Does anyone else totally HATE this time of year?  Its funny...all my favorite holidays are coming up, but I am just so drained by the end of January that I almost dread it now.  Its non-stop for me from this point on. 

It actually started early this year with Tina's parent's house burning down.  I ended up cleaning out the attic, which seemed to take an ETERNITY, and then I had to travel over 100 miles with the stuff and back again.  As soon as I finished that, my grandparents cleaned out THEIR attic (a 180 mile round trip) and I ended up taking a bunch of poop (heirlooms) that they were just going to get rid of.  Now my dining room is slam full of projects, as many of the heirlooms need to be "fixed."    I've got to do them before Thanksgiving because I think I'm going to put the dining romm table in the kitchen and use the dining room as a Christmas room this year.  I think it would just be easier than rearranging the entire parlor to try to fit all the Christmas stuff in.

And I had to decorate for Halloween (I don't have to, I know, but she's only little once and she's our one and only) and fix her Halloween costume...which came messed up (I am still fixing it, but thank God I'm almost done).  Then, after Halloween, its time to put out the Thanksgiving goop, and as soon as that's over, its time to drag out all the Christmas goop. 

Inbetween all that, I've got to do Christmas (which I start in August) AND birthday shopping for Susanna, because if I wait to get her birthday presents until after Christmas, nothing is left!  So, then, just after Christmas, I pack up all THAT and get the house ready for her birthday party (her b-day is January 3).  I've already decided that the b-day party is being held at McDonalds this year.  There will not be 50 or more people in my house this year.  I'll go insane!

Not to mention, we're at least 90 miles from all our family, and so we go to my grandparent's house and to his Mom and Dad's on Thanksgiving AND Christmas.  Two trips that are totally unnecessary in my opinion, but whatever.    My opinion is that if they want to see Susanna, they can flippin' come to us...especially on Christmas Eve and morning.  I've got plenty of room of everyone...but I digress.  Its pointless.

So, if I'm not online much until the end of January...that's what I'm doing.  I'll be back when its all over - if there's any of me left.  Usually I crumple up in a heap and hibernate until at least March after its all over!

I used to feel Fall was a busy and hectic time of year, given all the holiday activities.  I know exactly what you are talking about.  Once Halloween get here, the next two months are usually a blur............

I have a feeling that will be changing now. The BIL who was my MIL's in-home caregiver (she is 85 & has Alzheimer's Disease) is no longer communicating with his family (long story I've partially shared previoiusly here), now that he doesn't have access to her income.  Now that we've placed my MIL in a nursing home right here in Temple, the traveling to Dallas for holidays will be no more.  Just not having to travel for every single holiday will be less stressful for us, because in the 39 years we've been married, Lance's family has only been willing to have holidays at MY house three times!  And I'm the one with the clean, comfortable house in this picture, if you get my drift.  The SIL in North Carolina rarely comes back to Texas.  The divorced/remarried BIL in Plano would prefer to spend holidays with his new in-laws over his family (long story).  So from here on, it's just gonna be Lance's Mom, my Mom and every few years, my bachelor brother from Seatle WA spending the big holidays here at my house.  Way I look at it.........I would be cooking a small feast for Lance and I if they weren't visiting, and cooking for 2-3 more people is just no big deal.