Published: September 17, 2008 09:08 am      

Approaching holiday means lots of work

The cool, crisp in the morning air may have just alerted some of you that fall will soon be upon us. And if you’re the kind of laid-back, go-with-the-flow person who is just realizing this, I envy you.

I, like many other busy working moms, have to anticipate the coming of the winter months way in advance. There are coats and new shoes to buy, costumes to pick, decorating to do, gift lists to make, and, above all, scheduling to be done.

This is the part the men in my family seem unable to understand. “Thanksgiving and Christmas are still MONTHS away,” they whine. “Why are we having to talk about it now?” Oh, how wonderful that existence must be. I’d love to proceed throughout the holiday season on a well-oiled schedule, visiting every family member in turn, eating festive meals in each of three states, and all without a care in the world.

But, well, it doesn’t work that way. In order for the holiday season to proceed that way, someone’s got to make all those plans. And who does it? Why, your friendly neighborhood mom, that’s who!

So, here we are. Christmas is 100 days out, and I have schedules to organize, gift lists to compile, budgets to make, meals to plan and secrets to keep. While I’m doing that, I have to make sure all the in-laws are happy, and no child can possibly think he’s less special than any other child.

Oh, you know, and the day-to-day business of being a government beat reporter, a wife, a mother, a friend ... all that jazz.

If this sounds exhausting and unfamiliar to you, then you’re probably not a mom. If you’re laughing and saying, “Wow, that’s my life, too,” well, you probably ARE a mom.

The truth is, it is exhausting. The holidays wear me out. By the time Valentine’s Day has come and gone I’ll be at the end of my proverbial rope. But I can’t help it ... I love the holidays.

I love when the air gets that tell-tale bite. I love pumpkins and homemade ghosts in the trees. I love watching my son crack the wishbone. I love working on Christmas music in our church choir. I love thinking about the look on my best friend’s face when she unwraps the “perfect” pair of shoes I bought her (oops!). There’s absolutely nothing about the holiday season that isn’t worth the rush it takes to get it done.

But someday, oh sweet someday, I hope I’ll have a holiday season where everything’s just taken care of. Where I’m shuffled from place to place, blissfully unaware of the work that went into planning these gatherings. Where my name is signed to the card attached to everyone’s perfect gift. And, well, ideally I’d be able to accomplish this stress-free holiday season without either going back in time and being a toddler or fast-forwarding to my octogenarian days.

Or, you know, without having to endure a Freaky Friday incident and switch places with my husband.