I am *drowning* in life. Completely overwhelmed. Our Christmas tree is up, but not decorated. I don't think I will be sending out any Christmas cards. I still need to write thank-you notes for my aunt's funeral stuff. I am to the point where there are so many things that need attention that I just feel frozen in place. I am trying to spend some quality time with my youngest....damage control! He totally got shunted off to the side by both DH and I from the week of Thanksgiving until this week. The other two are older and in basketball, etc., but Nathan is still pretty focused on mom and dad, and we just kept saying "find something to do" whenever he needed attention. It got to the point where he was taking whatever kind of attention he could get from us....and he was acting like a brat to get it! This week has been better. Poor guy.

BUT -- I am taking the day off tomorrow, and DH is off as well. (Of course, he is in-house tonight, so no guarantees that he will be worth anything tomorrow!) I am hoping to finish Christmas shopping. We did a TON of shopping online last weekend, but there are quite a few more things to get. The bummer is that our oldest two sons have a basketball game tomorrow night. I really don't think Friday night games are necessary for kids younger than high school age. But hey, no one asked me, right?

I think DH and I are getting each other a new computer and ipods, but I don't know if we will have time to pick it all out before Christmas. We really need the computer! I use DH's work computer exclusively because our other computer is so old and slow it makes me crazy.

My in-laws are coming into town in a week. I get along with them very well, so no angst there, but my house is a *serious* wreck. I have a good friend here who is quitting her job, and has had a cleaning lady she has loved....she will be letting her go since she will be staying home, so I got her number and called her. Of course she hasn't called back.

We had three work-related parties last weekend....2 for him and 1 for me. Exhausting. I am just not feeling it this year, so far at least. At DH's office party, the doc (FP) who was hosting it divided us into groups (I was not with DH, btw, which was kind of the point, I guess) and made us rotate into three different rooms and play games. I am just not a games girl. And if I go to my husband's office party, I would like to hang out with my husband, thankyouverymuch. It was a long weekend, and not particularly relaxing.

My students had their holiday concert Tuesday night. It was this concert that kept me focused during the time of my aunt's death. I knew I couldn't miss too much school because the kids needed to rehearse. I am so relieved that it is over, but now that I am not focused on that, I am having part two of grieving. My aunt always had such fun going to Wal-Mart with me and picking out presents for the boys. I will miss doing that with her.

We are going to FL the week after Christmas. All the boys know is that we are going to visit my Dad, who lives in Clearwater. The truth is that we are going to Disney World for most of the week. The boys have never been there....we never could afford it before.....and I haven't been there since I was six! I think we will tell the boys this weekend. I hope our time there isn't totally chaotic, or if it is, I hope that just getting away for awhile will be the break that I need.

I am reading posts as often as I can, but I have a feeling it is going to take me some time to feel like I am caught up enough to post. I *really* appreciated the nice posts and PMs you all sent me after my aunt's death.....sorry I haven't been able to respond! I am starting to see a light at the end of this busy tunnel I am stuck in.....but it is still far away.[/QUOTE]