Anybody else had their pre Christmas freak out(complete with tears) yet?Come make me feel better about mine.

[MrsHeffley]

I know their are many far worse off which makes me feel even guiltier.

So along side work(part time),I've bought/planned/written/wrapped every present,card and item of food.Sorted the house out(dec/tree wise), the manic end of term school schedule X3.Packed and been on 2 weekends away. Survived my mother in law etc.,etc.You know the drill.

Managed to wash my contact lens down the sink so stuck with my very old glasses all over the festive season.Dp and I don't give to each other and most of our Xmas money gets swallowed up as we're too busy to spend it on ourselves by which point come the new year we reckon it's probably not a good idea anyway.

Just trudged round Sainsburys for hours in said hideous glasses,forgot 3 items.Kids being a freakin nightmare with excitement and tiredness.House mingin and absolutely no idea when it'll be done(Xmas eve prob) .Loads to wrap,no idea where to start.

Just feel overwhelmed.Burst into tears,shouted at dp and the kids for taking me for granted.Dp shouted back and the kids sent in notes on their remote control cars asking how they could help.

Dp now out on a works do,I curled up on sofa watching The Snowman with the kids then popped them in bed.Now feel shit they'll associate Xmas with stress-sob!!!!!

We are having 12 for Christmas and 17 adults and 12 kids for new year. I have had to become 'crazy list woman'. And so far I am organised. But from 1 December I've had severe heart palpitations. So bad that I finally went to the doctor where they did an ECG and blood tests for thyroid. It's just stress.

Ridiculous. And I put it all on myself because to me Christmas is all about home cooking. Home made just about everything.

I've made a vow: next year I am going to M&S and buying everything pre-made. And I'm having no-one except us for Christmas.

And while I'm having a moan - why does no-one else EVER invite us round for Xmas drinks? It's always us that has to do the hosting. Even the people we are having round on Xmas day and NY eve don't think to say: pop round to ours this evening for a little Christmas drink. So I end up just sitting at home doing more and more and more chores feeling like Norman No Mates.

Everyone waxes on about how this is the time of year when you'll have people popping in - and I would love to have that. But I am sick of being the only person prepared to do any of the work. So I've stopped asking people. Feel as though I've done my bit. Now it's their turn.

Not exactly the Christmas spirit is it?

Had mine today.

Been locked in the house for 4 days attempting to potty train toddler. Today after scraping up 1 turd and several wees (and consoling semiconcussed child who has slipped over in puddle of own urine and knocked head on stone floor), I have finally admitted defeat.

Asked DH if I could have some childfree time. Coulnd't do this morning as he had to go out and get his presents. Can't do tomorrow as he's got tennis booked. Can't do day after that as is Christmas. Can't do day after that as his friends coming over. Day after that he is back at work.

Nowhere to go anyway as we are living overseas and all friends gone home for Christmas. So my toddler free time is going to the supermarket this afternoon. I swear if I didn't have children I would throw myself off something.

Oh project that's awful. Don't attempt potty training in run up to Christmas, how stressful for you. Wish you had somewhere nicer than supermarket to go for a bit of space - Starbucks for an hour this morning did the job nicely for me. (Hour and a half, actually.

Aargh, right in the middle of mine. I was determined to be super-organised thsi year so bought, wrapped everything, all by beginning of Dec, yet somehow have still spent all week running around, dragging small children round busy shops.
Been struggling with a horrid virus all week, plus at least one of the DCs is also ill at any one time, which means having to cancel or rearrange nice plans with friends, plus two trips to the doctors in the last twodays. Struggled through awful traffic into town with grumpy tired children to steathily buy Wii bundle as big surprise for children, buggie tips over on bus, shopping everywhere. Been trying ot get hold of DH all day - he finally rings me when I'm on the bus home and tells me off because I've bought the wrong one, I cry on the bus. Now house is a mess, I have to pack for all of us becasue we're going away tomorrow and neighbour's kids are coming over any minute now to pull house apart.

I can't even indulge my bad mood because lovely friends have just had awful, tragic news, the sort that should make you into a nicer person, vowing to treasure family and savour every moment etc. But it hasn't, it's just added an exra layer of gloom to my already foul mood. Ho ho ho...

