Christmas is a lot.
When I went over to England for a year, I realised that it’s extra busy for us in Australia in this season. Our school year goes from January to December so we have end-of-year concerts, report cards, Christmas parties, assemblies, staff dinners, Carols by Candlelight, gingerbread nights, thank-you presents etc. It’s a lot.
Combine that with hot temperatures that suck every last ounce of energy, the mental load and trying to fit in catch ups with lots of people.
Our kids feel it too. Often the magic of Christmas is overshadowed by busyness, some of which can’t be avoided with large families.
We have lots of birthdays in the six weeks leading up to Christmas which add to the exhaustion.
Nap times become shortened or skipped, bedtimes pushed later, chocolate and lollies are consumed and toys are unwrapped.
Today was our first day home in five days. Hubby and I longed to sit under the air con and watch the cricket and recover, but little kids don’t enjoy that so much.
They started to unravel and by 4pm it was pretty crazy. A little out of control. We brought the routine earlier, but by 5 my middle boy asked to go to bed.
The house is quiet and pretty trashed.
Hoping for a bit more normal tomorrow.
Here’s what I wrote after reflecting on the madness of the day, December 27.
‘Twas two days after Christmas
and we were all tired.
Too many late nights
and sugar acquired.
The magic was no more,
it had long disappeared,
the mess was outrageous
much more than we feared.
Too many toys
scattered over the floor,
surely the rellies know
we don’t need any more.
Tags to cut off
and new clothes to wash,
kids need less screen time,
lets not count it, oh gosh,
The fridge is ‘a bursting
with all of the things,
I’ve noticed my clothing
is tighter now, clings.
As the hours went on
our nerves hung by a thread,
so by five pm
the kids were in bed.
The End.
Melanie Wegener