.......................

[C.Ann]

..........................

 

[JESW]

Not sure why but this year I have none...nada...zip. I usually have our cards mailed by now but I haven't even taken a picture of the kids to put on it. I am half-heartedly getting the shopping done. The bare tree is up in the family room but there are no ornaments or decorations down from the attic. We have a Disney advent calendar that we keep forgetting to open. Not sure why but I could just skip it altogether this year...

Jill

 

[MushyMushy]

Oh yes. Christmas is usually my favorite holiday, and this year I'm just dreading it. If I didn't have kids, I'd just not decorate, not buy gifts, and spend the day like any other.

 

[C.Ann]

Not sure why but I could just skip it altogether this year...

Jill

-----------------------------

We all pretty much feel the same way - and it's really weird because it is our favorite holiday of the year!!

 

[JARNJ3]

Yes - having a hard time.

But I know why - my Mom passed in May - we're going through all the "firsts" the rest of this year......

Plus - its hard to buy gifts this year - not knowing if I'll be employed next year.

 

[C.Ann]

..

 

[pfishgirl]

I could use a little Christmas spirit here too

Houses are not lit up like the use to be, so many people are in crisis over Jobs and paying bills, I assume people don't want to make their Electric bill higher having lights on all night

DS & DH are in no rush to help me raise my spirits either. I have been asking since Thanksgiving can we please go get a tree

DS's friend has been living with us for a week so I'm stressing over how to help him since he has nowhere to really go

Bah Humbug!! Doesn't even seem to cover it

 

[sharbear]

It's really hard this year. I'm moving and the trucks are coming on Jan. 5. All of my Christmas stuff is in storage, my H is in our new location and the kids are away at college. I'm working retail, which means I'm working all the time. And I have a monster cold.

I haven't done much or any shopping. I don't feel like decorating. I have to get the stuff out of storage, put it up and take it down to be packed for our new location. No one's here except me and I don't care.

 

[HelenePA]

Me. I dont know I'm just not "there" Lights are up, tree is up and decorated, christmas lists have been made, went out shopping on black friday.. but it just doesn't feel like christmas. Usually I have 15 or so people to buy for.. this year.. just the kids and 2 of my best friends kids. My family is gone. Its really sinking in that its just me and my brother left.. that's it.. I miss my family. I miss the fights. I miss being worried over if my gram will like what I got her. I miss it all. I didn't even make thanksgiving dinner. what's the point of cooking a turkey for just us my kids hate turkey.. We got cracker barrel to go and played on the wii all day.. there has been a shortage of snow here as well.. its cold as heck but no snow!?!?!

 

[Buckalew11]

I'm the oddball here. This is the first Christmas in many years that I have not felt depressed about the holidays. 2 years ago I lost my dad and that was really hard. Before that, it was DH's dad and it just wasn't feeling right for me to celebrate or decorate or shop or enjoy or anything!

This year I am sick fighting a horrible cold andcramming clients in before Santa gets here. I am, however, flying to WDW Sunday for about 4 days. That isn't why I am enjoying the holidays though because I did that during the dark times too and it didn't help.

I can't explain why I am filled with more Christmas joy this year. I just am. One thing is that we are all getting less focused on the materialism and the pressure is off to "buy, buy, buy". Another is that I am really focusing this season on people worse off than I am and doing for them instead of trying to decide what to buy people who "probably already have one".

I have my tree up, decorated, Christmas music going. 2 years ago I put the tree up and left it bare! Last year it had lights and maybe 3 ornaments on it (no joke). I am digging deep into my soul this year for this, let me tell you!

Hugs to everyone have a hard time with the holidays. I KNOW what you are going through.

 

[babytrees]

for the first time in 5 years I wasn't dreading December (I quit my job....yup you read right...I quit....I know bonehead move with the economy...but I was going insane) but I can't get in the holiday spirit.

C. Ann you are right-it's like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I've gotten the kids their gifts and we got the grandparents gifts to make but we haven't even made them yet.

It's the most blessed time of the year and I think it's I'm feeling cursed.

