This Christmas...

What else do I want to do this Christmas season?

Well, if you read last years post about how I wanted Christmas to be different, I addressed the opening gifts Christmas morning chaos that we had experienced in the past. I took over playing Santa last year and all was well. Not because it was me handing out the gifts. I think we just really need one cook in the kitchen so to speak. And that cook could not be an impatient child. So, this year, more of the same. I don't mind being Santa again, crawling all over the floor, looking for the next gift. We'll call it exercise.

I would also like to make all of the ornaments that I give out this year. I usually make some.I've gotten into the habit of making my husband an ornament each year. I've already made ones for the boys. They are snowman heads made out of their Grandmother's wool sweater. The rest of the ornaments will probably be cross stitch. I love to cross stitch (sometimes I wonder what would happen if I ever gave my fingers a rest). Maybe after Christmas I'll post pictures of what I made.

I also wanted to get the major Christmas shopping done as close to the beginning of December as possible. I ordered my last gift this morning. Hot dog! I still need to get stocking stuffers, no big deal. ( I lie. We take stockings pretty seriously around here. They overflow into grocery bags. They're to heavy to hang on the mantel. Candy, toiletries, books, toys, fruit, nuts, ornaments, kitchen gadgets....One year I got a new toilet brush in my stocking.)

And, again, like last year, I want to take it slow this Christmas. Not just Christmas Day. I'd like these next few weeks to be enjoyable, not stressful. Everything went beautifully last Christmas Day, this year I'm branching out a little further. Since the shopping is done and can be checked off the list, I'm going to spend a day planning meals, figuring out guests, times and dates for get-togethers, scheduling everything form school parties to ornament making to gift wrapping to cookie baking. My hope is that once Nathanael begins his Christmas break, I'm done! I want to spend that time with my family, soaking them all up. Why? Because my parents leave for Florida on the 27th, Nathanael goes back to school January 3rd and Dave will no longer be taking long weekends off . 

This probably all sounds like what I want for Christmas is a whopping case of OCD. Maybe so. We'll call it Organized Christmas Disorder.