I always assume the week before Christmas will be like all the other weeks in the year, maybe a little busier, but not too bad. And every year, I laugh at how wrong I was!
I'd like to share a medley of what the week before Christmas looked like in my house this year:
Monday:
* Have had an awful migraine since Saturday. I'm on the couch all day. Reading would make me vomit, so I'm stuck with the television. It's either an all-day
Hoarders marathon or
Kim and Kourtney Take New York. I flip to
Hoarders. Where are the Christmas movies? Hallmark channel does not air their awesome made-for-TV movies during the day. Bummer. Dead rats, cats, and human feces doesn't exactly get me in the holiday spirit, but I'll take it.
* Migraines alter my mood--it feels as if nothing will ever be good again--and I waver between anxiety about all of the chores left undone, nausea due to the headache, and a strange fascination with the man who has to tunnel his way into his apartment because of his extreme hoarding. Can't look away.
* McDonalds for dinner. French fries never tasted so good.
Tuesday:
* Migraine is gone! Hallelujah!! I drop the kids off at school and begin a multi-store grocery shopping excursion. Success!!
* Laundry here I come. I'm starting to think each member of our family should only own two changes of clothing. It might make life easier.
* I peek in the fridge. Oh, there's the sugar cookie dough I made on Saturday but didn't roll out. I'll get to it later...
* Pick the kids up from school and head straight to the barber. My son's hair is at that almost-too-long stage, and both kids whine and act like I'm handing them over to a cult when I pull in the parking lot.
* My daughter needs help with science and algebra, so we spend "quality" time bonding over equations.
* The SNL Christmas special is on, and we all love Justin Timberlake's "Soup There It Is" skit. Yes, we're still working on balancing chemistry formulas during this.
Wednesday:
* Last minute shopping trip #775. Both kids are in the Christmas Eve service at our church. Yes, I've known this for months--12 months to be exact--yet, I pretended festive outfits would magically appear on their own. I zoom to the store right after I drop the kids off at school. A small fortune later I have items that could be put together for outfits, but we won't know until the kids try them on. There are at least nine other things I bought that I had no intention of purchasing. Well done, marketers. Well done.
* Back home, a wave of fatigue hits me and I worry that my previous migraine will pull a switcheroo and come back to the other side of my head. It does that sometimes. I immediately down a Coke, a candy bar, and a huge Motrin. Yes, I have candy bars around my house for just this scenario. Thirty minutes later, the fatigue passes.
* Oh, what? I have a book? I'm supposed to be adding 10,000 words to it? Whoops! Guess I'd better squeeze in a writing session.
* Peek in the fridge. Sugar cookie dough still sitting there.
* The "malfunction" light comes on in my van. Yay! Malfunction! Just what I wanted for Christmas!! I pray for God to take care of it so I won't have to.
* I spend two hours wrapping presents. During this time, my mini-wiener dog, Sophie, sneaks into my daughter's room, finds a wrapped gift, destroys the package, and eats half the candy. You should have seen this box--it looked like a raccoon had gotten hold of it. Guess who just went on Santa's naughty list? Bad dog.
* Since I feel like I've gained thirty pounds from my three-day stint on the couch, I take time to exercise. My limbs hurt afterward.
* Realized I accidentally told both sets of parents the wrong time for the Christmas Eve service. Give them a quick call with the right time.
Thursday:
* Last minute shopping trips #776 and #777. I have to replace the candy that a certain puppy ate, so I stop at the grocery store after dropping the kids off. Run into three moms from school, which makes me feel better, and I purchase four items I had no intention of buying. Again, great job marketers! But the grocery store did not have the right candy, so I stop at the drug store on the way home.
* At the drug store, it hits me how drab and icky my hair looks. Surely I can touch up my roots and throw on some highlights this afternoon, right? Oh, yes, I have a coupon! Woo-hoo!
* Peek in the fridge. Okay, the sugar cookie dough is dried out. Time to toss it--and I hate tossing perfectly good food. I'll make a new batch Friday night.
* Book? Oh. Right. That. I have blog posts to write first. I'll get to my manuscript later. Like after I work on my hair. Priorities, people. Priorities.
* The malfunction light disappears! I say a hearty silent prayer. How blessed are we that God doesn't only answer big prayers?
* Head to my other stash of chocolate bars--Nestle Crunch. Mm-mm...
* I'm a room mom, so I organize my supplies for Friday's party. Sausages, check. (We're doing a pancake breakfast.) Wii games? Check. Presents? Check. Rice Krispy treats for my other child's party? Yikers! Time to hit the stove.
* Book? Yes. I'll squeeze in a writing session because my characters are calling. I love these two. Just one more scene. Just one more...
Friday:
Here we are! It's almost Christmas! My plan today includes finding another candy bar, whipping up a new batch of sugar cookies, spending most of the day with friends and my kids, and having a speedy, massive cleaning session tonight.
Our house is always a little nutty, a lot fudgy, and majorly crazy at Christmas, but by Christmas Eve, we're ready to focus on the only thing that's really important. Celebrating the birth of Jesus. One of my favorite Bible passages sums up my awe of December 25.
John 3:16 (NIV) "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
God
does so love the world. You. Me. He came for us. Rejoice!!
Pop over to MVRWA's blog today to see how I handle missing my writing goals--"
Ho, Ho--No I Didn't Meet My Writing Goals."
Merry Christmas!!
