Officially done with the Christmas rush

Everyone knows that December is crazy. Holiday parties with work, friends, school, random acquaintances, etc. Shopping for gifts for co-workers, friends, teachers, random acquaintances. Shopping for just the right outfits for all those parties. A hair appointment to look your best. Concerts and family outings to look at lights and make memories. Travel for family gatherings. And on and on.

So you know what everyone does? They schedule everything *early*. So now the beginning part of December is packed with an impossible number of events and about the 15th or so, it all dies down.

This past weekend was the worst culprit of this new "let's do everything *early*!" trend. I had something that had to be done every minute from Thursday morning on.

Thursday -

Get the girls school organized and started, then pile everyone in the car for a holiday brunch, where the girls did schoolwork and I chatted with the ladies from my Bible study.

Come home and spend the rest of the day organizing and cleaning for Friday.

Baby sit a friend's daughter, who then spent the night.

Friday -

Finish cleaning.

Host a Bible study for 6 ladies, including snack, drinks, and a craft.

Pack for a lock-in.

Go to see the new Narnia movie with friends, then back to the church for the lock-in.

Help chaperone the lock-in, where my 6-year-old stayed up until after 2am, and the older kids didn't climb in their sleeping bags until 5:30am.

Saturday -

Rout sleepy kids out to help get ready for our church's Happy Birthday, Jesus party.

Run the party.

Clean up after the party, then go home and collapse into bed for a few hours.

Sunday -

Report early for work at the Panthers game (I help in a concession stand as a fundraiser for L's dance team)

Spend the day standing at a cash register asking people what they want on their nachos.

Leave and buy a pair of pants so I don't have to keep smelling like beer. (My register was next to a beer tap that kept overflowing.)

Go to a friend's choir concert. She did an awesome job.

Last week, I waffled between a) feeling super stressed about my weekend schedule and b) knowing that it would all work out just fine. My new motto is "I can't do everything and I refuse to try". And you know what? I kept everything simple, my planning to a minimum, and the kids all had a blast anyway. I and my family survived the craziness and we are officially on the other side. The side where I can relax and take my leisurely time wrapping up my Christmas shopping. The side where my schedule is mostly blank. The side where I can hide under the blankets in this record-setting cold. The side where if you call me and want to hang out, I can!