Monday, December 29, 2008

Post Christmas Crash

It is inevitable. After the rosy glow of Christmas dims I look around my house and feel as if I am stuck in a nightmare. The boys get sick (this time it was Tommy) and the house turns into a disaster zone. It happens every year.

I consider myself to be a very neat and organized person. Maybe even bordering on OCD. Not the kind of OCD where I scrub the toilets 18 times a day, and wipe the counters every time I walk by them, but the kind of OCD that tells me that everything has it's place. Everything must be in it's spot. There will be no clutter. No messiness. And even now as I write that I glance around my house and I want to cry.

The kitchen counter is cluttered with Christmas cookies from the grandmas, extra batteries for loud annoying toys that Santa stupidly gave the boys, instructions and boxes and a carrying case for the fancy smancy camera the hubby so graciously bought for me, Christmas cards from everyone I know, hundreds of drawings the boys drew and painstakingly cut out of their coloring books, crayons, and mail that I have yet to sort. The stove is stacked with items to be taken to the basement. The stairs are covered with clothes and shoes to be taken upstairs to the bedrooms.

The living room. Oh Lord, the living room. Toys are spread from one side of the room to the other. I can barely see the floor. A large futon mattress rests on the floor with blankets and pillows spread over the top that Tommy and I used to "sleep" on when he was up vomiting all night. There are still bows all over the sunroom floor, along with a large collection of pine needles from the tree. Ornaments that Ben has pulled from the tree for the million-billionth time are strewn around the room. There are books all over the couch that I tried to sooth Tommy with during our cooped up, vomit-filled, three days post Christmas. DVDs are heaped around the television waiting to be watched and watched again.

The basement has turned into our dump heap. All the wrapping paper, massive boxes for the humongous trucks that stupid Santa brought, and empty gift bags to be stored are all lying on the floor in a careless pile.

Every inch of my house is a mess. I feel as though I am suffocating. I can not stand to look at this for one more second. I want to set the Christmas tree on fire, toss every single, loud, massive toy that idiot Santa gave the boys into the garbage, and send the rest of this crap lying around my house sailing out the window. This will end today.

Hormonal much? Yes.


(but other than that our Christmas was lovely.) ;)

42 comments:

Laura said...

You know, you and me both need to talk to that jolly old man in red about his choice of toys...I hear (literally) your pain!

Hang in there...in a few days the excitment will fad and the chaos stored for next year...just think, one more little one will be there to get those wonderful Santa toys!!!!!!!

historygirlie said...

I'm right there with you about Stupid Santa....whose idea was it to have every toy make noise?

I'm at the point where I wish we were back in the "olden days", where kids played with a corncob doll, and liked it. No noise, at all, whatsoever, from that kind of toy.

And I'm not hormonal with preggo hormones....I feel for you. :)

Megan said...

Good luck getting your house back to order! I am so glad that all we have to worry about right now is squeaky toys for our dog..but she sleeps a good part of the day so they don't bother me too much! :0)

Jeni said...

I swear I am going to go ballistic on the next person who buys/gives either of these two grandchildren here any more toys that have a kazillion itty-bitty pieces! Barbies and Bratz dolls, clothing and upteen pieces of assorted "necessities" for those dolls are a royal pain in the butt! Also royal pains in the foot too when one steps on yet another itty-bitty-tiny piece of who knows what it was intended to be but is now a sharp, stabbing object that has pierced teh ball of my foot because some toddler/tot left it laying on the floor and Grandma doesn't look down at the floor when she strolls around in her bare feet! (I think these pieces could even piece through tough, thick-soled shoes too!)
Happy New Year!

Krystyn @ Really, Are You Serious? said...

I am totally with you. However, here I sit reading my lovely blogs instead of doing something about it. I have reverse OCD, I guess!

lime said...

my house is a disaster. i'm coping by sleeping late today and barely moving. join me in the slothfulness. the disaster will be there tomorrow when you've rested.

Brittany said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brittany said...

If it makes you feel any better; I am right there with you. PLUS- my husband decided to rent a steam-cleaner today and is cleaning ALL of the carpets. Yea. BIG BIG BIG BIG MESS!!!

Oh- and I am the kind of OCD that wipes down the counters whenever I pass them. And sometimes I clean toilets twice. OCD sucks. lol

Brittany said...

If it makes you feel any better; I am right there with you. PLUS- my husband decided to rent a steam-cleaner today and is cleaning ALL of the carpets. Yea. BIG BIG BIG BIG MESS!!!

