The Holidays are hard....

Can you order online and pick up at the store it comes in shipping boxes so he wont see? Then wrap while he's sleeping.

I guess maybe. I'm worried it wouldn't come in time? Part of what he wants is gift cards. I'm so frustrated with this situation. Really worried about it. Have been in tears most of the morning. The way I feel right now, I wouldn't even show up at my family's house on Christmas except I know it'd hurt my son if I did that.

How old is your son? can you shop on your lunch break? know what you want before going though.

He is 11. Don't get a lunch break, so that's out. I guess I'll just keep trying to find someone. Maybe will look into ordering online. Worse come to worse, I'll grab some gift cards and stocking stuffers from the grocery store one morning before work, I guess. I did already get him the main thing he wanted awhile back. It will be fine I suppose.

I'm sorry no one will watch your son.

I finally had someone come through for me. I was able to get out today. So relieved.

good, I'm glad.

I am glad that someone came through for you.
bizi

We are going up to my parents for christmas for 2 nights so am glad about that.
marysue my mother in law is as sweet as she can be. Maybe I can go to my sisters over new years week end.

I already left a message on my answering machine that I would be out of the office because I don't have any appointments left before we leave.

I overfilled the tires because we will be traveling to cold temperatures.

I am done shopping, have to wrap.
see a hospice patient tomorrow and then get my hair colored.
I see 4 clients on sunday, then 5 on monday then we leave.
played trivia Friday it was fun. Though I ate an entire pizza by myself.
Saturday was a hospice patient the got my hair colored.
sunday saw 3 clients and went to a christmas party, ate and drank too much, I am stuffed.
laundry is done thanks to hubby.
One more day left to pack.
sigh
bizi

I am all packed I think just a couple more things to attend to in the morning.
It gets harder and harder each trip...especially the winter one.
It is good timing. All of a sudden my right elbow is acting up like a repetitive stress injury.
so It will be good to give it a break.
merry christmas!
bizi

My family is all screwed up so Christmas already looks like this:
Christmas eve, dinner and gifts with my mom's "friend". Church.
Christmas morning, gifts with my mom and brother. Drive 2 hours to my sister's.
Christmas afternoon, gifts with my nieces and sister and BIL. Christmas dinner. Drive 2 hours home.

And now we've added my sister's family coming to visit the 27th (which is great but stressful) and a potential extended family thing the 28th. I'm exhausted thinking of all this. And I"m still sewing and sewing and only have 4-5 days to finish and to put ribbons on boxes and wrap 3 sets of towels.

Overload. Which keeps me awake....

My Christmas is going to be really quite. In the morning I will see my sister, nieces and nephews. That will be great. I love giving kids presents. The rest of the day I will spend with my Mum as my Dad is working away so I don't want her to be alone. We will probably have a small meal, talk and watch Netflix. Once my Dad is back the family will get together but not for a meal or anything. My Mum wants to take it easy. I think the quiet Christmas is all I can handle this year anyway after being so unwell.

I'm so sorry on your behalf! It is hard to loose a loved one, so it will be natural to have some grief. I understand your feelings of shame because you don't have the money to buy presents to all. Could it be an idea to set aside a day (parts of a day) to either call or send SMS-es where you explain that this year you don't have the economy to give gifts to all (or have to give smaller gifts to all)? I ask you this because my experience is that if I have to do something unpleasant, I can makeit if I do relaxation exercises before and after I do the unpleasant.

About your husband: Is it possible for you to visit his grave and in that way do a bit grieving and at the same time get the feeling of still being close to him (remember all the good times you had togheter)?

Send good wishes your way!

yes, the holidays are hard. This is my second Christmas after seperating from my wife. I will be spending the day with her and the kids. We are still close, but it is not the same.

Adding this on top of my usual Christmas melancholy and it is going to be a hard one.

I finally finished all my gift shopping on Saturday. It was really stressful for me because I had no idea what to get people. I ended up asking family members ideas for what I should get for other family members. That helped alleviate some of the stress, but I feel bad because I feel like the gifts aren't really from "me". Oh well. Better than getting the wrong gifts IMO.

I have given up on holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve/Day. I just don't enjoy them, no matter my mood. For Thanksgiving and/or Christmas my husband goes to his family. I am of course welcome, but I can't make the trip. Too long a drive with a lumbar fusion, and a leg and foot that give me problems. So I stay home. I could go to my sister's house where most of my family gathers. They are only 20 miles away. But I'm not sure I want to spend time with them. I've had my fill over the years of being teased or mocked about one thing or another. The latest will be my beard and my weight gain. I'm a grown man ffs... I don't need that. So I'll stay home with my dogs, my cat, and binge watch Xfinity.

I'm so overwhelmed! I've been so stressed with my son that I haven't started Christmas shopping yet. I have to buy for 11 ppl this yr! I'm giving a lot of gift cards. I hope they understand. But I'm too stressed to do much more. I'm gonna be so broke.

I'm mostly finished with Christmas shopping. I just need to pick up two gift cards for my cousins. They are unappreciative brats (young adults, 19 and 21) so I feel no desire to even get those. In fact I might not. I could buy the older one some cologne. I don't know what I'd get the younger one though. I guess I could have picked up some fishing tackle at Walmart but I didn't think about it. I really don't feel like going back there so close to Christmas. Oh well.

I'm done for everyone else though. I had to dip into my tuition money to pay for everything though. I'm hoping to get some money for Christmas so I can replenish the fund and be able to pay my tuition in full.

I wish my husband were alive. I hate wrapping gifts so he used to do it for me. He also spent a good half hour arranging everything under the tree perfectly. I feel my presentation is more haphazard. But I don't think my son will care. He instructed me we have to leave cookies and milk for santa AND we have to leave out a carrot for the reindeer. I never left carrots out as a kid but whatever. I just hope some woodland creature takes it overnight so I don't have to go out in the morning and retrieve it.

I'm thinking of taking him out on Christmas Eve to drive around town and look at lights. That could be our new tradition. We don't do anything for Christmas Eve as my mom's church doesn't hold a service. Usually I make a crab ball and eat some good cheese and crackers but that's no fun for a little kid. He wants to watch frosty the snowman too. I hate that movie but if he wants to watch it then we will watch it.

My mom and brother both hate Christmas so they kind of take the fun out of it for me. But they at least put on a brave face.