Keeping it all Together Sometimes Means Shoving Everything in the Closet

I am not striving for perfection in my Thanksgiving day prep.  I just want a clean guest room for my brother and sister-in-law (who always insist on cooking these gourmet breakfasts while they are here, so of course they deserve a nice sleeping space), a tidy house, and the zillion-plus-infinity projects on my to-do-list tackled.  Because everyone knows that if it doesn't get organized or done before Thanksgiving (like the basement, which is not),  it all gets lost in all the Christmas preparation. 

I cleaned out my bathroom drawer (ladies you know this can be daunting).  I managed to sort through and organize some our guestroom closet so I could cram in all the random items laying around the room.  I organized the bottom cupboards of my dining room armoire where I secretly toss everything that doesn't have a home.  I threw away 10 lbs of old receipts I didn't need anymore.  I cleaned off the kitchen counter.  Organized the top of my closet. Cleaned up the garage. Winterized flower beds. Wiped all the mysterious marks/spots/dried food off of my doors, cabinets, walls.

Here's me going!
and going
and going.
Look at all I can accomplish!

Crash.

Here I am, Tuesday night, cranky, exhausted, irritated, and short-tempered with a whole list waiting to be checked off.  Yesterday I was so over-done that I physically could not put Patrick to bed.  Tom got him tucked in while I crawled into bed at the same time, 8:15ish.  I feel a bit better today as a result of that sleep, but still very much out of sorts.

Thank God for the best kind of mother-in-law one could wind up with, one who stayed with the kids while I ran errands today, including the dreaded Thanksgiving feast day grocery trip extravaganza. 

When you read my Thanksgiving Day post and see the joyful faces, know it did not come about because I have my life perfectly planned and timed.  It is mostly bursts of motivation mixed with bouts of exhaustion.  God always sees me through.  And in the last few hours before our guests arrive, I'll probably just end up shoving everything in the closet.