This Is When the "Second Shift" Gets Exhausting

All week long, I've been thinking that there's an extra week between now and Thanksgiving. Um, no there isn't. I've been doing the math and as of today:

• There are 6 days until the parent/teacher conference at my son's school
• There are 7 days until I have to take a mandatory offsite training class that I do not want to take
• There are 10 days until I get a week-long vacation from work
• There are 12 days until the "Butter Ball" benefitting Coats for Kids, an event for which I have nothing to wear
• There are 13 days until I get my permanent crown on my back tooth
• There are also 13 days until my parents come to town again
• There are 14 days until Thanksgiving
• There are 14 days until the UT/A&M football game and tailgate
• There are 14 days until my parents' 43rd wedding anniversary
• There are 26 days until I get a root touch-up
• There are 30 days until we go to Colorado for a week
• There are 40 days until my brother's birthday
• There are 42 days until Christmas

ACK!

I need to get on the ball here! To date, I've done no Christmas shopping, no grocery shopping for Thanksgiving, I haven't finished prepping for the ski-trip (still need socks for myself and Dr Pop and mittens for Boy Pop). I need to buy an outfit for this party (yay! new clothes!!!). My house is a disorganized mess. Boy Pop and I need to sort through his toys and choose what he will give to charity this year. I have a pile of clothes to take to the children's consignment shop and another pile of clothes for Goodwill and The Salvation Army.

We also need to put out some Thanksgiving decorations, decide on the Christmas lights, hang the Christmas lights, mail Christmas cards, and organize the closet under the stairs for the 4th time this year.

On top of that, I really, really, really, really want to reorganize every cabinet in my kitchen, clean out my office once and for all, go through Boy Pop's artwork and make collages for his room and for his grandparents, make my Christmas Card and gift lists, win the lottery, make some holiday crafts with Boy Pop, bake up a storm, and read some of the books that have been piling up on my bedside table.

And then there's t-ball. We have two games left (this Saturday and the next) and a team party following the last game.

Finally, I have to somehow fit in a Defensive Driving course between now and December 18th. Hooray for speeding tickets! That I got today! On my way back from the dentist!

I love the holiday season, I really do! Writing it all down like this makes me feel better about the upcoming 6 weeks. There will be time with family and friends, two vacations, and lots of memory-making with my husband and son. I just cannot believe that once again, time has gotten away from me.

Breathe in, breathe out.

And I have no idea what to get the man who has everything... My husband.