Oh- and I am the kind of OCD that wipes down the counters whenever I pass them. And sometimes I clean toilets twice. OCD sucks. lol

Jessa said...

We are so there too. I'm trying very hard to micro-manage it all and it's not happening. Laundry is behind, dishes are behind, toys are almost all put away, but not entirely. And with new toys came sorting and shifting and rearranging. Much more work than I wanted.

It will get back to normal -- someday.

Natalie said...

oh, i so feel your pain!!! i however have my nose stuck in a book (well, I'm on the third in the Twillight series) and am being successful for now ignoring it all! I am just glad santa brought me those books so i can escape to Forks!

Musings of a Homeschooling Mom said...

I feel the same way! I hope it gets back to normal soon! I hope Tommy is feeling better!

Tammy said...

I am right with you, the clutter, the boxes, wrapping paper, and stuff everywhere. It seems like endless nights of family get togethers. That is what we get when we have out of town guests. Good luck with it all. Hope everyone is feeling better.

Mel said...

Ok...seriously? I feel SO much better after reading your post AND the comments. I am not alone.

Not Your Aunt B said...

I'm there with you. Holidays + sick kids = 1 BIG MESS! And I am slowly trying to clean it up. At least I have stopped disinfecting as they both got it so there's no point anymore.

Riahli said...

I also like everything to be in it's place and it's so hard when the holidays add to the clutter and you have three little boys like I do who disagree about were things should be. Which basically means I think they should be put away when not in use, they think everything looks better when strewn across the floor. :)

I freaked out this weekend and scrubbed the grout in my dinning room and kitchen, rearranged my playroom and steam cleaned the carpets and funiture. This was all an elaborate way to feel productive while ignoring the clutter that I just don't have the patience to organize right now. The table in my kitchen looks like it could collapse at any moment!

Then there is my ugly tree that the babies have not stopped messing with since I put it up, most of the ornaments on the bottom half of the tree are gone, and either in hiding or broken, I am so sick of that thing being up. Normally I leave it up until the begaining of January, but I can bare it no longer.

Pregnancy hormones, oh those lovely hormones...we are debating having another but I think my husband is a little leery of those pesky hormones. Saying I go crazy is an understatement...

I sympathize for your situation as I am in similar situations way to often!

dawn klinge said...

I hear ya! Santa brought my son some huge battery operated toys and we took them back to the store to exchange for toys without batteries. I must not have been thinking very clearly though, because we then got a huge set of Moon Sand. I have vacuumed the floor three times in the last twelve hours...and it needs it again. ;) Eventually, all the moon sand will be inside the vacuum cleaner.

Anonymous said...

I feel your pain! My house is in complete disaray and I threw my back out so I can't do anything. Sigh! Love the small print ending.

Unknown said...

I'm like you - I don't do clutter. And this time of the year always brings so much. ICK.

I hope Tommy is feeling better and that you can feel better soon too. : )

Happy New Year? ; )

Dani said...

Okay, 1. I'm not even pregnant and I'm hormonal. 2. I only have one child and I'm ready to throw all the loud annoying toys out the window. And 3. My house is a mess from bottom to top and there is only three of us!!!!
By the way, I can't remember if I told you or not but I gave you an award. Swing by and check it out!!!
Happy house cleaning!!!

Kelley said...

Usually we leave our Christmas decorations up until a few days into the New Year, but my husband and I got so fed up with the mess that we took down the decorations on Saturday. It is so much neater in our house now that the tree isn't taking up 1/3 of the living room. Honestly, I feel your pain.

Momisodes said...

Oh boy. I am right there with you. I felt the same this weekend, and took everything down..including the CURTAINS! I was feeling so suffocated by the clutter that I decided we're returning anything we can...including our living room drapery. Strangely enough, it helped to make the room look cleaner :)

Tonya said...

well I hit my breaking point today and while the two little ones were napping I put the older two to work and help me clean this HOUSE. This helped so much and when my hubby came home he was so excited to see the floor again. Don't worry it will get cleaned and I bet the boys would love to help!

Chris said...

Hormonal?

Huh.

Maybe I'm pregnant too, because I feel the EXACT SAME WAY!

Karen Deborah said...

And pregnant doesn't help. I can so relate I am the same way and cleaned house all day. I took down some stuff but not all of it and not the tree. the needles are why my vote is for artificial trees. I can't hang when they dry up and get dusty.
If you've been taking care of a kid that is throwing up for 3 days of course you feel like this. That's the pits, hope no one else gets it.
If you really want to feel better come by and read my granddaughters story it will pick you up!

