Bah Humbug

I've been thinking a lot about this (now started) holiday season... and how so very uninterested I am in any of it. Thanksgiving day was great, because I didn't go anywhere. I'm about to attend the belated turkey dinner at my in-laws today. Frankly, if I could get out of it somehow, I probably would. But I can't, really.
And Christmas... ohhh, that's going to be the bad one. It was the one holiday that my mom really enjoyed spending with us, especially the kids. She was the one who did all the present buying and decorating at their house. Having this Christmas without her is going to be incredibly hard. So, I am doubly disinterested in my in-laws festivities. I realize I can't avoid Christmas altogether, as I have children, and it would be selfish of me to think only of myself. However, I have already told my husband that I am not attending his family's umpteen dinners/get-togethers this Christmas. I am just.not.interested. I will choose one day, either Christmas eve or Christmas day, to spend with them. The other I will spend with my dad. And that is all I want to do. He is ok with this. Whether or not his parents will grouse about it, I don't know... and it doesn't matter anyway, because I am not changing my mind. Its not that I don't like them, but they aren't my family. And while I get along great with them, I don't relate to them. We are, for the most part, polar opposites. Large group gatherings suck the life out of me, which I surely don't need this year.