Tis the season.......and nothing changes......

So, here it is, Christmas almost and I haven't blogged for a month. What the heck? I mean, yeah, I'm busy. Everyone's busy. But sometimes "busy" is a relative term. Borderline insane comes to mind. I'm waking up before 5 a.m. with my mind spinning - things to do, stuff to buy, money to worry about, memories to make. And I even got to take a pass on some holiday rituals. Decorating, for example - Arlie and Harrison did it ALL including the tree. I was amused (and a tiny bit smug) with their placement of certain items (exactly like I do it), and pleased with their own spin on things. I didn't go around "fixing" things because nothing needed fixed. They did such a great job, and it made me a little bit sad to know they are so independent already. Then, Hayley wrote the Christmas letter so that job was off for me. Which was also nice! However, I am definitely the main shopper, decider, wrapper, etc. and that job is HUGE. I honestly do not know how I would have done everything I've done up to this point if I were working full time. Thank God for the internet, I guess. I've even ventured to the mall on a couple of occasions, which I HATE. But most of the shopping is done, I've been busy in the kitchen making sweet treats and I've shipped off all the packages (to the tune of WAY to many dollars!). We have a slew of Christmas movies I've yet to watch with the kids, in our holiday jammies, eating treats. That's on "the list". I've yet to make sugar cookies for an evening of messy decorating (also on the list). I'm really craving my annual holiday homemade Bailey's but have yet to venture to a liquor store for the ingredients (also on the list). Every year I feel like I missed doing a ton of stuff I've wanted to do and I'm in a race to cram it all in before the kids go off to their other parents' homes for their half of the winter vacation. The kids themselves are crazy busy with rehearsals, homework, concerts so that we are hardly all home at the same time. Tomorrow is the last day of school before the break. It's also my birthday. I'm really looking forward to having time to just hang out with my family, and be DONE - done with shopping, baking, shipping, packaging, cleaning, food preparing and wrapping. Which reminds me - I have not wrapped a single present. AAUUGGHH!!!