Well Christmas is done and over with, and I for one am so happy. It isn't that I don't love Christmas, because I do. I hate everything that comes along with it. You know like gathering with my family - who I swear are a bunch of redneck hilbillies (Dickie and his family anyway). Then going to my in-laws house, and being the only one with children, and no one else realizing that having 6 children out from home, 4 hours + past their bedtimes, and they are cranky, crying and drop dead tired, but not willing to go to sleep because they are not at home, is not fun for me. And no I will not stay another 2 hours just so that I can be here at midnight, and then be here to open presents, because I am TIRED of fighting with my children to behave. Plus I have 3 hours worth of wrapping to do at home. I think I have decided that until my children are older (meaning when Jolani is 5 or older) then I am not going to be going out on Christmas eve - or if I do, then I will be home no later than 9:30PM because I do not have the patience for that.

That was the short version. Now for the long version - of the day with my family...

My family is spread out over a couple of states, and no one knows when we are all going to be in the same area. Well this Christmas, both of my brothers, and me and my mom were all going to be around (only wish my grandparents could have come up from Florida) so I decided to have Christmas (eve) dinner at my house. Well when the neighbors from hell moved in below, I changed my mind because I didn't want to hear anything from her. So we decided we would all go to Denny's. That way no one has to cook, and it would just be easier. So we get to Denny's at 1PM. My one brother Scott (we call him Dickie) was there with his wife and two children, my mom was there, and we were waiting for Alan and Trish, my other brother and his wife. So we are waiting in line for the workers at Denny's to push the tables together. (18 people - 11 of them children, 6 of those mine), and as we are waiting Dickie says, man I wish I didn't come today. I hate coming across that bridge. I could be at home sitting on the couch eating good food. (he lives on the other side of the bay bridge). I gave him a hug and told him in his ear that if it was that much trouble then he can go home then. Meanwhile, Jacob - his 11 year old is yelling at the waiter who is trying to get the table set - he is telling him to hurry up, can he move a little faster, and does he need him (Jacob) to come and help him because he (Jacob) could do it many times faster than the waiter. Then his mother, Angie joins in, Yeah, we can help you and get it done much faster than you can. WTH?? She is a grown adult, and she is taking cues from hre ignorant 11 year old? Then she turns around and joins in my brother and mine conversation. She said yeah, I could have cooked some good food since I know it would have been to much for you, (Umm, Angie, remember I cancelled having it my house because I have the neighbors from hell?? It has nothing to do with me being able to cook or not). So now we are sitting down and Seth, my almost 5 year old nephew (Dickie and Angie's son) is sitting next to Andre, and he is poking him, and pinching him, and punching him even after Andre told him to stop. So I am keeping an eye on things, and Andre gets fed up with Seth not stopping, so he in turn gives Seth an indian burn. Seth then starts to cry, and both Dickie and Angie jump up and begin to yell at Andre asking him what he did to Seth, and he told him what and why he did it, and they started to yell at him telling him that Seth wouldn't do anything like that. My mom was watching everything too and jumped in and gave them both what for, and Seth too for that matter. She told them that before they start yelling at anyone they should pay more attention to their child, that he is not a perfect little angel, and that he annoys the piss out of everyone, and that is what happens. And if he doesn't like it, then he needs to be taught that when someone tells him to stop, then he needs to stop. We then finsih dinner, and head over to my mom's house to open presents. It was a nice time with the kids enjoying their gifts and what not, until Jacob opens his.

"I don't like this shit. This shit is for babies, and I am not a baby." Then he proceeds to throw it across the floor, stomps around for a couple of minutes, and complains to his mother. then he stomps out and begins to throw rocks at the house to get rid of his anger. Angie then goes to my mother (who gave the "baby" gifts to Jacob) and says, you have to excuse Jacob. He thinks his gifts are for babies because it says not suitable for children under the age of 3. And he is well above 3 years old.

Then I open my gift, and it is 4 or 5 sizes to big (obviously so), and Angie says to me, I know the shirt is probably to small, but I got it at Rose's, and their is no Rose's around here. Well the tag says it is from Lane Bryant, so I can take it back there, but it is actually to big. then she wants to argue with me that is isn't from Lane Bryant. So I just shut up, so I wouldn't end up smacking her.

Where is the dicipline of that child? I will say this, if it was my child first he would know better. I understand if he was not happy with his present, but at some point training takes over, and they know to at least smile and say thank you. But if one of my children did act like this, their would be sore buts, no presents - as I would take the ungrateful childs presents from them and give it to someone who would be grateful to get something - and lots of dry mouths from saying I am sorry and thank you over and over.

But the best part about this is that they then gathered their stuff together and left my mom's early to go to Walmart before it closed to exchange all of the gifts and get something different. then Jacob called my mother and said thank you for buying stuff that cost that amount of money because he was then able to get some other good stuff that he liked instead.

I really wish I could stick my mouth/opinions where it really doesn't belong. It is funny that between me and my two brothers, one has 2 boys, and one has a daughter and 2 boys, then I have 6 children. With my two brothers they have a more traditional family style with the mother and father, and they both take an active part in the family life etc. etc. and their chlidren are rude - well Dickies kids are rude, and don't listen, and Alan's kids, they are good children, but they are let loose to do what they want alot too. Like at my grandfathers birthday party, Alan's kids were licking the icing off the side of the cake. I said something to my brother, and he just turned around and said John, dont like the icing. John went back to licking the icing, and no one said anything more. But my children, the first two I pretty much raised by myself (When I had Andre, I was a single parent - then when Jordan was born, she was only 5 months or so when her father and I got seperated) then when I met my husband, Jordan was 4, and in the 5 years that we have been together he has worked two jobs, and for 10 months of that time he was in Honduras. So in alot of ways, I have been a single mother. Yet my children know better. I don't know.