To have completely just lost my shit and spirit of Christmas?

[Rangelife]

I'm walking across an icy, freezing northern city after rushing into Sainsbury's to buy a shifty secret santa present for work.

A bastard glass hot chocolate snowman kit for a fiver. I'm trying to simultaneously shove the thing into a shitty gift bag, whilst tying the ribbon and ripping off the stupid plastic hanger thing and screaming in my head 'I'm sick of this shit!'

I don't even know the woman I've bought for and I was ill yesterday so missed the food and secret santa swap. AIBU to think this isn't what it's meant to be like?

I want to be a child again. Please regale me with your Christmas meltdowns so I don't feels so irritated with the festive season. Please.

tiger that made me smile. One of my epic meltdowns was when I locked myself in the bathroom sobbing because the Thanksgiving turkey wasn't done. My first turkey, 5 months pregnant, and DH made a smart remark about it. DH's granddad gave him holy hell then came to the bathroom door, calmed me down and talked me out of the bathroom.

Oops sorry. I was out at a meeting. photos and details to follow shortly....

Total fecking madness.

We're doing 'blind' secret santa with DH's family - so you buy a gift, wrap it and then everyone picks one.

WTAF am I supposed to buy? I hate having to think

@Noeuf I think that's bang on actually. It's like these days we throw money at Xmas (even though we can't afford to) in a desperate try to feel like it did when we were kids (even if it didn't actually feel like that.)

I think I'm defo feeling that Noeuf. Subconsciously I think I'm going 'waaaaaaaaaaaah' because I don't have the DC's on Christmas morning and because DP was a twat I won't have him either so I'll be alone on Christmas morning.

It will be fine on the day because the DC's are back for lunch and we are all piling to my sisters but the pining for a normal nuclear family traditional Christmas is making me feel like a weak, butter, washed up grump.

I'll have to sort this mindframe out though, sharpish!

I generally enjoy Christmas, once the stress of present buying is over (ds' birthday is just before Christmas as well) but do get anxious about all the fun things booked in - dds Christingle performance, dds dance show, ds' birthday and party, Santa visit...the list is endless and I find myself concerned with the logistics of the next thing rather than completing enjoying the moment. Daft really.

This year is somewhat more stressful though - my sister is terminally ill and we (dh and I) are not on speaking terms with his mum or sister so not great, tbh!

I've only ever taken part in one Secret Santa, for a religious Christmas dinner. I bought a Christmas Lush bath bomb. Easy!

Normally I'm really excited for Xmas but I just can't feel it this year.

Presents were hard to shop for as my kids are all growing out of the toy phase but not quite into the gadgets/make up etc phase. So I have no idea if they'll like what I got.

My DH is unwell and we don't know if his condition is getting worse or not.

I'm beyond exhausted running to and from various kids school events, plus trying to run my karate club and still maintain my own karate training.

I've been decorating so we're later putting the tree up which not even a week in the cats are wrecking.

I'm hoping my spirit will return once school is done with and my husband is finished with work (and hopefully told his health is on the mend)

Janet - how on earth does that work out? Secret Santa I can get my head around as you know who you're buying for but a blind Secret Santa has to be a neutral gift? Lots of bottles of wine/booze and candles doing the rounds then?

Good move MrsK. That's some shit luck you're having with Christmas trees!

Three years ago we were living overseas and I had the opportunity to buy a 13 foot Xmas tree, I was delighted. It came on the back of a open pick up truck and had it's own stand nailed into it. I decorated it, (while standing on a step ladder) and when finished could not have felt smugger. Overnight it fell over, onto a tile floor, smashing all my carefully collected vintage baubles. The stand it was nailed into broke and couldn't be repaired. We had a party with almost hundred people coming that night so DH and I spent a whole day sawing the trunk of the Xmas tree with an old broken saw before trying the tree up with yellow washing line to the banister rails. We had blisters and could hardly stand up straight by the end. Ever since we have very modest trees and non smashable ornaments, I am no longer aiming for perfect!

I have the extended in law Family, and I'm working - twice, I have to go and fetch my older 2 children because my ex is a shit and doesn't want them for the whole of Christmas just a tiny bit but won't let me have them for all of it. Then again my eldest DS is heading downhill so quickly I can see him ending up in hospital several hours away from home with another bout of pneumonia/lung collapse so yeah, merry Christmas!

My ideal Xmas is that presents are for children only. Its only the bloody shopping for adult presents that I hate - grow up, just enjoy the food and company instead.

It just makes me feel sad remembering the extended family Christmases of my childhood and all the people I have lost. Trying to be happy for DH and my children but still feel sad.

SilentlyScreaming I hope that lady's on Mumsnet and reads this: You're an absolute star!

This thread has actually cheered me up as my mother has just stormed of for no apparent reason at all.
Now she won't answer phone.

I blame my father. She has obviously lost her shit too.

It's a divine chocolate one especially selected for its Veganism!

That's what ours was Whatcha. We were all pagans, so there were lots of candles!

And I just got pickpocketed 15 quid in Greggs!!

Bah fucking humbug indeed.

Range

I’m so over Christmas that I cancelled the food order today and declared we’re eating beans on toast and everyone can either deal with it or fuck off!

Love this

This is the first Christmas in 12 years that we’ve been able to have a tree because the first couple of years we had our cat he would not leave it alone, chewed it, knocked the baubles off, knocked the tree down climbing it, so we gave it up. The dear boy died recently and I miss him bitterly and a festive decorated tree is little consolation.
Saw this on twitter and howled

I read this thread earlier and smiled in the serenity that was my Christmas preparation - presents bought, food planned, etc etc.

Then I went to wrap said presents. FOUR fucking rolls of sellotape, and I couldn't find the end on ONE SINGLE ONE! FOUR!!! I scratched and scrabbled (I don't have much in the way of fingernails), and searched for the tape plus dispenser that I had the other day, to no avail, and ended up throwing one of the rolls of tape at the wall.

Finally found an end. Wrapped two presents, end snapped, and it took me fifteen fucking minutes to find it again.

I apologise for my earlier hubris.

The dog pissed up the Christmas tree. I did the full Rumplestiltskin then cancelled Christmas.

I haven't had a melt down as such but I do seem to be doing an awful lot of sighing