Dennis and Leslie said...

I know how you feel, it's overwhelming! You will make it, haha!! Love your blog, found you while blog-hopping!

tiarastantrums said...

are you my twin sister???

Dec 26th - the tree, the stockings, everything taken down and packed away. Cookies -tossed, gingerbread house - tossed - snacks and goodies - tossed. Toys - new bins - all packed up and put away!

Anonymous said...

It was just the two of us, and I feel that way. It's gotta be insanity where you are. I loved the burning down the tree bit for effect, though. I hope it make you smile to type it because I kind of giggled inside thinking about it. :) Hope all is back in order and without vomit very soon.

Putting the FUN in DysFUNctional said...

I totally get this. I used to un-decorate the day after Christmas. I just couldn't stand the disarray any longer! I've forced myself to mellow out in recent years, but it is hard.

Roxy Wishum said...

Sounds like home. You are right, Santa IS an idiot. He will make the same mistakes next year.

Kathryn said...

I can relate, that was the scene last Christmas..its as if you had a secret camera in here! This year we made some changes and it brought for a lot more peace post Dec. 25th.
Even if my house was even a little messy, looking through the pregnancy lense makes it seem all the more so, because you know your the one doing the lionshare of cleaning it up. Wish I could come lend you a hand!
Go slowly, don't over do it, and I'm glad that other than all the clutter you still had a wonderful Christmas!

Anonymous said...

I TOTALLY hear ya! (both on the Christmas mess AND being hormonal LOL). Just think once it's all cleared away, your house will be spotless again! I dragged down the Christmas tree this past Sunday and it felt SO good!

Jo Ashline said...

HAHAHAHA!
I DO have OCD, the real kind, and i am squirming in my seat just reading your post! You will get through it. It is hard not to feel overwhelmed and down after almost two months of "We wish you a merry christmas" and then WHAM! It's gone!
Hang in there and take it easy!

Hugs and God Bless!
Jo

Mandy (ZenMonkeyMind) said...

I feel your pain. Maya is sick, the house is a mess... sigh.

Kristin said...

LOL! My sentiments exactly!! Post Christmas can be extrememly crazy, messy, not what one expected, etc., but it's amazing how we always, eventually get "things" back to there places! I'm an organized/"neat freak" myself, so I feel your TEMPORARY pain! Chin up...your home/kids will be back to "normal" in no time!!!

Kristin said...

My sentiments EXACTLY. This too shall pass! The house/kids will all be back to "noraml" in no time! I was wondering why didn't we get that magic wand for Christmas?!!

Anonymous said...

well i must be pregnant and hormonal too then cause i feel exactly the same. infact yesterday i went to walmart and bought two tupperware storage buckets to pack all of the christmas gear away. i had to stop myself from doing it yesterday thinking that it's not even new years yet. i get depressed after christmas and then once i get everything packed away, all the pine needles vacuumed up i feel all better again.

Melissa said...

thank goodness all we got Lucy was blocks and plastic food... we have a silent after christmas :) Well, untill all the neices and nephews come over :)

Anonymous said...

We'd get along like peas and carrots--I'm an "In it's place" gal myself. And this time of year is a form of torture.

ewe are here said...

"I consider myself to be a very neat and organized person. Maybe even bordering on OCD. Not the kind of OCD where I scrub the toilets 18 times a day, and wipe the counters every time I walk by them, but the kind of OCD that tells me that everything has it's place. Everything must be in it's spot. There will be no clutter. No messiness. And even now as I write that I glance around my house and I want to cry."

I could have written this paragraph. Seriously. You've just described me.

Rose said...

I hope you're breathing by the time you read this! Happy New Year!

Anonymous said...

OHHH I am not even pregnant and the dis-organization after Christmas about does me in. The worst part is finding little pieces of wrapping paper stuck to things and those darn toy ties that you think you get picked up.. Only to step on.
I'm with ya!!

Words To Live By

Be grateful for each new day.
A new day that you have never lived before.
Twenty-four new, fresh, unexplored hours to use usefully and profitably.
We can squander, neglect, or use them.
Life will be richer or poorer by the way we use today.
Finish every day and be done with it.
You have done what you could;
some blunders and absurdities crept in;
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day.
You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be
encumbered with your old nonsense.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson