Holiday Madness

I'm taking a momentary break from the ornament tales to bring you the run-down on the holiday madness I'm stuck in.

There's cookies to bake, groceries to buy, gift cards to get, cash to withdraw, presents to wrap and pies to bake. Aaaaaaaaaaaah. Picture me with my hands pressed against my face and a look of pain on my face.

Yesterday we had a snow day here so nothing got done except groceries. Grocery shopping with three cooped up kids. Fun stuff! While they were home I believe they found my Santa stash. This could be the last Christmas that they fully believe in the jolly old elf. Thanks to their insistence on finding their hats and gloves tucked in my closet. I guess we'll see how that shakes out. It wouldn't bother me, I'm sick of the fat man getting all the glory. I want the glory and credit damn it. That's why we are giving the kids their Wii and a bunch of games to go with it. Too good of a present to give up to the red suited stranger!

Speaking of Wii giving, our Christmas will be Saturday. I kind of drag it out. Saturday we exchange gifts between the five of us. And the kids get their gifts from us. Clothes and a Wii plus Wii games. That will be early Saturday morning. It works nice that way. They don't bug me to open gifts early because they know that we do "our Christmas" early anyway. And then they have all day Saturday and Sunday to play with the Wii and have tons of fun. We'll probably do a pizza or Chinese dinner and then go out looking for lights while drinking hot chocolate. We'll get lost and end up driving aimlessly through Grosse Pointe. For sure. Happens every year.

Sunday I'll spend most of the day baking and creating dishes in the kitchen. Monday we'll be at my dad's for most of the day (have Wii....will travel with it!). Tuesday we'll open Santa presents, eat breakfast and head out to Steve's family. Once I look at all that we are packing into those days it only reaffirms the tradition we have of doing our own Christmas before the actual holiday.

One of these days we'll get to stay home on Christmas. But for now we fulfill the family obligations and trudge around Michigan spreading good-will and cheer. Or is that grumbling and fighting as we visit each other's families?