We are leaving tonight around 6 p.m. to go spend Thanksgiving with my extended family. We will be there through Sunday and I’m super excited.

But I’m also EXHAUSTED! Preparing to be gone for a day or two is tiring but five days is downright exhausting. And on top of that, I’ve got a lot of extra stuff to get done at work as I was in training all last week and will be gone for the majority of this week.

Three years ago when I prepared for a trip I’d make sure the trash was out, the dishes were done and I had some outfits stuffed in a bag. That process these days is much lengthier, although it has gotten better as Miles, now 2, gets older. No more worrying about bottles, a breast pump, baby food and countless diapers. But still, EXHAUSTING.

Here is what my Monday looked like — full day of work, home around 5 p.m. and straight into nightly kiddo routine. We play (it’s the only time I get to see him during the week, I don’t want to sacrifice my hour of playtime), I fix dinner and make sure he eats more than he feeds to the dog and then its the bedtime dance. Every other night that includes a bath. Last night it was just jammies, milk, books and snuggles.

By 8:30 he was snuggly in bed, and I was faced with a “to do” list the length of my arm. The husband had been snoring since about 5:30 p.m. so it was me and the dog, but Van isn’t much help.

Two loads of laundry, pack clothes for Miles, pack clothes for me, find and wrap White Elephant gifts for Bingo, finish wrapping presents for the kiddos (all of the cousins’ little ones get gifts at our Thanksgivmas celebration), find and finish the ornaments Miles made Sunday afternoon, finish up my craft for my cousins and pack them, bake and decorate two dozen cupcakes (with delicious homemade frosting), make Funfetti puppy chow (it is AMAZING!), clean up baking mess and wash all those dishes (I left the bulk of the dishes for the hubby), pack all other essentials, clean out my car (that ends up looking like a dumping grounds five minutes after it gets cleaned), load the car and then, at 12:30 a.m., go to bed.

We haven’t even left yet, and I’m already beat. And as much as I love, absolutely LOVE, going away for Thanksgiving and seeing family, it too is exhausting. We stay up way too late packing in as much time with those we love the very most and don’t see enough. And the kids always get up earlier than normal it seems. We are doing a million things together and running around chasing kids. By the time we get back Sunday afternoon, I know this level of exhaustion will not only NOT be remedied it will be intensified.

And you know what, I LOVE IT! I wouldn’t change it for anything. So here’s to exhaustion and family and road trips and turkey!

Tips for making the “getting ready” process any easier? I know mom, don’t procrastinate. I promise to add it to my “to do” list for next time!