Uh-oh

I knew I was cutting it close but I was confident I could cram the last-minute things I needed to do into the three days I had before we hit the road for Georgia. Surely I could get everything wrapped up, figuratively and literally, in that amount of time. But my tenuous plan changed today when Sean, quite unexpectedly, called and told me he could get Friday off.

Um. This is a great example of a mixed blessing. I am thrilled we can leave a day earlier. I am not at all certain I can do what I need to do to be ready in two days. This should be interesting.

I’m doing my best to not transmit my anxious thoughts to the kids. I want them to focus on who we’re celebrating and not get hung up in the “stuff.” So far, so good. Rebecca is, remarkably, still a Santa believer. I was sure last year would be her last year to fully enjoy the Santa story. But she is still hanging on and I am now officially concerned about it. She’s almost 8; how can she not have figured this out? We’ve always said she lives on her own little planet, one that requires its residents to carry armfuls of stuff everywhere they go, so maybe those residents can suspend logic longer than mere earthlings.

My real concern is that once she does figure it out she will be crushed. She loves Santa. She loves that he celebrates Jesus’ birthday by bringing everyone presents. She loves his beard and jolly laugh and red suit. And she loves those reindeer. I cannot even imagine the look on her face when she learns that Santa doesn’t really come down our chimney, or anyone else’s for that matter. (I thought she would be clued in when we moved to Michigan because our fireplace has a solid, glass plate in front of it, protecting the gas logs. There’s now way Santa could get through. She, of course, had an answer for that: magic.)

But for now, we are enjoying her complete and utter innocence.

We’ve also been enjoying our advent calendars. My mom started this tradition with me and Heather and we’ve both continued it with our little ones. Unfortunately the Hershey Kisses keep falling off our calendars, so during the day I’ll hear little thumps as they fall from the ‘fridge and land on the kitchen floor. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I’ve re-glued and re-taped those kisses up. I’ve resorted to magnets now.

Tomorrow’s another full day. Michael’s has several Christmas parties at school. I still need to buy a two-liter of root beer for that. And the girls and I are supposed to meet a few other moms at church and make gingerbread houses. Of course, that’s scheduled for the same time I’m supposed to pick Michael up from drama practice… I still haven’t figured that little problem out yet.

I have two very full days ahead of me. And since I know each of you do, too, thanks for taking the time out of your crazy schedules to read my little contribution to cyberspace.