WOW, it's X-mas again already....

TODAY.....I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START!!

Well I guess I have to take you back a few days!

Work has been crazy..., my husband and I work completely different schedules and now he is helping coach with the men's team here, so even more time away. So where was I to find time to shop or he for that matter. It seemed as if I couldn't get motivated and was plagued with the "BA humbug" attitude or just didn't have the money when I wanted to go shopping or saw something in Walmart. ;-)
Then today approaches and I have almost NOTHING ready.

No turkey,

no side dishes,

no wrapping paper,

no picture with Santa,

no stocking stuffer,

no tape,

no cookies or carrots for Santa and his Reindeer...

you name it we didn't have it. So at 3pm after the girls napped and we all got dressed we head out the door and out loud I reminded myself; after looking at the time on my cell phone that it was Christmas eve....frantically I start calling and txting just to make sure we had time.

Yes, everything I needed to do stopped doing it at 6pm. I had 3 hours to get to the mall, stand in line for a photo, pick up some last minute things, and go to Walmart to get all the food I needed for our Christmas dinner.....If only we had a camera crew following us.

& If you know my family you can only envision what words cannot convey. I must say we were doing good until we arrived at Walmart at 5:30pm........

This is where it took a turn. Over the intercom continuously they are saying "Our store will be closing at 6pm so our associated can spend time with their families." Then a few minutes later "Our doors have closed no more entry and our store will be promptly closing in 15 minutes. All the while we are still frantically looking for things we need...J is whining and screaming, Ryan is mad and pouting and not answering me because he wants a "JOKER" poster right NOW....Peanut is chilling in the cart all leaned back probably wandering where there is room for her in all this caos..bless her heart!! SO with all of this and the announcements I could not think...& to top it off this lil guy walks up to us and says if you are not in line in 5 minutes you will not be checked out...HOLY KUNUDRA....sooooo that only meant one thing....TEAM ALPHA...BREAK...! I start running in one direction pushing J, yelling at the top of my lungs for Ryan..hence no time to walk around and look for him...(BTW he was totally embarrassed)..my husband the other way with Peanut looking frantically for what we needed! Ryan runs ahead and yells out...."6 MOM 6"!! We both run to the register as if a race to the finish line and HI5 and claim our victory....

But so quick after we made it to the car did we realize that we had forgotten so many things....LOL

I still cannot help but laugh.

Thankfully Family Dollar stayed open till 7...!

I have written so much already but I absolutely could not go to sleep without writing, my mind is just racing with so many things.

All in all this year is such a bitter sweet Christmas....I am trying so desperately to help my son hang on to the magic in Christmas...hoping he will give me one more year of believing in Santa. I know and he knows that there isn't some fat man in a red suit that comes in our house while we sleep.....but after all he is my baby....and It is so hard to let that go.

He asked me over and over tonight if he could help me with the girls stuff or if I needed help, and every time I turned it down. I even put my middle child to sleep and went to lay with him, trying to make him believe...but after awhile he just said mom don't lay in here and fall asleep you will forget to put the presents under the tree. My heart ached so.

& Then there is J who is just now entering into the magic of Christmas. Who today at the mall saw Santa and was completely and utterly unsure, but as soon as daddy sat her in Santa's arms she knew she was in love. How could someone be so warm and cozy her little face displayed. I just felt so warm inside just to see such innocence. All the while Peanut is screaming for deal life and not wanting a thing to do with that scary looking old man.

I smiled with delight as our picture got printed off, though. The photo was so family defining and we matched....accident(?)...YES! I was absolutely not dressed for a photo this evening and honestly wanted it to just be the kids. Yet, Ryan told me time and time again that there was NO WAY he was getting his picture made with Santa, and also kept reminding me that we had a deal that last year would be the last. AND ooooo how he came thru for his sister when she was in need...and that made him so much more special to her and to me. She clinged to him and felt confident again that everything was going to be alright. And looked beautiful in the photo.

I wanted to sleep but my husband is still wrapping gifts at this weeee hour, so I thought I would save him some trouble and more hours awake and prep his Turkey and stuffing for tomorrow...it was the least!

Well with that I guess all that's left to say is.....

Merry Christmas...& to all a Goodnight!

SHANNYN