Christmas Craziness Already

My sister-in-law has decided that she is going to break a 15 year old tradition and not come to our house for Christmas. Now I don't really give a rat's behind. However, she has aggravated the living daylight's out of my sister, PrincipalGirl. PrincipalGirl is single, no children and has been the best aunt in the world to PrepGirl and BrownBear. She and PrepGirl share the same birthday and they have always been close. She and BrownBear are funny together. They have the same wicked sense of humor. Ever since our mother died, she has picked up the slack and been doing the kinds of things our mother used to do for the girls.

PrincipalGirl and my brother live in the same town and she has been the same kind of fabulous aunt to NephewBoy that she has been to my girls. She feels that our sista-n-law has made some kind of ultimatum and PrincipalGirl is going to have to choose which family she is going to spend Christmas with. Exactly what she's done, by the way. Not to mention that sista-n-law drinks too much and really has no idea how to parent a child, let alone our nephew.

Sidebar: NephewBoy is in their bed - they don't want him there but they aren't bold enough to get him out. Little Man is ruling the roost and he knows it. The funny part is that my brother and sista-n-law are talking about wanting another child. Have they lost their minds? They don't handle the one they have. Two years ago Christmas, there were four adults trying to keep up with this one during the Christmas Eve service. People want to know why I sing in the choir - NephewBoy is one of the reasons.

So, everyone is up in arms, and I am happily planning a small, QUIET, Christmas here in the house. Fire in the fireplace, music on the ipod, pies in the oven, and shhhhhhhhhh, NephewBoy 600 miles away, being a tiny tyrant in his own tiny kingdom. All my Christmas knickknacks out, and the baby Jesus happy in the manger, not six feet up so NephewBoy can't get to Him. PrincipalGirl is going to have to get a grip and a flight to Christmas heaven, just an hour and a half by air.