'Twas the day before Christmas...

'Twas the day before Christmas, and all through the house,
No one argued, or talked back, or jumped on the couch.
All three kids maintained only polite interactions--
An attempt to make up for a year of infractions.
The youngest approached with a glistening tear
And said mournfully, "Mom, I've been kinda bad this year..."
Her little eyes, filled with remorse and regret,
Revealed her concern: how many presents she'd get.
These presents, of course, still all needed wrapping,
And accordingly, my patience soon would be snapping.
I'd put too much off, and from the looks of my list,
A lot of "to-do"s were going to be missed.
The bedrooms would likely keep looking lamentable,
As long as the living room appeared presentable.
The floor could be swept; there was no time for mopping.
I had to prepare for some last-minute shopping.
But braving malls with kids was sure to be rough--
No amount of Red Bull could prepare me enough.
I opted instead for an afternoon of distraction:
TV and Facebook held quite an attraction.
Then, ready for hours of wrapping to begin,
I hid in a bedroom and locked myself in.
When a sudden realization left my mouth agape--
"Ack! I can't wrap the gifts without tape!
But Target is crowded, and grocery stores, too...
Would anyone notice if I just used some glue?
--Hey, Quiet out there! No shouting! Who's knocking?--
Good lord, how'd I forget to buy candy for stockings?"
The presents, all wrapped, I placed under the tree
While reminding the kids of the death penalty
Should any gift be found to have been opened early
Or any child's countenance be deemed too surly.
A quick dinner, then houses of stale gingerbread--
Not constructed, just opened and eaten instead.
I hurried along with the bedtime routine,
Baths and pajamas, and snacks gobbled unseen.
As the kids noisily climbed in bed for the night,
I called out, "Merry Christmas...now TURN OFF THAT LIGHT!"