The Worst Three Hours

My prediction is that the next three hours will be the worst of the holidays. I hope that I"m proven wrong, but they are three dead hours with nothing to do before church except for chores. Our oldest boys have put off their shopping until now and are feeling stressed. I'm not even going with them to do their shopping. I'm done with mine and I'm not going to another store. My gifts are all wrapped and ready to go.

For some reason our adult sons that are home are crabby and irritable. They are easy targets for the other kids who are bored. Let me tell you this. If I were an adult I would be out doing something else during these times, but they seem to want to be here instead, riling and getting riled up, arguing with me about little things, and generally crabby.

The two most difficult children are the absorbers of family stress so the holidays, combined with the uncertaintly about the baby have them bored and reeling from place to place being defiant and most of all, bored. Dominyk is chanting and crying and calling me names. Tony is refusing to do his chore. It will be this way or worse for the next three hours.

But WIlson is happy. He got to open presents today and have his cake. And having a happy WIlson makes it difficult to not be a happy parent.