Having mine at the moment, but for an incredibly selfish reason

DH works much longer hours than I do, and is especially busy at this time of year, so I don't mind organising everything for christmas, I expect to do all the planning, buying, wrapping, tidying, food shopping etc etc etc as long as everything for DD and have so far been quite organised, even though am currently 15 weeks pregnant and feel like crap 99% of the time. I'm not even bothered about getting a present from DH (money is tight and we have a lot of people to buy for) but he told me he'd got me something a while ago. Then a few days ago he announced that he'd just found it it's the same as what my parents have got me (a kindle ) so we agreed he'd take his back and we'd maybe do something nice in the new year instead. So far so good.

So he took it back this morning, to a large Currys where he bought it from AND THEY BASICALLY ACCUSED HIM OF TRYING TO DEFRAUD THEM AND REFUSED TO GIVE HIM A REFUND!!!!!! Am beyond furious. He paid for (and has the recepit for) the posh 3G model, but when he returned it they pointed out that the one he'd brought back was the cheaper wi-fi only model - oh dear says DH, you must have given me the wrong one. Oh no, say the shop, you didn't buy it here, you must have got it somewhere else and you're trying to pull a fast one - and anyway if it was from here it would have a magnetic security strip on the back and it hasn't.

Now I have no idea about the strip (though must be their mistake) but I am beyond positive that a) he didn't steal it (OBVIOUSLY) and b) it's their cock up. So it looks like for christmas I'll be getting 2 wi-fi kindles, neither of which can be returned, but with the added bonus of paying £150 or whatever DH paid for the pleasure of owning one of them. I fully appreciate that worse things happen and that I am probably being a selfish cow, but I am FURIOUS!!Aaaargghhhhh!!

Rant over. Happy Christmas everyone

DH had his on Monday when the boiler conked out. Happily now fixed by dh's wonderful brother.

I am not having one this year. I shall be working over Christmas, not making much effort with food apart from picky things. I've had a week off work, seen my family and passed the exam I was stressing about. Now me and the dses are lounging about, I have been baking and general chilling.

Whilst I am not looking forward to work I am enjoying not having the pressure of a big Christmas.

Like another poster I can well remember my mums bad moods around christmas as a child, and I don't want that for my children.

Happy Christmas everyone and try to relax. It's a cliche, but it's only one day....

Oooh, CaptainNemo that is annoying. I had some success with finding out the CEO's email address and emailing my complaint to him with a company who were being extremely unreasonable about a refund recently. I felt like a crank, but it worked. Good luck!

Yes minx I think I had slightly unrealistic expectation of how easy PT would be. I thought it would be something to fill the time as family and friends are so far away [self-pity emoticon]

Yes I've had quite a rant today, more than once.

I slipped up down my steps last night doing the bins and have actually sprained broken my ankle, and bruised myself horribly.

At 5am this morning I discovered my Amazon stuff I ordered for dd two weeks ago cannot be delivered due to order payment cock up. YES to tears and Yes to freak out.

My Mum has a yearly Christmas break-down. Me, my Dad and siblings just sit doing faces at each other while sniggering and working our way through the 'special Christmas biscuits'. It's a tradition!!

I feel really guilty after reading this thread! (Well a bit)

here You are not alone, by any stretch of the imagination!

Just having mine.

Having a stay at home day and sort everything else. DS1 whinging and restless. DS2 into everything.

Was eventually starting to get a bit of control back and my Mum phoned and not sure they are able to come now because my Dad is poorly!

Just had to sit through my mil, pil and sil having their breakdowns, DH had nowhere in sight and I couldn't escape as was bf at the time

Just marking this to read later -once I am back from yet another errand.
I also have 3 Xmas birthdays on top of the festivities -the amount of toys /parties/cake etc in the house drives me crazy every year-I will be back to read properly soon

Am trying to talk myself down from mine at the moment.

Am sleep deprived from working nights, work being manic and doing lots of extra shifts to bump up maternity pay (26 weeks pg with DC4).

Kids are mega excited which is translating into fighting, bickering and generally being annoying for at least half of every day.

Feel like I live in groundhog day when tackling the same mess/washing/housework everyday (a fair amount of which is created by DH).

To top it of DH was taking DC to neighbours tonight for movie night and I was going to have lazy evening on sofa (bliss) but has now announced he thinks he'll go on works night out instead. This means kids will be gutted, I'll be tired again tomorrow and husband will come in drunk as a skunk and ruin our Christmas Eve plans with his hangover!

