Tired Mama.com

Materialistic Mess

My hubby just finished dragging three large bins of cardboard recycling to the end of our driveway for pick-up tomorrow.

It is a good job to have done, and my less cluttered garage thanks him.

But there it is, outside my office window - the waste of Christmas.

And, while I love the gifts I received, and I love the family time we had together, those big bins of cardboard seem like such a waste. 

It just doesn't seem like we really needed all the stuff that cardboard once housed.

It just seems like too much uh, excessiveness.

I'm glad it's getting recycled but we still need to cut back.

And that, going into 2012, is my new year's resolution.

To use less and do more with what we have.

I have no idea what I'm going to do exactly, but I've got an entire year to figure it out. 

Are you making a resolution?

It's done...

Christmas is finished.

The presents are all unwrapped and all the family commitments are done.

Wow.

Now comes all the exchanges, pack-ups and recycling chores.

And with all this cleaning up also comes a week and a half of the kids being home from school.

And, you know what that means?

Soon they are going to start telling me they're bored.

Yep, and once they start complaining about being bored they will start bickering with each other and then they will all be coming to me to negotiate their fights.

And once they get tired of picking on each other then they will start to demand that I dream up ways to keep them entertained.

You know, the holidays aren't what they used to be. Do you remember the before-kid-days of holiday bliss made up of lying in bed late, reading newspapers with coffee and then putting together leisurely lunches before an afternoon nap?

No?

Well honestly, I don't really remember them either. But doesn't it sound lovely? 

How many days until school starts again?

Tired. I'm just tired.

I am tired.

Every part of me just wants to be left alone so I can turn into jelly.

Yep, jelly.

I have no desire to do anything.

Breathing right now seems energetic.

Going up the stairs to take a nap seems like too much effort.

I have no idea why.

Well, actually I do.

It's called Christmas.

It's because of the decorating, card writing, wrapping, giving, toasting, visiting, cooking, roasting, baking, shopping, returning, welcoming and uh, the hundred more holiday things I did.

It was all very nice, but it just exhausted me.

Now, I'm tired and I just want to be quiet and left alone to recharge for a bit.

But with all three kids and the hubby off for the next week? That's probably just not going to happen.

Sigh.

Merry Christmas

Enjoy your day, your family and maybe some down time when it's done.

Oh, and just in case I eat myself into a coma or something? 

Happy New Year too.

Christmas Shopping

I took my youngest daughter out to the local HUGE mall today and we did some Christmas shopping.

It was nice. We talked, we walked, we browsed and then we stood in line to pay for things.

She was so happy to get out to this particular mall that she talked a mile a minute all the way there and then she practically danced through the parking lot in her excitement to get inside.

We got a few things stroked off our lists and we had a nice dinner together too.

But really the best part for me was seeing her so happy.

She was happy to be out and she was happy to be spending time with me.

And at eleven years old, I am probably counting on two fingers the number of years I have left of her being happy to go Christmas shopping with boring old Mom.

But then again, she will still need me to pay for her things for a few years yet so maybe I can drag out this Christmas shopping together thing for at least a couple more years.

Here's hoping....

 

What am I doing wrong?

Are you running around getting ready for Christmas?

I am.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why it's so flipin' hard?

I mean really, all I need to do is buy and wrap a few gifts, put up and decorate a tree and put on a family meal.

That doesn't sound too hard, does it? 

So, why does Christmas take soooo much time and energy?

Why is my to-do list a hundred miles long?

Why? 

Why? Why? Why?

Sigh.

Tis the season...

I was out buying Christmas ornaments today when I met quite possibly the rudest store clerk that has ever blessed the retail world.

I stood in line and watched as the elderly lady in front of me couldn't figure out how to use the debt card machine and this clerk yelled at the poor women and called her a very rude name.

When I got up to the cash, this same clerk actually dropped and broke one of the glass ornaments I was about to buy.