 

[SpecialK]

Count me in. Have yet to buy a gift. Tree is up but not decorated. DH and I are trying to get into the Christmas spirit for the kids, but it's hard. I know why though - we buried my FIL today, and it's hitting us like a ton of bricks.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

Count us in as well. I thought this would be a good Christmas for Lauri since it's going to be her first one not being strangled by that stupid retail management job. Christmas has always been a happy time for her. Unfortunately, all I'm seeing is sadness and I'm not sure what to do.

 

[Magic Mom]

We're all having a tough time here.. No one knows what they want - not even my 10 yr. old DGD; everywhere we turn there's some kind of bad news (personal; locally; nationally); things in general feel very "unsettling" and we just can't seem to get our act together.. Surely we aren't the only ones..

I don't think I can ever remember a Christmas where we were as "uninterested" as we are this year..

If there are others out there trying like heck to grab on to the spirit this year, please share what you are doing.. It's closing in on us fast and no one wants to be miserable for the holidays.. (Well - accept for DD's FIL.. He makes it his life mission to be as miserable as possible and ruin it for everyone else along the way.. Telling his wife again that she doesn't "need" a tree this year; ranting to DGD about the "commercialism" of it all; tossing Christmas cards in the trash before MIL even gets to see them; etc.. He gives a new meaning to "Scrooge".. )

I am....I have been fooling myself thinking I am in the mood for the holidays. Dh is going oversaes the week after Christmas, and then he is deploying to Iraq from there in May, so we won't be going with him to Germany. He has been sick and they don't know what's causing it. DS got into a car wreck yesterday. DD is falling apart that her daddy is leaving, I am working two jobs and trying my hardest to keep everyone sane.
I realize that I have much to be thankful for, and that there are others with much harder difficulties, but it is all wearing me down, and I don't feel into the holiday season. I wish I could help you C.Ann, but I can't even boost myself up.

 

[Disney Doll]

I'm OK with Christmas this year. Have the inside decdorations up, the trees are up, will be decorated by weekend's end. We'll put the outside lights up tomorrow...just bought a bunch of the LED lights, which just arrived. The gift list is under control.

I am concerned for the economy, but Christmas is the time that I think, with the birth of God's Son, that we'll be OK.

 

[EthansMom]

I'm pretty blah about Christmas this year too.

Not any one reason... but a slew of little ones that are just adding stress this year: DH was expecting to have some surgery this month but will now be putting it off until Feb or March but is in pain and not sleeping well in the meantime; I am recovering from pneumonia; SIL made up some stories (that thankfully all of the other ILs knew was bupkiss) about me and made a huge drama just after Thanksgiving so we have no idea if there will be further issues at Christmas get-togethers; the tree hasn't even made it up from the box in the basement not to mention any other decorations.

 

[JimmyPicker]

I've completely misplaced my Christmas spirit. I've gotten most of the things on my DS9's list. But that's it. Nothing yet for my youngest. The tree isn't up. The house isn't decorated, inside or out.

I just can't get into it. It's cold enough. It's definitely December. I don't know why?

 

[Andrea]

add me to the group also.. i feel like such a grinch. I put up my fake tree well half of it went up last night, the other half this am... but no lights or anything just the bare tree. I am really thinking about taking it down tomorrow and just not doing it this year at all my husband doesnt care, he has never been into christmas.. in fact all the years past i would take the tree down on christmas night

 

[mommasita]

I am having a hard time as well.

to everyone on dealing with it all.

I have the tree up and lights on. I have not bought ONE single gift yet, so that is getting to me. We were away recently, and ever since I have not found my groove. Last time I go away so near Christmas.

We do have some extended family issues, and we celebrate at the in-laws the Eve, and my mother's on the 25th. My husband will work on both of those , so I will go with the kids, but it won't be the same at all.

I have been sick recently, and with my burn it has been hard to do things. Thankfully my burn is healing, and I will start shopping Monday. Maybe when I start wrapping and actually seeing a gift under my tree I will feel more spirited

 

[Tuffcookie]

C Ann, Tomorrow marks 2 years ago Mom passed away.
A friend is having a get-together at her house in the morning so I'm grateful that that will keep my mind off of things.
I hope after tomorrow I can start to feel the Christmas Spirit.
As Tiny Tim said, "God, bless us, everyone"!

TC