T Minus Two Candle Parties!

I am dying! Well, not quite, but I am fried. I love my job, I really do. I need a break.

The worst was over today. I had a double header today, and did two candle parties. I have done three in a day, and I don't recommend it. It makes for a 16 hour day.

I have bunco with the girlfriends tomorrow. Sounds fun? It will be but I am also making two candle deliveries on the way there and back from that fun evening. Tuesday, I have a candle party. I am also picking up a return on the way home from that one. It's all the details of returns and exchanges that is about making me nuts this year.

On Wednesday at 9 pm Pacific Standard Time, please don't call. I will be quietly sipping a bottle of wine to myself and looking for an episode of CSI that I have missed. I might even be holed up in a closet somewhere.

But that won't make my week easier. I love the Christmas pageants the school and church puts on for our kids. I do! I love how it directs them to the real reason for Christmas. I just got roped into making two shepherds costumes by next Sunday. I can do it, but it will cut into my sipping wine time. I think if I just take two pillow cases, cut a head and arm holes, and slit the sides, etc. Needle and thread folks know what I am talking about. So, I'll need to make a trip *gulp* to a store.

We also have our giving tree at our church. We take ornaments off of a tree that have labels saying what needy four needy families near us need. Our church does a stunning job of absolutely showering a family with a full Christmas dinner and full round of gifts for all kids. The night we do the wrapping and giving for that puts me instantly in the Christmas spirit. I shopped for those gifts tonight, and realized I should have gotten the pillow cases....gr!

JM has a pageant this Wednesday night for his school that I will miss. The hubbie will do a great job of being the parental representative. When I miss those sorts of things, yes I have the pang of guilt. But I also pat myself when I make it to almost every single other thing he has during the year.

Next Sunday is the church pageant, which I will fully be involved in. So get ready for a slide show from that. The cuteness factor alone watching toddlers with lamb ears on is worth that! In fact, for sheer fun, I'll post last year's pageant. So cute!



After church, I have invited a few friends over for our annual showing of "A Christmas Story" and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". Those are family staples for our family. I never watched them until I married my husband. We've been married 15 1/2 years now, so it's definitely a tradition. We have them memorized. I also have a turkey I bought at Thanksgiving, so I am thinking I'll cook that and do a basic turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and vegetable dinner. After doing it a few times, I do think a turkey dinner isn't too bad. It's all the extras that make it overwhelming.

After next weekend, I would like to take the kids to some of the cool light displays near us. We saw one last week. It was beyond cute as BH watched lights going by in his soft little toddler voice, "Momma! So pwetty! Wow......." His voice carrying off. It wasn't squeals of excitement, it was awe. Score for the parents, the desired affect occurred.

And in year's past, I used to take a whole day and make Christmas stollen. It is a German sweet bread, and I love it! My friends and family who get a loaf love it too. It is a whole day to make this bread because it has two rising cycles. Plus it is a small fortune to buy the ingredients. I love to make it, eat it, and give it away. I also need a full day when the hubbie is home so I can have child care. We'll see if it happens this year. I'll keep you posted. My dad keeps asking me for it because I usually send him a loaf. The last couple of years I haven't pulled it off. He's missing it.

So as the candle biz winds down for my season, I fool myself thinking I'll get to watch a soap opera (which I wouldn't do anyway, give me "Dirty Jobs" anyday!) and eat some bon bons. I have things to do that are slowly eating up my attention. But I shouldn't say it so negatively. These are all the things that make this season so fun. I guess I just wish it didn't have such a deadline on it! Can't we just do Christmas all year long?