When she went to ring it up I told her I didn't want it if it was broken. She huffed at me and then told me she would give me a discount on it.

Some how getting a glass ornament with a broken Santa head for 10% off didn't seem that great a deal to me.

I'm funny like that. 

So, I guess we're gonna be one ornament shy on the Christmas tree this year.

I e-mailed the store's customer service department tonight, it'll be interesting to see if they get back to me.

I'm planning on doing more of my Christmas shopping tomorrow at the mall, after today's experience, I just can't wait to see how that's going to go.

Fa la la la la la la la fail.

Sigh.

Let's rethink this. Okay?

In 1928 all kids wanted for Christmas was a Duncan Yo-yo.

In 1983, Cabbage Patch Kid dolls caused a stampede at my local department store.

In 1996, everyone was rushing around looking for a Tickle Me Elmo and in 2007, everyone was gifting the iPod Touch.

This year? This year my youngest asked for a Fijit Friend for Christmas.

A green one.

And yeah, I've been driving all over trying to locate one. 

And yes, I've stood in line at Toys R Us to get a rain check for one on a Friday night at 11 pm.

And yes, I've even considered driving for an hour to do some cross border shopping to get one.

I'm doing this because she didn't really ask for much else this year.

And I'm doing this because they're not really that expensive so, at first, it didn't seem like that big a deal.

And I'm doing this because she asked SANTA for one.

And honestly?

I'm doing this because I'm slightly crazy.

Sigh.

Meh. It's Christmas.

I tried to set aside some time over the last few days to get the Christmas stuff strewn around the house.

I haven't done it though, for some reason I just haven't felt like it.

I did a little, but I should probably do more, but meh....

You know that feeling?

Meh?

I'm going to go into my daughter's elementary school tomorrow and help wrap for the Christmas bake sale that's scheduled for this weekend. Maybe that'll help get me in the holiday mood.

If that doesn't work I think I'll go and buy some egg nog.

Because with egg nog? There's rum.

And if rum and egg nog can't get one in the mood for the season, then nothing's gonna work.

Happy holiday preparation, everyone....

 

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Again.

In two days it will be December and I will feel the pressure to get my Christmas act together.

Sigh.

I have a love/hate relationship going on with Christmas.

I love the caroling, the excited expectations of the kids, the smell of a fresh cut tree in the house and the treats.

I hate the clutter, the expense and the mess of the holidays.

Yeah.

So, for the next few weeks I will be trying to get my holiday act together while hanging onto my Christmas cheer.

I am going to try to remember that this holiday is supposed to be fun and um, magical.

I am also going to try and ignore the mess,clutter and expense that will be created while we produce this aforementioned magic.

Stay tuned.

I'm making a list...

Well, I've done it.

I've started my Christmas lists.

I've opened up my word processor, typed in everyone's name on a blank page and saved it with the title, Christmas 2012.

And yes, it's password protected.

Actually I've started making my Christmas list later then usual this year. I have no idea why, I've just been busy and then, boom, I realized yesterday that it was just a month until Christmas.

I've asked my kids what they want for Christmas this year and they haven't told me very much.

Actually they've told me a lot it's just that their lists don't contain a lot of things that I am actually going to buy for them.

So, here I am, with an empty page.

Sigh.

It's going to be a long four weeks.

It's not close enough yet...

I was at the local mall today buying myself jeans.

And while I was there I discovered that there is something that can put me in a worse mood then trying on jeans. 

Okay, something that can even put me in a worse mood then trying on a swimsuit or jeans.

This other thing?

Hearing Christmas music on mall speakers on November 1st.

I mean, come on people, I haven't even got my Halloween decorations put away yet. I need at least a week before I can start thinking about Christmas.

Please.

Grrrrr.

Maybe those kids with ear buds and iPods blasting their own music into their heads are on to something....

 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

We survived.

My kids went back to school about an hour ago. Hubby is back at work and I'm supposedly working again too.

