Holiday Hangover

I'm feeling a bit like I have been on a month long bender. I have that all too telling "green" feeling and I can't seem to shake it. Now that Christmas is over, I want to start thinking about getting back to "normal". But how can I???

Consider this my post Christmas rant:

-The Christmas decorations are still up. Around 6am on Dec 26th I start thinking about getting rid of everything but I cannot..My kids would never forgive me. I have to wait, at least, until New Years day. I am SOOOO over it!

-All the gifts are out of the boxes and the gift wrap and mess are gone but no one else has touched any of their stuff to move it out of the living room. Uh, hello?? I am not the MAID here. Must I do everything?? Every human in this house is old enough to come and collect their Christmas haul and bring it to their respective rooms now that I have made it easier by taking everything out of the boxes and putting it into neat piles. What's next? Must I wear it for them too?? The only thing I didn't do with their stuff was open the gift for them. Maybe I should try that next year.

-I am not cooking for another three months. I figure, after cooking X amount of elaborate holiday meals, I should be all set until St. Patty's right? (oh yeah-and no one in this house eats leftovers. It's like tainted food to them. Go figure)

-The kids are on vacation. For a really long time. Like too long. If we had thought about it before the holiday, we would be on the ninth hole in Naples, Fla. right about now. For sure.

-NO, I will not get up at 4:30am any longer for my son's 6am Christmas hockey tournament. Are these people insane??? They say they do it so that the working parents can get to the game and then get to work on time. I'll voluteer to pick all the boys up (it would be a tight squeeze) if it means being able to sleep for an hour or two more in the morning. AND-they won this morning! Yipee! which means that we are looking at an ungodly early New Years Day Game! Might as well pull an all nighter on New Years Eve!!

-Luckily we had very few returns this year, but the kids got gift cards which they insisted on using the day after Christmas. I agreed, not really thinking it through. The malls were far worse that day then before Christmas. My bad. On a positive note, the sales at the stores are phenomenal. They are practically giving stuff away with 60, 75 and 80% off sales everywhere. I plan to take advantage of that at some point this week.

-And before you think this is about all bad and no good...I have to say that Frick and Frack have been absolutely wonderful so far! (I hope I don't jinx it) I am astounded by the way that they have been behaving, mostly toward each other, and I couldn't have asked for a better gift from them. If this is a look into the future, I happily say, bring it on! I am a proud mom today!

-And last, I am thankful for one more week of fun with my family and friends but I feel like I am stuck in the middle of some sort of strange holding pattern, unable to break free just yet. True to the time of year-we are on the verge of a transition and it hangs thick in the air. Just like a hangover.