Did I also mention I'm a little bit hormonal due to pregnancy which is magnifying everything by about 10

When, including absoloutely everything, you have parted with the best part of £1k you do feel it ought to be fun, that the house ought to look beautiful, and that the whole family should be merry and jolly. Despite having a Christmas book where for over 10 years I have written notes to myself about how to improve it all the next year I'm afraid I was there at 1am this morning, dog tired after treking round Tesco, DH out for the night with a group of friends and having a big strop that would do a 2 year old justice.

Apart from anything else I'm feeling really guilty about the people who send me cards who won't get one back because I didn't think they would bother this year. If it pours down with rain all day that will be the last straw, rainy Christmas can never be festive.

Having sloped off to our bedroom where it's quiet after a day on my feet it has cheered me up to see that my earlier screaming session at DH seems to be a fairly common occurrence amongst us.....

Work part time in professional job and it's been mad up to Xmas. Have done all present shopping including wrapping...organised food turkey etc for16 at ours on the day....dh finally having a day off today and I was pretty excited that I might get a break and he might do SOMETHING !!! But no....he left the house y'day at 7am returns at 11.30pm after a work do...pissed. banished him to spare room. This morning I get up with dc's (little) and he starts to throw up claiming food poisoning. I am unsympathetic beyond belief so get kids organised take them for a quick play in the park before the rubbish weather sets in, trudge them round Tesco's where queues are awful....get back, have to chat to work on home on day off, kids running riot, dh being drama queen....finally lost it.
Spent rest of day on my feet....he's come up to ask what kids are having for tea....he can cook it. I think the penny has finally dropped !!!!

Why do we women put ourselves through all this stress? It is the feeling that everything has to be perfect. In the grand scheme of things, housework not done doesn't really matter but we all push ourselves relentlessly until everything is done. Then of course it is Chrsitmas day with even more pressure to produce this perfect Christmas dinner, with children clamouring for mum to watch them open presents as more visitors arrive.
I have friends who have been on a cruise over Chrsitmas and said it was brilliant - evertything done for them. Will seriously consider that next year, finances permitting.

We've just had a new bathroom done and DH had been decorating DD2's room. Well on Monday night her room was a mess and the ruler had put his tile cutter in there. He was coming back on Tuesday morning to finish off the tiling round the window. DD2 was due home from uni on Tuesday
afternoon. I just freaked out and burst into tears as I was sure the room wouldn't be ready. DH assured me it would be and he spent the evening sorting it.
It was ready.

I had a freakout today, even though Christmas isn't happening in our place (off to IL's)! Despite this, I wanted the everything to be 'perfect' in our flat, including deep-cleaning the oven and shampooing the carpets. I have calmed down now and have seen sense! I will hoover and dust and I will clean the kitchen and that is it!

Still have the wrapping to do and DP seems to be expecting ME to do it all, even though he bought all of his family presents himself (online whilst sat on sofa).

I am such an idiot!

Oh and our shower broke yesterday so its baths all round unless our plumber can get the part for it before Christmas. :(

Im not eating at home xmas day but im having visitors and i feel like cack , ive had a sore stomach for 2 days dd1 is being a witch insisting her boyfriend spends the whole of xmas with us he is a nice guy but ALL DAY (sigh) , dd2 is sky high dh is wandering about singing jingle fecking bells but not lifting a finger , my kitchen is like a bomb site and i just want to cry , although ive presents wrapped so thats good right .

I had mine on DDs birthday I'm ashamed to say. Spent two precious days off running errands, crashed my car and was just so tired. Cried about everything. Am ok now though but Christmas makes me anxious for some reason.

I was up until 2am ironing on Weds night.
Then up until 4am wrapping presents last night.
My period started.
I am on a diet (slowly lapsing as the week goes on).
Every time I try and get on with a job on my list, the DCs cause untold chaos (hence spending all day with them and all night doing housework).
DH hides sits in his study the whole time.
I shouted and then cried last night. Would have walked out on the lot of them if I had any place to go or any money.

I think my feelings that everything needs to be 'perfect' at Christmas is made a lot worse by the fact that Christmas day is also my birthday, so it makes the day even more of a special one for me. Plus this year is my first Christmas as a mum.

I had a bit of an episode in the supermarket today. DP and dd are just standing there, and I'm feeling like everything was for me to do. Have been quite snappy and still haven't got all presents or a tree.