Yeah.

So, with the holiday over it's now time to get back to normal uh, life. 

But first, I need to finish putting away the Christmas stuff, take the cat to the vet, update the day-timer, get rid of the returns, empty out the fridge and do the million other little things that I put off doing because of the holiday celebrations.

And let's not even talk about work, school or laundry.

Let the spin of the hamster-life wheel begin!

Again.

Did I say Happy New Year?

Sigh.

Go home Rudolph. Now.

 
Have you seen any of these around?

Yeah, the stupid little reindeer antlers and red noses that they're now making for cars.

Cars.

I don't get it.

I mean I love all things cute. Little noses on things, big eyes, puffy faces or anything with a cute bitty face and usually you got me. I must have owned a million stuffed animals when I was a kid. I like cute. I really do.

But these car reindeer things? These are just weird.

Now I get that Christmas decorating is a personal thing. Some people like to decorate simple, some people like it glittery and some people like to fill every square inch of their home with Christmas crap. I'm okay with all that too, so when I first saw cars decorated like Rudolph, I thought it was stupid, but I also thought - live and let live.

But reindeer-car-people?

Christmas is OVER.

I know - news flash!

But really, take the crap off of your cars - the reindeers came a week ago.

It's done. Sad, I know, but done.

Christmas lights I can handle being left on until the end of the year, but the whole reindeer thing is for the big red guy and that's a one night gig. 

Honest.

Oh, and if I see this crap stuff still on your cars in June? I'm calling the Christmas police.

You've been warned.

Merry Christmas! (Love, Sloth-Mama)

Do you know what my favorite day of the holidays is going to be?

Tomorrow.

Yep, the day after Christmas.

Why?

Because I don't have to be anywhere or do anything.

Because I can sleep as long as I like and dress however I want.

Because the house can be a mess and I can eat holiday cookies all day.

I love Christmas but, like the turkey, I'm done.

Done, done, done.

Enjoy the rest of your holidays - I'm going to bed.

Ho ho

Zzzzzzz.

Five golden rings!

It's only five days until Christmas and the things I still have to do fill a post-it note.

Yep, I know. Impressive.

It's a rather large post-it note, but at least my list now looks manageable.

Do-able even.

I'm also wondering what I forgot.

Tomorrow my youngest and I are heading into the city to see the lights, the Christmas windows and the huge trees that get decorated at the big mall in the 'big city'.

She and I plan to gawk at everything, do a little shopping, have a nice lunch and then come home on the city train.

It's our second year doing this, and I'm getting the feeling it's on its way to becoming a tradition.

It's going to be nice to spend some one-on-one time with my youngest daughter.

It's also going to be nice to finally be able to relax a bit too.

But I'm still thinking I'm forgetting something.

Several somethings even.

Sigh.

Sing out loud, sing out strong..

Have you ever noticed how people sing a lot at Christmas?

I don't mean at places they are supposed to sing, like concerts or sing-along performances but people seem to be singing around me everywhere these days. 

I was in the mall and people were singing along with the piped-in music as they shopped. I was at the library and people were humming carols in the stacks. While I was walking along the street yesterday I heard kids singing Christmas tunes as they slid along on the ice.

And all these people weren't quiet either, most of them were singing loudly and clearly. Slightly off tune maybe, but that's okay.

So, what is it about Christmas carols that makes people want to sing?

It's weird. 

But you know what?

It's nice. Really nice.  

So, keep singing everyone. I don't quite get it and I'm not sure I'm going to join you, but I I like it.

It's a little weird - but I like it.

Carry on

I've hit my Christmas slump.

I've got lots of things done, but I still have more to do.

I just don't want to do it all.

I'm hoping tonight's elementary school Christmas concert will get me back in the mood.

Sigh.

At lunch today, Tired-Papa called and asked me what I was doing on my lunch hour. 

'Shopping,' I replied.

