Is it over yet?

I'm ready to get the holidays behind us. It's no surprise that I'm not a holiday person. I think I probably wrote about it last year too. I just don't like the commercial Christmas holiday. {Cue the scrooge references and a visit from the ghost of Christmas past.}

I don't like the commercial holiday for many reasons, but one of my primary reasons is because I'm a people pleaser and during the holidays you can't possibly please EVERYONE no matter how hard you try. Take shopping for instance. I typically like to shop when it's for me, or Bryce, but when it's for other people - like my boss - I'd rather be doing 150 other things. When you're on a budget, like we are, while we pay $1,200 a month for child care, it's worse.

You might say, "But it's not about presents...it's about the spirit of giving and Christ and live nativity scenes." I say..."Come On! You know that if you don't get a present that measures up for your mother in law, you're on her shit list for the year (whether you know it or not)." Giving, and lots of giving, seems to go with the holidays whether you think it should or not.

And lets not get into the family game of who's house you will go to for Christmas. That can be such an awful experience, if you let it of course. It's the expectation. It's the travel. It's the family members who you really don't like, but you have to pretend to love. It's the lack of schedule for the kids. It's the fighting secretly and quietly with your husband. It's the dogs...hopefully you remembered them. It's the bows that fell off during the car ride and now you can't find them. It's the utter pain in the rear... 

Yes, I wish I saw Christmas as beautiful, magical and covered with silver glitter...because that would make this post a lot better then it is (yes, I know it sucks)...but I just don't.

Instead, I will just pray that I can make it through with a wonderfully huge fake smile on my face while I have 15 people over for Christmas Eve dinner, host my very critical and particular mom at my house for four days and drive to my inlaws for an overnight stay in which my mom will be having Christmas dinner with them too. And oh, by the way, my mom can't stand my inlaws. Should be a beautiful day. I'd rather be sick with the flu.

Isn't it sad when you wish for the flu on Christmas?

Let's just get this party started!

PS - Please don't let this post make you de-follow...it's just a yearly occurance for me and then I pop back into my usual wonderful self...promise. :)