say that!  I looked online at several stores trying to find one near my niece which was why I was very specific. 

We had several rounds of winter weather from Dec 5 through Dec 14th.  From the 5th until yesterday, without 4WD you couldn't get up our driveway (which means me too since my car is only front-wheel drive, DH would drive down in the SUV to pick me up at night and then drive me down to the car in the mornings).  UPS didn't even bother coming down our road at ALL last week. They did come yesterday and called us at the bottom of our driveway and asked us to meet them. No problem.  We finally got our diapers and formula that we ordered on the 6th. We finally got the car seat we ordered on Black Friday.  But the pictures I ordered on the 2nd are missing. I don't have a tracking number for them. They were suppose to be here on the 12th, but because of the storms I didn't think about it until I realized this weekend that I if I didn't get them Monday, I can't finish the presents that DS and I are making for him and DD to give Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles.  4 of them need to be mailed out and now I don't think I'll get them done on time to get them in the mail on time.  

Add in work being absolutely crazy and I'm feeling very defeated by it all. It seems like everything I do to try to stay on top of things (like ordering home delivery for the pics instead of one-hour in-store or taking the day off work) hasn't worked out this year.   

I'm just venting.  I know none of this is going to matter on Christmas day or on the 27th when we have Christmas at my parent's house (oh yeah, did I mention that my Grandma is mad at me for not being there on Christmas Day, like seriously driving up the day after and staying 4 days isn't good enough for you!), but right now it is just another aggravation.  

You can tell me your screwed up or your Happy Christmas stories. Either one will make me feel better at this point.

[NancysSummerSip]

Aw, Mutt. Dive in.

My DH is in day four of a crappy stomach due to a mystery meat burrito he ate Saturday. He' on liquids, probiotics, anti-gas meds and he's just plain crabby about it. Like it's someone else's fault he ate food he shouldn't have (he has diverticulitis, so it's not like he doesn't know not to do these things).
I offered to call the doctor for him, but wah-wah-whine, not sure if he feels that bad. Fine, I said. Doc's office opens at 8, I'm going to work and going on with life, make a decision for yourself. I am not your mom. You don't want to eat right or exercise or do what you need to do to maintain a healthy lifestyle, I'm not playing games. Suffer and be miserable and stew in it.

Men. Sheesh. It's like having a kid in the house.

[Deleted]

Sorry you're having a crappy holiday season (to both of you!  ).

Mine is the same old, same old. I placed my giant amazon order on Friday and everything is supposed to be here by Wednesday. If worse comes to worse and they can't get my stuff here within the cushion I have back ups for the little ones and the teens are old enough to know the truth. 

[muttleynfelix]

Nancy -  Your husband would me feel very Grinchy.    I do hope he feels better soon for your sake. 

[Opti]

Try to focus on the good. You have family you will be spending
Christmas with. You have family you'll spend holidays with.
If it doesn't work out in time, then just send Christmas cards to
the Aunts and Uncles involved that their presents will arrive late.

No big deal. My Mom was infamous for using Christmas cards under
the tree for gifts that hadn't arrived yet. We lived.





I don't have the money to fly or drive back home nor unfortunately
an SO I can do the holidays with. I volunteered to work Christmas
because at least I'll see some folks Christmas day and be of service to
others. Why wait until the 27th to be OK with sometimes things just
don't want to work out as we hoped? Why not today?

[giramomma]

I'm sorry.
If it makes you feel better, I have lost my baking touch. I used to be able to make really nice cookies.

I have new pans I'm getting used to, and well, I overbaked the last batch because I was in too much of a hurry..So, I have nice rocks.

I think this year I'm going to try something else for desert...

It really bums me, because cookies are a super important part of my christmas tradition growing up.

[NancysSummerSip]

Dec 17, 2013 10:57:23 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

Nancy -  Your husband would me feel very Grinchy.    I do hope he feels better soon for your sake. 

Oh, he's trying, all right. But I plan to go ahead and have a good time without him. I'll be in the kitchen most of Sunday, getting desserts ready for Wednesday (chocolate-dipped marshmallows, peanut butter cups, vanilla raspberry macarons and gingerbread men).

[Wisconsin Beth]

I've slide though the last couple of Christmases (that doesn't look right) and I'm finally in the mood for a good one.  I feel like I caught a break because this is probably the first Christmas where one or both kids get the whole thing. 

DH doesn't think we have enough presents for the kids though.  I'm like Honey - on Christmas Eve they open from Santa.  ON Christmas Day they'll open stuff from your side of the family.  3 days later, they'll be opening from my side of the family.  They're getting PLENTY. 