He paused, and I knew that he was thinking about our Visa statement.

'Are we almost done?' he asked.

'We need toilet paper, milk and a green vegetable for dinner,' I replied.

And that, my friends, in a nutshell is the problem with Christmas - everyday life stuff still needs to happen too.

Somebody send me some cheer, will ya?

I may get my picture yet.

I went Christmas shopping yesterday. I was being totally indecisive so I didn't get much done, but I did have a nice time looking at all the decorations and listening to the Christmas music. My local mall has a particularly nice looking Santa this year, he's plump, friendly and his beard even looks real.

As I stopped for a minute to watch all the little children go up for a visit with Mr. Claus I found myself remembering my own children's visits to Santa. My girls were always a little scared but they usually went bravely up, handed over their letters and smiled for a picture. 

My son? He simply refused to go near the dear old man. My boy was having nothing to do with the mall Santa's and he would pitch a fit whenever my hubby or I would try to encourage him to go up with his sisters for a visit. 

So, in my family album I have many pictures of Santa Claus with my daughters and none at all of him with my son.

But yesterday, as I stood watching all the little children line up for their visit with the red dressed guy, I noticed that this year my mall has fairies working as Santa's helpers.

These aren't just any fairies though; our local Santa has cute, teen-aged girl fairies working for him this year. He also has these adorable teen girls all decked out in short skirts, glittery wings and tight-fitting low-cut tops. These young ladies all had long legs, brilliant smiles and gorgeous floaty hair.

Did I mention my son is now thirteen?

Hmmm.

I may have finally found a way to convince my son to visit Santa.

Hello fairies? Can I ask you for a favor?

And could you get him to smile for a picture too? 

It's that time of the year...

I'm too busy to blog. It's Christmas!

I'm shopping.

I'm baking.

I'm putting up Christmas decorations.

Have you ever noticed that EVERY magazine you pick up these days has an article on its cover about how to simplify Christmas, or how to have a stress free Christmas?

Tomorrow, I need to do my Christmas cards and finish putting up my outdoor decorations.

I don't have enough stocking stuffers for my kids either so I plan on going shopping.

We got the tree yesterday and put it in the stand, but we still need to decorate it.

Hmm, I'm behind on the laundry and we need groceries too.

I wonder what all those magazine articles actually say? Stress free? Simple?

I'm thinking - no.

But really? Who has the time to actually read the darn things and check?

Sigh.

Yeah, I know.

It's December.

How the heck did that happen?

For my family December means that Christmas is coming.

That means I have to get shopping, baking and uh, decorating.

This also means that I have to wrap, clean and entertain.

Really? It means that my already over scheduled, super-crazy timetable is about to be put into overdrive.

Yes, Tired Mama is about to become even more tired.

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to all of this.

Happy Holidays everyone.

Sigh.

The downside of Christmas

Is it just here or is anyone else's house um, trashed?

Yep, there have been three children and a husband home for the last week or so and I don't think any of them have done any cleaning, picking up or tidying. 

There is Christmas clutter on top of normal clutter on top of uh, more stuff.

It's a mess here.

I don't want to clean up. I don't want to argue with my family about tidying up.

But really? This has gotten out of hand. Our house is a mess. We NEED to start cleaning up and putting stuff away.

Let the nagging begin.

Sigh.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas.

Yes, I know it was yesterday but I was thinking about you. Honest.

Christmas here at our house was nice. It was quiet because a lot of our extended family spent Christmas looking for the sun down south, so it was just us.

We had turkey, we opened presents, we spent the better part of the day in our PJ's. It was low key and lovely.

But now Christmas is over.

So, now comes the hard part. This week I have to pack-up all the Christmas clutter and start to think about what I want the new year to bring. Should I go back to work full-time? Should we continue the house renovations? Should I focus and try to earn some real money with my writing or should I just spend 2010 trying to lose some weight and working on cleaning out the basement.

