Is it normal to want to beat your children so close to Christmas?? Why is it that my kids become so rambunctious in the days preceding Christmas?I called home today from work to check on the kids. Ryan and Erin answered at the same time, it didn't take long for me to figure out that Sybil was out in full force today. I said a little prayer for Ryan and the rest of my kids and quickly got off the phone. I decided to volunteer to stay late and let the other receptionist go home early today. The house was spotless when I got home, Sybil must have switched to her cleaning personality. It may have had something to do with the fact that she wanted to take her dad's car later. Kelsey informed me that Maggie is expecting gifts from me as well as Santa. She overheard me telling the older kids the dollar amount that I would be spending for Christmas. She assumed that meant in addition to what Santa was bringing. Won't she be surprised!!

When I got home from work I got all of my sugar cookie supplies together to make holiday cookies. My cookie sheets disappeared out of my kitchen. I headed to my home away from home (Target) to get some new ones. I got back and rolled out the cookies on my counter. The kids decorated the cookies. Ryan looks like I have kept him in a dark closet and withheld food and water in the picture above. I have actually considered doing this several times but to date have resisted those impulses. I have banned him from all sugar, he fell off the wagon today during our cookie making . He literally bounced from couch to couch, sometimes on his head after he ate three icing filled cookies. While I was cleaning up the cookie mess, I found my cookie sheets that had disappeared earlier.