Christmas! Oh Groan!

I received an email a couple of days ago that gave me a bit of a shock. Hubby's sister emailed with her usual annual request for suggestions and sizing information for Christmas gifts for Daughter #1 and Daughter #2. It was a shock to me that anyone was even thinking about Christmas yet. Christmas always seems to come as a shock as it always creeps up on me and I am left standing as the preverbial but dumbfounded elf. By the way, did I mention that I am in shock over the lack of time between now and Christmas? Shock...shock...shock....

Christmas has always been a problem for me, because I absolutely hate shopping. On-line shopping has made that problem a little better but honestly, I still hate trying to figure out what to get for everyone.

Now that we live so far away from most of our family it has gotten even worse. We now buy gift cards for everyone if they live where I have to send it through the mail.... why pay for postage for a gift. I'd rather spend it on someting that people can use rather than on getting it there in the first place.

Daughter #1 and Daughter #2 are getting harder and harder to shop for too. Their tastes are either sublime or rediculous. Take Daughter #1: she has decided to become one of the horsey set and so wants cowboy boots and cowboy hat this year. First of all Hubby says point blank 'no'. He's having western issues. I think he would be more satisfied if she would ask for a pair of logans and a sou' wester' hat. Then Daughter #2 is having Peter Pan issues and just refuses to grow up.... she has asked for a stroller for her doll. Once again Hubby says no. This was met with the rebellious look of a kid on the brink of teenagerhood. I expect I will have to drag her kicking and screaming out of her childhood and into her youthhood. She is a bundle of extremes right now... How can she want a pink frilly doll stroller and give such venemous looks at us. Pink and frilly vs. venemous viper... it just doesn't jell.

Some days I just wish I could sleep through the season of light. HA! Season of light my ass. It is the darkest part of my year and I wish I could be done with it..... Ba Humbug.

Each year at this time I sit in front of my computer and come up with a Christmas poem that tells about our year all in rhyme. Then I diligently print off 30 or so copies and send them out to people who in return, buy a cheap card and just put their name on it...... Frustrating if you know what I mean. I always figure if you are just going to sign your card and not even make the effort of writing a note, why bother. Put a little effort into it I say.

Christmas is the bane of my existence. People remember others out of obligation and not really out of love. What is the point? It all seems as if some giant snowball was pushed downhill years ago and the damn thing just hasn't stopped rolling.

I'm not saying that Christmas should be banned. I just want it to have more meaning. I want to stop buying lots of gifts for under the tree and buy one really special thing that has joy written all over it. Daughter #1 is sitting here as I write this and when we talked about her Dad having Western issues she said lets just buy one family thing and go on a vacation.... oh how I wish....

Vacations are not the easiest thing at this time of the year either..... how do I leave my aging parents to get through Christmas alone. No turkey dinner, no bright Christmas morning with the grand kiddies to visit.

The pressure is just too much. Now I remember why I think Christmas! Oh groan! Oh well I better start thinking about it soon or I'll be the elf with her pants around her ankles again....