Even though I have been doing a Christmas countdown since the week after Christmas 2024, to me, now the holiday season has officially begun.
I went to Publix Monday morning to pick up pepperoni for the Independence Place cooking class and what did I see when I walked in the store but Halloween candy.
Then Tuesday, when I was at The Pig (cherry picking the sale on ground chuck), the entire front of the store was decorated for Halloween. I am talking about skeletons, light up pumpkins and the whole shebang.
In my world as soon as school begins, time speeds up. I have to make sure I have everything I need to do done during the school hours (no school buses in my burb, so the traffic picking up and dropping off all those kids is horrid). There are no more lazy summer days when I can do whatever needs to be done any time of the day.
Next, football season starts. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy college football as much as the next person and loved the high school season when our sons were in school, but it means weekends are tied to game times. And, once again, things to be done are schedule sensitive. For those of us who are Alabama fans, the season starts on August 30. The saving grace is that the game is an away game, so we only have to carve out the actual TV game time to be faithful fans.
Along with this seasonal roller coaster come the holidays we personally celebrate, Labor Day, Halloween, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
This year Labor Day falls on September 1st. My personal set in stone September schedule includes our local Broadway season opening play, 2 charity fundraisers, a baby shower, a concert in Florence, AL, plus ball games every Saturday except the 20th. There are a few other events planned but I have wiggle room with them and they are not things I absolutely have to do, and we are trying to have a few days getaway to the beach.
October is not so scheduled__yet. Other than football games, there are a couple of family birthdays in October and a couple of concerts we would like to see. One in particular, Sugar Rush, looks very interesting.
Add to October the decorating for Halloween and then enjoying all the creatures who trick or treat us right as we slide headfirst into . . .
. . . November. Besides, football, another Broadway series play, a concert at The Alys, there is Veteran's Day, decorating for Thanksgiving and of course the big day, and hopefully a trip to Portland as a pre-holiday madness trip to see Pip (and her parents, but all grandparents know the grands are the primary reason for the visit). Add to that pre-Christmas shopping, wrapping and decorating. (I want everything in place and the lights ready to turn on the Friday after Thanksgiving.)
And then up pops Christmas filled with all the activities associated with the holidays Whew! And before I can catch my breath the 52 weeks until Christmas will begin again.
And with that, what exactly did I do concerning Christmas prep this week? A big fat nothing!!! I need to get my rear in gear . . . and fast!
I've been trying to get all I can done now because like you said, as soon as the 'ber months arrive there is so much I want to do and time speeds up. I stopped in Hobby Lobby yesterday for a container and not only Fall but Christmas decorations are out. I didn't look, I just can't think about that in August in 105-degree heat.
ReplyDeleteThe "ber" months fly by for me and I know they do, so I am trying to get as many duck in a row as I can right now.
DeleteLooks like that you are going to be busy in next few months :-)
ReplyDeleteFall is always my busiest time of the year. From Thanksgiving on is usually just a blur
DeleteYour schedule is overwhelming me! I'm not that social, and probably wouldn't attend that many events in two years, let alone a few months. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteI am not tremendously social but our falls are always full. We do go to events at The Alys and have season tickets to our local Broadway touring plays, so those are regular events.
DeleteYou might not have planned for Christmas this week, but figuring out a general schedule for the rest of the year is a good accomplishment. We need to do that.
ReplyDeleteWe try to keep a loose schedule 6 months out, but as time gets closer we tend to refine it a good bit. Right now the things we have on the books are, for the most part, "must-do" and in ink. Though there are a couple of want to do's in pencil. We will see how that works out.
DeleteYes, getting your schedule in order for the months leading up to Christmas is a huge accomplishment. We have October birthdays here too. And would love to host an outdoor cookout for that once the weather turns cooler. Will also enjoy being outside more as cooler weather replaces this heat and humidity.
ReplyDeleteNo joke! Those couple of days of cooler weather were just teasers!
DeleteWhen our kids were pre-school age, we would take our weeklong beach trip in September (third week is best for fishing - or something like that!). We would take my mother-in-law with us and she and I would start fabric shopping for Halloween costumes and cute fall matching outfits for the kids. I always felt like on the fourth of July, we started a downhill slide all the way 'til Christmas. I've never met anyone who felt the same way and you articulated it so well . . .and even put music with it! Eek!
ReplyDeleteLife is just running from one thing to another for me after Labor day, but I might have to rethink that because the first half of August disappeared without me realizing it.
DeleteI love the beach when it is uncrowded!
Busy times. Which make me cringe. I suspect that health issues will take precedence and Christmas will be low key here. I am not ready to think about it yet though.
ReplyDeleteIgnore it completely. You have bigger fish to fry right now!
DeleteIt sounds like you'll be quite busy from now until the end of the year! I'm not thinking that far ahead, but, probably should!
ReplyDeleteThis time of year is our most complicated each and every year. I just want to have things done so I can truly enjoy the holidays instead of feeling like I am rushing through them.
DeleteWoo-hoo! Your upcoming "BER" months sound wonderfully fun.
ReplyDeleteNestled between two schools (on a one-mile street), I totally get what you mean about timing our comings and goings.
I try to do my goings and comings either early (but after rush hour and school) or between 1 and 3 so I miss lunch hour for everyone working.
DeleteIt was kinda "cute" when you announced in January that you were counting down to Christmas! Now??? Crikey, we're already on the downward slope and I'm not laughing at you anymore!
ReplyDeleteYep we are way past the halfway mark.
DeleteI miss going to music or art openings, and plays. Neither of us can get in easily. I am not sure how the rest of the year will play out since Tommy is having a hip replacement as it stands now. Working around school traffic is a pain. About six cars park on the side of the road entering this neighborhood and are a pain to get around as they meet the children dropped off to take them home. I now ask Tommy when Alabama and Auburn are playing anywhere, consider the iron bowl and get him to tell me what time they play. Then, I ask him what time he must be home. Then, I can plan a trip to store or wherever. Fall is always complicated.
ReplyDeleteFall is always our busiest time.
DeleteTime flies!
ReplyDeleteAmalia
xo
That it does!
DeleteI mean you're more ready for Christmas than usual, right? Better than being way less ready!
ReplyDeleteI am probably about the same as far as physical readiness, but I have a folder of ideas to begin as soon as I finish the blooming room of horrors.
DeleteAs I'll be gone all of November for the most part, I am not sure how December will be handled, but other than perhaps a day to three subbing, I won't be working so will have days free for things I used to have to squeeze into nights and weekends. We're an NFL fan family more than college, but follow our Gophers a bit. My two college alma maters have decent D2 football teams and both have great outdoor stadiums so might be fun if weather is great to go to a game.
ReplyDeleteTheHub and son2 go to the games, I watch them at home where I don't have to fight the crowds for the rest room.
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