Not-So-Happy Thanksgiving

Today had to be one of the worst holiday's I've ever experienced. There are only two holidays I actually like - Thanksgiving and New Year's Eve - and Thanksgiving was ruined for me today to the point that I don't ever want to celebrate this holiday again.

My kids are out of school this week from Wednesday through Friday, and, of course, the weekend. Five days of being home with me all day long, every single day. Yesterday morning they started fighting with one another almost as soon as they got out of bed; it was about 9:30 in the morning and Zach and Dolly were at each other's throats. That was after Zach and Ty had already had a minor argument over I have no idea what. Zach's and Dolly's fight put me over the edge and I sent everyone upstairs to their rooms.

The fighting yesterday continued, off and on, all day long; even in the Dollar General while I was buying a few things we needed around the house. I don't shop on Black Friday, I don't even leave the house, so I wanted to make sure all my errands were finished yesterday. The kids, though, didn't seem to care that we were shopping, they just went at it like they were the only two people in the world.

Bedtime last night arrived and all was quiet; and this morning even started out just fine. There were a few minor skirmishes between Dolly and Zach but nothing that didn't fade right away. We were all watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV and playing Charades  and Apples to Apples for a few hours. Everyone was laughing and giggling and enjoying each other like we were a family. That's the way it's supposed to be, right? That's what I thought.

I had the turkey in the oven and the kids helped me get the rest of the dinner started; and then decided they needed a snack. Their snack consisted of Halloween candy that was still sitting around and that's when everything went downhill. The boys started arguing over who had more candy left and who needed to share with whom, and on and on it went. No matter how hard I tried to interject and give suggestions the fighting wouldn't stop.

Ty was yelling at Zach and Zach was yelling at me and my brain was about ready to explode. I stayed calm, I didn't explode or get angry or anything and then Zach just burst at the seams. He threw all his candy on the floor and started screaming at the top of his lungs about how much he hates this family and especially me because I'm just rude, mean, nasty, and don't care about him. He stomped up the stairs as loudly as he could screaming at me the entire time.

That was all I could take. I sent everyone upstairs and told them not to come down because I couldn't be around them. I told them to each pick a different bedroom and go be alone and that set Zach off even worse because he wanted my bedroom but Ty already claimed it. I cleaned up the candy from all over the floor and threw it away so there wouldn't be anymore fighting about it, and then I began finishing up the meal without their help.

There was extremely loud banging on one of the bedroom doors and I took as much of it as I could take before I went upstairs to find out what it was. Zach had come out of his room and was kicking my bedroom door because Ty wouldn't let him in there. I dealt with that issue leaving Zach screaming at me all over again. I came back downstairs and finished cooking.

I was so angry I could barely see straight and I really didn't want to be around any of the kids at all for the rest of the day. They had to eat, though, so I made them sit in the kitchen and eat alone while I sat on the sofa by myself. I was calmer that way. When they finished eating I at whatever Zach and Dolly had left on their plates and I cleaned up the kitchen and baked the pies. Twice while I was waiting for the pies to bake Zach came downstairs and got angry because I wouldn't instantly forgive him and he started screaming and stomping up the stairs all over again. Whatever. After they had dessert I took the plate I'd made for their dad - he's stuck working all day - and we went to his apartment to leave the food and feed his new kitten.

Wouldn't you know it; the second we stepped outside our door to drive over there the kids started fighting over who got to sit where in the van. I didn't let them in until they stopped fighting. We got to their dad's place and Zach and Dolly started fighting over who got to go in first. I had the key so what difference did it make? When we got back home a short while later they all started fighting all over again so now they're all upstairs doing whatever it is they're doing and I'm sitting on the sofa, alone again.

And as I'm writing this I was hearing laughter and joking from upstairs but that quickly changed because I just heard a loud thud. Asking what it was I find out that Zach got angry at Dolly and pushed her down onto the floor. That's it!! I've had it!! I just sent three kids to bed at 7:00 when they don't have school tomorrow. And I don't care. I'm tired, aggravated, and just plain sick of all the fighting of the past two days.

This day was such a disaster for me that I don't want to do Thanksgiving again because I know that next year I'll be sitting here anticipating the fighting and I don't want to do that. I'd just as soon forget the holiday exists and treat it as any other day in our lives. I do hope all of you enjoyed your holiday whether with family, friends or a mix of the two. And while I am thankful for all I have, my children included, my Thanksgiving wasn't very happy at all.

Until next time...peace to all.