Holiday tasks, interrupted
December 12th, 2007
Like most people around this time of year, I have a to-do list as long as my arm. I feel as though the past few days have been busy and full of activity, but they haven’t really. Annalie woke up on Monday with a slight fever—enough to make her feel hot and listless, but not enough to medicate. So we had a couch-snuggling-and-Sprout-watching marathon that day. Yesterday she was better, but still wanted to sit on my lap and play with my hair more than usual. So we rested and relaxed for another day. I have no complaints about that.
What I will complain about is that all the errands I had mentally slotted for those two days didn’t get done. Which means magnets didn’t get mailed as quickly as I had planned (thanks for your patience & understanding, Kerri!), no gifts were bought for the playgroup gift-exchange this Friday, no grocery shopping was completed for the soup I am making for the potluck after the Advent service at church tonight. Those all got pushed to today. So OF COURSE I woke up this morning all congested. Oh well, I’ll live.
Annalie, at least, seems to be feeling almost like her normal self. So when my friend Bekah called and invited us to the park late this morning, I hesitated. My initial impulse was to say no, because I had all these errands to run. But we’d been cooped up in the house for two days, and the weather today is so gorgeous and warm, I thought getting outside and running around might do Annalie some good. Then Bekah kindly offered to watch her at the park so I could get some of my errands done. So that’s what I did.
After I put Annalie down for her nap, I made one of my favorite soups to make to church tonight, Tomato-Corn Chowder. It’s simple, with only a few ingredients, and it’s such comfort food. I cleverly submitted the recipe to soupsong.com years ago, so I don’t have to write it out now. If you click on the link, you’ll get a page that will print nicely, should you wish to print it out. (You should note that Pat put her own spin on the recipe and suggests cutting corn off a fresh ear, but frozen or drained canned corn works just as well.)
I hope you all are doing better on your lists of holiday tasks than I am. But if you’re not, make me feel better and tell me about it! What major task should YOU have done by now?
December 12th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
I too have holiday lists running out my ears. Unfortunately I work for an income tax software vendor so we are in the ‘thick’ of shipping software and early tax season. This means that I’m working boo-koodles of hours and doing that six days a week so I haven’t had any free time to attend to my lists. Of course during the few hours I am not working I have Lil Man at home who needs some Nana attention.
Soooo needless to say my shopping list hasn’t been completed, shopping hasn’t even been started, baking list for goodies is complete but I haven’t shopped for supplies much less started baking. I did manage to replace our missing decorations and get our Christmas tree up and decorated but the outside decorations aren’t happening, although I did go home late last night and a dear grateful friend had hung a bow on my front door. I am tunneling everything down to the 22nd when I finally get a day off. I’m waking up early … taking off to do all of my shopping in one day and while my girls wrap Christmas presents I’ll do the Christmas baking. At least all the Church events are happening on Saturday nights or Sunday … I have been able to keep up with those!!
December 12th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
Well we have no money, so all Christmas shopping has ceased until Saturday. And although our Christmas cards have been ordered (phew) they probably won’t arrive by Christmas. Oh and I don’t have kids, so all my putting-off is because of just me. And I really should have folded all that laundry ages ago. And I still owe people birthday presents from October.
December 12th, 2007 at 8:49 pm
EVERYTHING. Seriously. The trees are not up or decorated, gifts have not been mailed, local gifts have not been made, our yearly CD is not finished, and nothing is ready for my family. I haven’t baked anything yet unless you count the scones I just made for supper. I need more time! And some money would help, too!
December 12th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
Easy: I have nothing done. Only flight tickets purchased. I still don’t have a dress to wear for all the various festivities, and let’s not even talk about gifts. Pffft. I think perhaps everyone will receive a note saying “Sorry Christmas was at the end of my first trimester.”
December 13th, 2007 at 8:03 am
Dude, I am done. Almost. Just a few more little gifts to buy, which can easily be accomplished by a quick trip to Target. Everything is wrapped except for the few mail-ordered things that haven’t arrived yet. House was decorated a few weeks ago, tree was bought and put up last weekend and got decorated last night. I’m boycotting the whole card-sending thing this year, so no need to stress about that. Might I add that this is the first year this has EVER happened and will probably NEVER happen again. Usually it’s last-minute trips to the mall and half-assed decorations and card postmarked 12/23. So since this is a one-time occurence, I’m rubbing it in as deeply as I can!
December 13th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
Well, who could resisting snuggling with someone so cute?
Christmas shopping definitely needs my attention - something I hope to achieve after lunch with Suzy tomorrow!
December 13th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
Do NOT get me started on a list. NO MO LISTS.
December 13th, 2007 at 6:04 pm
Well let’s see…put up Christmas tree, follow up on job interview, grocery shopping, laundry laundry laundry…
I hope you feel better now. lol
December 14th, 2007 at 11:32 am
I’ve been procrastinating on finishing the pink flamingo stocking I’m sewing for a friend, putting up the tree, and fixing the outdoor Christmas lights (they keep blowing a fuse).
I’ve not wrapped a single present, or signed a Christmas card. Fortunately, my wife has been better about those two, so we’re not completely behind.
But time with our sweet children is worth putting stuff off till later, right?
Please don’t even mention the laundry!