Do you feel it, too?

[Scrapbird]

That empty, at-loose-ends feeling when your kids leave after being home for the holidays?
I have accomplished next to nothing today . . . just kind of hanging around, playing mindless games on the computer, listening to the silence, missing them.

[Jen D]

I always get the blues after Christmas. We go from so many things to look forward to, we are always so busy, fun, fun, fun.... then zap back to reality

(((hugs)))

[digigrandma]

Yes, when our family leaves us when we are at the lake cabin I am absolutely blue with missing them. I have to get really busy cleaning to keep myself from wallowing in self pity. I imagine that must be what it is like for all of you who have family visitors leaving after Christmas. I am fortunate we all live in town here so we see each other regularly all year.

Does it help to start organizing the photos to start a new photo album project?

[MIDA78466]

Yep---it is so rare that all of my kids come home though. They are spread out all over the US.

I really love listening to all the kids joke and pick on each other. They are too funny. The grandkids--miss those little ones more than my own kids!!

[Janet1949]

I know exactly how it feels, as my son lives over 1000km away in Sydney, we really only see him over the Christmas/summer holidays, admittedly he stays with us for around 5-6wks, but then he's off until next year...
On the up side, he's still here with us, so making the most of enjoying him and his new wife for the next month..

[jcaruth910]

Oh yes, I dropped my two boys off at the airport yesterday . It takes me a few days to get back into my routine. Scrapping helps a lot.

[KimR+]

It's so wonderful to have loved ones close for the holidays!! And yes, it is hard when they leave and we all go back to the normal grind. But it's can also be fun to look forward to the next gathering!

[mugsbigsis]

Yes. I. Do.

[earlofoxford]

Actually, I had my blues during Christmas when everybody was somewhere else. Now I'm looking forward to them coming home. Marc, Karen, and the kids are on their way home frrom NY -- should arrive tomorrow.

[blhdvm]

Not to that point here yet since both boys are still in HS. I tend to get "energized" after all the holiday activity, and am ready to get back into the routine!
But next year ... Lane will be going back to college at this time and I will be right there with you!!

[Scrapbird]

Originally Posted by MIDA78466

I really love listening to all the kids joke and pick on each other. They are too funny.

Me, too!!!!

[anke]

I can't even imagine!!! My kids are still all at home, but even I can feel the let-down after Christmas is over. All the preparations, all the rushing, and then it's over! Oh well, routine can be a good thing!

[grandma lynnie]

I feel like the oddball in this thread. My kids all travel from quite a distance and stay for several days, all 18 of them! I loved having a noisy busy household for Christmas, loved playing with the grandkids and catching up with the kids. I even loved all the cooking. But today they all left and I am sitting in my chair with my feet up feeling a sense of relief! I am ready to do damage control on my house and get things back to normal. Then I will move ahead on my new year's plans. I love having them come and love having them go! Does this make me a bad Grandma?

[digigrandma]

LOL, Lynnie, I have never had that many relatives all with me at once so I certainly would be ready to put my feet up and have the house to myself again. You need time to recharge for the next big visit.

[Scrapbird]

Originally Posted by grandma lynnie

I feel like the oddball in this thread. My kids all travel from quite a distance and stay for several days, all 18 of them! I loved having a noisy busy household for Christmas, loved playing with the grandkids and catching up with the kids. I even loved all the cooking. But today they all left and I am sitting in my chair with my feet up feeling a sense of relief! I am ready to do damage control on my house and get things back to normal. Then I will move ahead on my new year's plans. I love having them come and love having them go! Does this make me a bad Grandma?

Oh, my goodness, Lynnie! If I had that much company I would be doing the same thing!! Even though I'm sad to see my few kids go, I also feel a bit of relief to have my house back!

[mungerre]

My kids are spending a couple of days with Grandma and Grandpa, and so there is a mad scramble to organize/move out the toys/books that the kids have out grown before they get back. So instead of kids running around its just the two of us running around working at stuff - pretty surreal after the excitement of Christmas.

[lisa.hinrichs]

My son is still at home, but I have the same feelings. For some reason this year, I was struggling not to tear down all the Christmas Decorations on Tuesday morning. Maybe it's the lack of snow I had a great Christmas but I just couldn't get as excited as I normally get.

[maureenreynolds]

I didn't have anything close to your numbers Lynn, but I'm pretty used to my quiet home life and like it that way.

I think it's also because for most of my child rearing years we were all over the world, away from both our families, so now I don't expect any of our (combined) 6 adult ones home. Their Christmas is with their families except for the two who live nearby. My 1 shares a lot of family time with us and Dick's 1 has always been alone so we usually go out to dinner with her. The left coast ones stay on the left coast and we are the ones who can afford to & go out to visit them now and then.

Bottom line is there's no let down after Christmas because there's no great big build up or expectations. It's not the Rockwell holiday perhaps or the one of so many scrappers but it works for us!

[ang66]

I was so happy to have my son home for the holidays and the house is so empty again!!I hate saying goodbye!

[Faefester]

We take turns at hosting the holidays and this year it wasn't at our house. I didn't even want to decorate! Hubby started the decorating and I helped but my heart wasn't in it. I love being around the grand babies and not having them here...well..I felt lonely too. Time to take stock, look forward, and organize the photographs and groan at the amount still to do!

[thessh]

I never used to understand what all mothers meant when they mentioned this, since I don't have any kids of my own.
But now, with my stepson living in the US while going to college, it is so much fun having him home for the holidays! He's staying with his mom, but he's working with us at the store! I can honestly say that I will miss him a lot when he flies back to GA this coming Saturday...