am feeling so behind with the holidays this year!

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i normally love the holidays and always look forward to and enjoy doing all the Christmas activities/crafts etc but this year i feel sooo behind with everything holiday-related.

i have not done any Christmas shopping, at all

i have not but a Christmas tree up, let alone hung ornaments

i have not put up our lights/decorations outside (we have them, haven't taken them out at all)

haven't taken our holiday pics (that i bought coordinating Hanna outfits specifically for, months ago!)

haven't taken DS to see Santa or get Santa pics or do ANY holiday-related activities

i'm just kinda annoyed bc for a while i had been really looking forward to the holidays this year, as it was our son's first Christmas and he is old enough to actually enjoy/participate in some holiday activities. but this past month has been so insanely hectic for us (crazy amt of traveling for thxgiving + DH travel) i feel like i have been constantly treading water just to keep the house running (grocery shopping, cooking meals, cleaning etc) and keep DS fed and everything. i feel so bad when i see everyone's cute FB pics or whatever of their kids with Santa or walk by and see all our neighbors' amazing xmas lights/ decorations etc and i haven't done jack squat here, and not sure if i'll ever get around to it, given how things are going.

i don't know, maybe i'm just in a rotten mood now bc i am still sick myself and just got 3 hrs sleep as a result of dealing with a sick congested baby alone all night. am upset that now that my DH is finally coming back home my poor DS is sick and won't be able to do enjoy much this weekend.

sorry just had to vent.

[WolfpackMom]

Im sorry, you have a lot on your plate!! If it makes you feel any better, the only thing I have done on your list is a little bit of shopping and thats only gotten 3 people done out of about 15. We have no tree up, no decorations, we did do the card but I used an older picture, no picture with Santa yet, no baking etc etc. I am just trying to keep afloat with work and DS and we won't be putting up a tree or decorations this year, I just don't have it in me so I am letting it go.

Give your self a break, to be honest, your DS isn't going to know that you are missing the tree. I understand wanting to have one up, I dont know if you will be home for Christmas, but if not I would consider not putting one up or even decorations up. Can you delegate some things to DH when he is in town from work? Or maybe use your weekly babysitter time to do some shopping?

[MoJo]

You're sick, you're PREGNANT, and you have an almost one-year-old!

I agree with the PP that it's time to let some things go, and figure out what's most important.

For me, off of your list, that was the outside decorations (which I did when it was still nice) and the pictures (which I knew I'd regret NOT doing years from now.) I haven't done anything else on your list yet either.

In my case, I'm still going to try to do shopping, but just one gift per person. I ordered my cards, but between the weather and the BMV not sending me the sticker for my expired license plate, I can't even pick those up. I've given up on the tree, but we won't be here most of the week before Christmas or Christmas day. I've put up a nativity scene, a wreath, and a ceramic tree, and that's about it. I realized last night I was missing the lights, but I just don't think that's going to happen this year. (And it's my baby's first Christmas. . . and my oldest's first where she kind of understands. She says, "Mama, dec'ations, pease!" every time we go to the basement.

And I'm the one who asked about Santa pics last week. . . but they are talking a major snow and ice storm this weekend, so that's not likely to happen either.
So . You are far from alone. . . it will be OK. . . and NEXT Christmas will likely be better!

[twowhat?]

I love the holidays and I remember being so disappointed about the same thing. The xmas after the girls were born, we couldn't manage ANYTHING at all. Not even a tree. We ordered xmas dinner and had that at home. I was really bummed.

The second xmas I managed to put up tree and some lights. Xmas dinner was, again, ordered (though I made the turkey). We have fond memories of the amount of turkey the girls ate and the exclamations they made when we turned on the tree lights.

This xmas the girls were SO EXCITED to "help" put up the tree and the lights. They want to go around and see all the neighbor's lights. Their eyes bulged out of their heads when they discovered a couple of wrapped presents under the tree and were fascinated when I told them they couldn't open them until xmas. I fully intend to cook xmas dinner. I haven't gotten stockings up yet but I WILL.

It gets easier and more exciting as your LOs get to that age where they get excited about holidays!!

Take care of yourself first, do what you can and enjoy it, and look forward to the next year being EVEN better!! Christmas this year can be simple and low-key. Order dinner, light the fireplace, watch xmas movies, and make yourselves hot cocoa.

eta: our family did not get gifts the first year. We just couldn't manage it - and they TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD. If you do gifts this year, just keep it simple. Amazon gift cards for everyone!

[gatorsmom]

I have come to the conclusion that Xmas is suppose to be a big party- for everyone but me. I'm being totally realistic here. I do all the work all.of.it. The decorations, the cards which get sent out to 130+ people, the baking of cookies, the gift buying and wrapping. It is a huge amount of work and even though I start it early in the year, there is still a ton of work left to do and the stress of it all takes the fun out of it for me. It should be a little easier this year because we won't be traveling so I won't have to pack for everyone too. But of course we just moved 2 weeks ago, so there is that stress.

I think I'm turning into a Scrooge.

To the op, I suggest you simplify and delegate wherever possible.

[lizzywednesday]

Give yourself a break!

Usually, I'll have the living room clean, the tree up and plans to bake over the weekends by now.

This year, nothing.
Last year, I got the tree up.

However, thanks to the free Prime through Amazon Mom, I've started my shopping!

My vacation starts next week. I plan to thoroughly clean out the house so when we're away for Christmas week, I won't be coming home to a disaster area. Yes, I am a slob, but it does bother me to come home to a mess.

[arivecchi]

Methinks your DH and DS can do some bonding and decorating this weekend while you shop online with a nice hot cup of apple cider.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

thx everyone. i feel a lot better now that my DH is home and i've gotten a chance to relax from a crazy couple weeks.

about christmas dinner..oh yeah i DEFINITELY am not cooking anything, ordering in is the way to go this year for sure..we aren't having family over anyway. i guess the part that i was getting anxious over is all the holiday things i had looked forward to (decorations, holiday shopping, putting up tree taking picture, santa visit, sending cards etc) i hadn't gotten around to at all and i was starting to feel overwhelmed with all i had left to do. but i guess most of it was my husband was gone for almost 2wks, so it didn't really "feel" like the holidays anyway and there was no chance to do any of those things. and yeah, this weekend i'm definitely delegating most if not all of the xmas decoration stuff to my DH..no way can i physically handle putting most of that stuff up anyway.

and about holiday shopping, yeah i guess its gonna be mostly/all online this year. i used to love spending a day at the outlet malls, scouting all the slaes and shopping for ppl's xmas gifts but that just ain't happening this year...at this point i'm pretty big already and i can't last much longer than an hour or so shopping, even when alone (and with an 11month old, forget it!)