It's Never "After the Holidays"

For most of my adult life while raising kids; which is almost all of my adult life, things have been hectic.  Our lives got crazy the minute "Mommy" was born.  My time has not been my time ever since that day.  I am not complaining (at least right this minute).  For years I have done "Spring Cleaning" or at least made the attempt to get it done.  While I am in the midst of doing that and moving furniture, Easter pops up on me.  Everything comes to a grinding halt so that I can get the house decorated and get out all of our baskets and bunnies.  Thank God, "Doc" handles the purchasing of candy and items to put in the baskets!  But never fear, I will get back to the cleaning after the holidays. 

When the kids were in school, I always got bombarded with end of the school year activities and banquets and athletic events.  We were heading out somewhere almost every evening.  Paperwork, cleaning, laundry and yard work get prioritized and squeezed in when possible but they are never completely done.  Summer is around the corner and I don't have time to open the pool, so I now hire someone to do that!  But as soon as Memorial Day has passed and everyone is home for the summer, activities will slow down and I will be able to catch up on things and breathe.

But then come the sports camps, vacation, and the Fourth of July!  Lots of travel, running people where they need to be, entertaining guests for dinner and special events!  I was looking forward to the kids being home from school, but now I realize that it has brought additional work and commitments.  My grocery shopping has expanded almost as much as my laundry.  There is still time to catch up on yard work and time to swim!

But then again, August brings its own set of obligations.  The boys head back to college and football camp in early August.  It's a good thing we squeezed vacation in ahead of that!  It is a major event to move them in, especially cleaning the apartment!  Finalizing all of the financial aid and getting all of the necessary supplies takes a lot of time.  Suddenly, I remember that I have two Christmas stockings to make for the newest grandchildren.  Well, Christmas is in December.  I have plenty of time.  Once the boys are at school, I will have extra free time.

But then again, football season starts and Saturdays are completely committed through November.  "The Blonde" asks me to volunteer where she works which requires about 20 hours of training.  Moms and Dads go back to work and I am now babysitting five days a week.  Thanksgiving is coming, but I can get a break because everyone will be around to help.

But then Thanksgiving comes and it is a whirlwind of people and food.  Right after Thanksgiving it is time to decorate for Christmas.  It is one of my favorite times of the year and the house is decorated head to toe.  It takes about one week to get it all done.  The boys will be home soon and they can help.  But they don't, at least not without aggravating me, so I finally do it myself while occasionally grumbling but trying to hang on the Christmas Spirit.  I pull out all the old movies and watch and sing and try to do some cleaning while I decorate.

December is crazy preparing for the holidays and visitors and parties.  It is festive and I love it.  There are still so many things to do that I have been meaning to get to.  I scramble to finish the final stocking.  "Mommy's" Tree Skirt is probably not going to get done this year.  After the holidays, I will have time to get to that and she can have it for next year. 

After the holidays?  The years have rolled by, sometimes too quickly.  I am always promising myself that I will get to things after the holidays but I know now that there is no "After the Holdiays".  There is just the next event!