Can I just say......

that as much as I love my precious children, my cup overfloweth right now with quality together family time, and I think it's time for the schools to re-evaluate how long they give the kids for Christmas break. 

Oh don't get all feisty with me and make me feel like I'm the only one who feels like the house is closing in on me....because you know good and well that if you were honest....you are probably feeling the same way.  

And I'm avoiding the kids' rooms like the plague, because their rooms are a constant reminder that they have just been inundated with more "stuff" and that it's time for the annual "post-Christmas purge".  You know....the ole' "get-yourself-a-strong-cup-of-coffee-before-you-cross-the-threshold-of-their-doorframe" purge.  Because you know it's gonna' take more than coffee to recover after you're finished. 

Sigh. 

Then there's the whole "undecorating-the-tree-and-lugging-all-of-the-decorations-that-have-only-been-down-from-the-attic-less-than-a-month-back up-to-the-attic" routine.   And don't get me wrong.  I love, love, LOVE my keepsake ornaments that my kids have made over the years....you couldn't give me a million dollars for them, but the fact is...everyone gets excited about "trimming the tree" but not quite so excited about "un-trimming the tree". 

And did I mention the infamous "box-to-ship-to-St. Louis" that's sitting on the living room floor?    You know....the box with the gifts that no one EVER receives on time?  Sigh.  It's how I roll, unfortunately.  And I try to always tell myself, "It's okay, Leah....everyone loves to get a late gift....it just keeps Christmas going."  But I'm not sure if getting a gift in May can still count as a Christmas package.  :/ 

No....I have never sent a Christmas package in May.....

And ordinarily I would feel extremely guilty about the PILE of Christmas cards sitting un-sent in my kitchen that I "scrambled-to-take-pictures-of-my-kids-for-while-my-daughter-was-home-from-college,-and-braved-the-pouring-rain-to-get-to-Sam's-Club-for-them-to-develop-them-on-their-last-day-of-their-Christmas-card-special.  I mean...come on.....$15 for 100 of them is a good price.  No....I don't send out a hundred, but it's too good to pass up.  Unless of course you never actually send them OUT.....


Sigh.....


And I'm ashamed to tell you how behind I am on my laundry, but just suffice it to say that my husband has had to ask where some clean socks were a time or two, and I would be lying if I said that I had never had to holler from the bathroom for someone to bring me a clean towel out of the dryer...


Yep.  The holidays do it to me every year.  But throw in a sick daughter needing hip surgery the week before Christmas, and you've got yourself a stressful holiday season!!!  


So I guess I'm allowed to be pooped and ready for school to be back in session and things to get back to normal again.....whatever normal is.  


I'm just sayin'. 

Got to thinking.....

So I hopped in the shower (which is where I ponder many of my thoughts), and I got to thinking. I thought about the picture of my living room that I had posted, and the fact that I said, "this is where you will get the real deal", and I thought, "WHAT?" That's not the real deal....FAR from it actually. Which then led me to thinking... that I would never want someone to take one look and think, "Oh wow. Mother of four and her house looks like that? Definitely not my type of blog."

So let me begin by apologizing. (Really...allow me....it's what I do best. People tell me that I apologize for breathing other people's air, and, well....I sorta' do.)

Like I was saying. I am sorry that I misled you. It was just one of those rare moments when my house was all neat and tidy. Truth be known, it was probably moments before the in-laws came over and I had just frantically run through here like a chicken with my head cut off. And...it had just been decorated by my sister-in-law who has amazing natural ability to do that sort of thing.

So now....I will present you with a picture of how it looked this morning, which is how it looks more often than not....I'm ashamed to say. I had to MAKE myself come in here immediately after my shower and take a picture of how it really looked.


See? Now don't you feel better?

I knew I was in trouble when my oldest daughter looks over my shoulder at my original picture and says, "Wow, mom. I think that's like, the first time the living room and kitchen were both clean at the same time!" She's so precious.....pointing out my shortcomings. Did I mention that she's a teenager who can be sarcastic at times? I'm just sayin'.