Hangover!!!

I recently saw a clip on the news about a study in England that debunked a few common holiday myths. First, poinsettias are not poisonous...good, since we never cared and purchased them each year anyway. Second, that an overabundance of sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children....not sure they would feel the same way were the study conducted at the Hutton house. Third, that there is no cure for a hangover. Now this I believe. As my good friend Sarah told me last weekend, you either need to stop early or have enough to justify the hangover because when you are on that fine line between, you feel bad in the morning without the fun of being overserved. I am finding today (not a new discovery, just a reassurance of old knowledge) that this is true for children as well. As my husband just left to go down to the Grahams to volunteer to help Kyle lay about a ton of flagstone for their new patio, saying "I just need to do something physical to let off a little steam and get rid of some aggression" I realized, our children have a holiday hangover for which there is no cure. Christmas was wonderful, don't get me wrong. We ate and sang and opened until we could do no more. Everyone seemed genuinely pleased with their gifts and there were really no rough moments, a pretty idyllic day all around. Then their was the dawning of a new day. Today has been more like a minefield...which child are you, the angel or the demon. You just don't know until they open their mouths, or hit their sibling for no reason, or look at you and just say "no" when you tell them to do something. All of these things are signs of the hangover. So, when my sweet husband threw them all into bed at 3:00 in the afternoon (way past naptime), left the house seeking an aggression outlet, and left me here alone to listen to their whines, tears and screams all aimed at the evil and unjust imprisoner who is their father, I realized, maybe grownups have holiday hangovers too. It is 3:23 in the afternoon....too early for a glass of wine?????
Enjoy the rest of your holiday!