Blah.

Blah to all of that.

You know what? I have a week before the new year starts, I think I'll worry about all this stuff then. 

Right now I think I'm just gonna take a nap in front of the fire. 

Turkey leftovers and thinking about the future make me tired.

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree - your ornaments are history.

Why yes, that is in fact our cat's butt backside behind sticking out of our Christmas tree.

Sigh.

Christmas cards are beautiful

I'm still working on my Christmas cards. Yes, I know it's late. I got um, distracted by uh, life.

The card I am sending out this year includes a picture of my three children. The picture is one that I took at my niece's wedding a few weeks ago and, since all three of my children are smiling and looking at the camera in it, I decided to use it this year and save myself the expense of a trip to the Sears Portrait Studio.

This is another nice Christmas card.

Joy to all.

Carded

Tonight I'm working on writing out my Christmas cards.

I had decided I wasn't going to send out cards this year, but I changed my mind.

Why?

I have no idea.

I know that Christmas cards are expensive and are not environmentally friendly but you know what?

I like getting them and I even like sending them.

I like thinking about the people I'm sending  cards to as I write them out.

I like thinking that simply receiving a card from me might make some of my friends happy and I like knowing that the people I write to will know that I'm thinking about them.

If you don't send them? I get that. They are a lot of work.

But I'm sending mine anyway - for at least one more year.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Do not open the Visa bill.

I am blessed with having two beautiful, talented, brilliant and sweet daughters. One will be fifteen in a few months, the other is nine.

As I was sorting my Christmas purchases into piles this morning, I couldn't help but notice that one of my daughter's piles was rather large and the other one uh, wasn't.

Why is it easier to buy for younger children than older kids?

Why is it so much cheaper to buy big sparkly things for younger children?

Why do the things for my younger children look so much bigger than the things for their big sister?

I've actually spent more money on my older daughter than on my younger daughter, it just doesn't look that way. 

Santa, if you have any free time I could use some help over here.

Sigh.

Maybe I'll just wrap my older daughter's presents in bigger boxes....

Smack me

Climate change is at a crisis point.

Millions of children around the world are living below the poverty line.

Babys are being aborted because their parents cannot afford to raise them.

Our hospitals are full of people who are injured or terminally ill.

Um, and here?

I'm fussing because I can't get my Christmas garland to hang properly on the stairs.

Oy.

Advent Calendars are evil

Advent calendars are evil.

Yes, they are.

Why? Well, they are evil mainly because they cause stress.

Every time I look at our advent calendar I am reminded of how few days there are left before Christmas and then I start to panic about everything that still needs to be done. 

Advent calendars = Stress = Evil.

I also made the mistake of buying one of those pretty little advent calendars that you can fill yourself.

3 kids + 25 advent calendar pockets to fill = 75 things = More Stress = Evil.

Yes, I have to come up with seventy-five different things to put in the advent calendar every December. On top of the stockings, presents, cooking, cleaning, card writing, decorating, visiting, celebrating and gosh knows what else, I also have to come up with seventy-five love notes, chocolates or small toys to fill the stupid advent calendar with.

I don't have time for all of this.

It's evil, I tell you.

Eeeeevil.

It's beginning to look a little like...

It's the first of December.

So far this month?

I've already killed a poinsettia by over watering it. Seriously, it's December 1st, isn't there a law or something that says you can't kill a poinsettia the first week you get it?

Secondly, I forgot to fill the advent calendar before the kids came down this morning. Sorry, guys.

And finally? The cat is eating the Christmas village. It seems our kitten likes the taste of those little green plasticy-woody pretend tree things. All of my little village trees have tiny cat bites out of them now, it's like something out of an old Japanese monster movie. If they could, all the little village ceramic people would be running away and hiding.

Oy.

Can we just skip through to January? I'm not sure I want to continue preparing for Christmas if this is the way things are going to go.

Sigh.