[muttleynfelix]

Beth - We haven't gotten JoJo as much as Ben, but I find 1 a really hard age to shop for. That was why I thought those slipper socks would work well for a stocking stuffer, sigh.   It is just $8 down the drain.   Anyway, their Aunts and Uncles are dying to by the towns. Not to mention the Grandparents.  The kids have plenty of toys as it is.

[Pants]

Mutt - sorry you are having a rough one. My Christmas prep has been me forgetting really basic things, repeatedly.

1) Finished all my christmas shopping a few weeks ago. Felt very proud of myself. Realized the next morning that I forgot to shop for all the children - including my own.

2) Got the kids done, got a christmas tree, was feeling very proud of myself. Until I remembered I am hosting Christmas for my family, so I should, you know, probably plan to feed everyone - need to plan a menu, shop, etc.

3) Currently have the menu mostly under control. Cleaning TBD, house is a shit show. Will work on that at some point, probably.

4) Realized I forgot to get a gift for Brynn's daycare teachers. Ordered gift cards.

5) Realized I forgot to get a gift for my best friend. To Amazon!

At this point am just waiting to remember what else I've forgotten. Because it looks like there will definitely be something...

[muttleynfelix]

Yeah, I have nothing for Ben's Preschool teachers. I have no clue what to do ... if anything for them. I know that sounds terrible, but I am seriously struggling this Christmas getting everything done. I now have until Friday if I want to get them something.

[Wisconsin Beth]

Dec 17, 2013 11:35:39 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

Beth - We haven't gotten JoJo as much as Ben, but I find 1 a really hard age to shop for. That was why I thought those slipper socks would work well for a stocking stuffer, sigh.   It is just $8 down the drain.   Anyway, their Aunts and Uncles are dying to by the towns. Not to mention the Grandparents.  The kids have plenty of toys as it is.

She won't remember if she gets 6 things or 1. 

Your son isn't likely to notice because she's going to want to play with the paper anyway. 

Cut yourself some slack - at these ages you don't have to have the same number of gifts or spend the same dollar amount (I don't know how you decide in your house.)  What you've got is fine.  And I hereby grant you absolution and order you to take a deep breath and take 10 minutes to relax and be at peace. 

[Chocolate Lover]

If it makes you feel any better, I've never done teacher gifts at any age. And my kids never suffered for it.

[Wisconsin Beth]

We got missed in DD's K4 teacher Christmas present contributions.  We got her a gc to Target in a generous amount.  Because her parents are long time neighbors of mine, I've known her slightly for a couple of decades now and it was so reassuring to have my kid in public schools with a teacher I knew. 

With DS, last year was his first in dcp and we had such massive turnover between Oct and Dec. that I felt no need to get special gifts.   

[sarcasticgirl]

Sounds like everyone needs a cocktail! 

[Pants]

Also, Mutt, last year B got baby-proofing supplies for christmas. She doesn't know any different. She liked playing with them. And, bonus, they came in a box, which she happily sat in and was pushed around in by my brother for 20 minutes. We figured last year was our year to do cheap and necessary, she had no idea anyway.

Jojo will survive not getting very many christmas presents. Get her like, an orange, she'll be occupied for 1/2 hour!

[Pants]

Dec 17, 2013 11:48:05 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

Yeah, I have nothing for Ben's Preschool teachers. I have no clue what to do ... if anything for them. I know that sounds terrible, but I am seriously struggling this Christmas getting everything done. I now have until Friday if I want to get them something.

I just did gift cards to amazon. If I were you I would just get a couple $25 gift cards to target and call it a day IF you want to get something. Otherwise, whatever.

[giramomma]

Mutt,
my toddler is getting 3 things: an ornament, a $7 toy kitchen accessories set (apron, hot pads, etc) and santa is bringing a toy kitchen, only because the one we currently have is broke and I thought it would be nice for the last kid to get something new..

When my middle child was 3, one year I bought two boxes of polly pockets/fischer price village toys used off craigslist. I spent $50, and we had enough for St Nicks for 1-2 years, two birthdays, and a Christmas.

As for teacher gifts, I've noticed my students have not given as much in the past two years. Honestly, I'm thankful. There's only so many mugs, etc that I can accumulate. The notes, I keep. Some of them are very meaningful to me. (I had a student once emailing me to tell me she attributed her success in part to me because I believed in her. I'll take that over a $10 GC to Target any day.)



 

[NancysSummerSip]

Dec 17, 2013 12:20:49 GMT -5 sarcasticgirl said:

Sounds like everyone needs a cocktail! 

Count me in for two of them. I just called home to see how DH is doing. A little better, but then the cat barfed while we were on the phone.

