Christmas Shopping Nighmare

I've come to the conclusion that there are some mistakes that I just don't learn from! Why do I do this to myself every year?!? I HAVEN'T STARTED MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!! And I have a really large family that I need to buy gifts for, some of them in a different province! Every year, right around this time, I wonder how I could have forgotten to start my shopping earlier, like I always promise myself that I'll start to do. And, every year I once again promise myself that I'm going to start early next year. Why am I lying to myself?!? I know that I'm never going to start shopping early, and I know that I'm going to end up having to shop for hours instead of getting it done quickly because I now have to battle the crowds. And, to make it even worse this year, I have two very young and energetic boys to take with me! (Thank God that they have no idea what I'm actually shopping for, and I can fool my 3yr old still by buying it right in front of him, let him see it and miraculously still be able to wrap it up for under the tree). Next year, however...

And it's not just the shopping either. It's the money part too! Once again, I didn't put money aside to save up for Christmas shopping (another broken promise to myself!) and now I'm trying to cut corners on other things to make sure we have enough money to buy the many gifts for our large families! Once again I ask, why do I do this to myself?!?

On a bit of a different note, what happened to the holiday spirit?!? What happened to people wishing everyone they meet "Happy Holidays" and being happy & pleasant? All this month so far, and it's only just begun, I've only met pushy rude people wherever I've gone!! I went shopping today for just a few little things, and I was cut off soo many times, both in the store and on the roads. It's as if everyone is only thinking "me, me, me" and forgets that other people have places to be too! What is it about December that turns normally polite people into ignorant people?

I don't know...is it just me who screws myself over with the shopping and then gets upset with all of the rude people? Maybe it's just because I'm upset with myself for waiting until the last minute that I only think everyone is being rude, when they're simply being just as upset with themselves for doing the same thing...