Overstretched rubber band

I've got a new phrase: 

My rubber band just won't stretch that far. (It comes from here)

I tried out a variation today when talking with someone about catching up over coffee in January. I said January was looking busy and she was surprised, 
"You're all booked up already?" 
I pulled out my new phrase and said, "No, I just have to be careful how far I stretch the rubber band."

She totally got it straight away. She understood that I needed to leave some space in my schedule, and I wasn't yet sure how much space I'd need. This phrase is going into my regular vocabulary!

Phew, I sure feel like an overstretched rubber band right now. It's been a big year. 

A bit of this would be good right now!

February was tough with a boy who wasn't coping so well with high school assignments, that continued to play out over the rest of the semester (until June). 
May and June were huge, as we downsized and packed up. Emotionally huge too as we said goodbyes for the second time in 13 months.
July was huge with travel, a conference in Thailand, visitors in Japan, resettling in Japan, and a camping trip too. 
August I predictably got sick and it took a long time to recover from because I'd overstretched my rubber band in the previous few months.
August was also the start of school and lots of hellos: to old friends and new.
September we started the month with a boy in hospital plus we had cross-country every Saturday. I had a distressing throat problem too. Then I worked hard to get up to scratch with the magazine again and put into motion a plan to get us back on track.
October, November, December I've been working hard particularly on the magazine, but also at times at night with a boy on assignment work.

Now it's been 17 weeks since our last school holidays and I'm pretty whacked. We all are.

Thankfully holidays begin at lunchtime on Friday. I'm hanging out for some down-time and a bit of slack for my rubber band!