And people wonder why I still work.

[yogiii]

muttley, DS is 3.5 this year and it's the first year we're actually getting him Christmas presents!   In past years he has gotten so much from grandparents that it just didn't matter, he had no idea what was going on.  This year he knows what is going on so we got him a few things, one of which is his own roll of duct tape.  I wasn't going to get DD (8 months) anything but figured we need to since DS will wonder why she doesn't have presents from Santa so I'm going to wrap some clothes we already have that don't fit her yet.  Yes, I'm a cheap bastard.

[muttleynfelix]

Yeah, my Christmas cards are still sitting in the box. They are so cute too.  

I'm really not upset about DD not having "enough", it is the fact that I bought something and I don't have it.

[Wisconsin Beth]

CAll the store and see if they'll give you a refund. 

[yogiii]

Dec 17, 2013 12:50:32 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

Yeah, my Christmas cards are still sitting in the box. They are so cute too.  

I'm really not upset about DD not having "enough", it is the fact that I bought something and I don't have it.

Yeah that stuff irritates me too.  One of the first times I took both kids to the grocery store I came home with no milk.  I think I left it underneath the cart or it was still at the checkout, not sure, and there I was trying to be proud of myself for shopping with an infant and rowdy toddler .

[skubikky]

Dec 17, 2013 12:31:33 GMT -5 yogiii said:

muttley, DS is 3.5 this year and it's the first year we're actually getting him Christmas presents!   In past years he has gotten so much from grandparents that it just didn't matter, he had no idea what was going on.  This year he knows what is going on so we got him a few things, one of which is his own roll of duct tape.  I wasn't going to get DD (8 months) anything but figured we need to since DS will wonder why she doesn't have presents from Santa so I'm going to wrap some clothes we already have that don't fit her yet.  Yes, I'm a cheap bastard.

Cheap, no way.....you're using common sense.    The clothes can be her present, case closed.

[skubikky]

Dec 17, 2013 12:50:32 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

Yeah, my Christmas cards are still sitting in the box. They are so cute too.  

I'm really not upset about DD not having "enough", it is the fact that I bought something and I don't have it.

That exact thing happened to me a few months back at Kohl's.  I went back to the store and explained what happened....they gave me a gift card for the amount of the item...great customer service.

[Deleted]

Dec 17, 2013 11:32:02 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

I've slide though the last couple of Christmases (that doesn't look right) and I'm finally in the mood for a good one.  I feel like I caught a break because this is probably the first Christmas where one or both kids get the whole thing. 

DH doesn't think we have enough presents for the kids though.  I'm like Honey - on Christmas Eve they open from Santa.  ON Christmas Day they'll open stuff from your side of the family.  3 days later, they'll be opening from my side of the family.  They're getting PLENTY. 

how can they open stuff from Santa on Christmas Eve when he hasn't even gotten there yet?

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Dec 17, 2013 13:33:22 GMT -5 @singlemominmd said:

Dec 17, 2013 11:32:02 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

I've slide though the last couple of Christmases (that doesn't look right) and I'm finally in the mood for a good one.  I feel like I caught a break because this is probably the first Christmas where one or both kids get the whole thing. 

DH doesn't think we have enough presents for the kids though.  I'm like Honey - on Christmas Eve they open from Santa.  ON Christmas Day they'll open stuff from your side of the family.  3 days later, they'll be opening from my side of the family.  They're getting PLENTY. 

how can they open stuff from Santa on Christmas Eve when he hasn't even gotten there yet?

Santa always got to our house early on Christmas Eve.  My parents were pretty clever in getting us out of the way so he could arrive.

In reality, my mom's birthday was 12/25 so Christmas Eve was our Christmas.   This was a hold over from when my mom was a child and her mother thought that someone with a Christmas birthday shouldn't get gypped out of their own day.  

[Wisconsin Beth]

Santa always came to my house on Christmas Eve when I was growing up.  And since DH's family does a Christmas morning thing, I'm not hauling all the gifts to someone else's house only to open them and haul them back.  (They do a rotating thing so every 3rd year we host.)

[Deleted]

We're Christmas Day openers and DH's family is Christmas Eve openers. It's a mixed-marriage but we make it work!


It actually has worked out for us because each family gets a whole day so we don't have to schlep the kiddos to several houses each day. 

[Wisconsin Beth]

Yeah, my MIL feels it's her right as a grandparent to see her grandkids open every present.  If she wants to see our kids open stuff from us/Santa, she needs to come to our house on Christmas Eve. 

My Mom's dad was a firefighter and they never knew when he'd be home.  So they usually did gifts on Christmas Eve, which is where this started.