Lots More to Do

The Holidays have struck!!! We're already into the throes of it. One day, we're normal people, enjoying a life that's a little crazy, but do-able, and the next, we're farm animals headed for the slaughter house. We run around in circles, dabbling in a little bit here and a little bit there - not really accomplishing anything. Or, at least, that's how it feels.

I spent the weekend trying to get my costume finished for the Colonial American Faire Don and I are in charge of this weekend. I still have part of it to finish, despite working for several hours and being determined that I wasn't going to bed until it was finished. Don enticed me. He's just too sweet, smiling at me and saying, "Don't you want to come to bed now?" I certainly didn't need the reminder of how tired I was. It's all his fault. Of course, I'm sure he had alterior motives. He wanted the lights turned out so he could sleep. It may turn out to be a problem that the sewing machine is in our room.

In addition to my costume, I worked on our annual Christmas Letter. This is a review of our year that I send out with our Christmas Cards. Several of the people I send cards to have no other contact with us and this is the only opportunity they have to get caught up on family news (like some of the relatives in Colorado and Canada). I got tired of it taking me four weeks to get all the cards out each year because I wrote a book in each one, so I decided a letter was the best way to go. I started this about 6 years ago, and have been very happy with the outcome. Having the letter to do keeps me focused on getting the cards out. And, once the letter is done, the cards are easy. This year I added yet another shortcut and printed address labels to match the stationery I put the letter on.

So, between working on my costume, doing laundry, trying to finish and print our Christmas letter, making candy for the Bakery at the Christmas Faire, trying to keep the house clean, helping Don with his projects, as well as fielding tons of calls about the Faire, I don't seem to be able to accomplish anything. And Dane got sick last week and worsened over the weekend. Yesterday, Deanna had an 11:30 appointment with the dermatologist (a recheck on her foot where she had the plantar's wart removed 4 1/2 weeks ago and still isn't healed) and we got Dane scheduled at the Pediatrician at 12:45. Inbetween, I had to take all three of the kids for lunch. Needless to say, we flew through the McDonald's Drive-Thru and pulled into the Pediatrician's office 5 minutes late (which they told me when I made the appointment would be alright).

Hard to finish your work at home when you're ferrying children from one doctor's office to another. But I did manage to finish my letter and get it started printing while I was tearing through the Den on the way to the doctor and, later, printed the flip side while doing laundry. When Dane and I headed out to the Emergency Room last night, after he spiked a fever and worsened, I took my stack of letters and Christmas cards with me.

It's amazing how much work you can get done while sitting in a treatment room at the Emergency Room with a sick child who feels too bad to do anything but lay there watching a movie about Knights. We raised the head of his bed and put the TV speaker near his ear. I plopped in the chair next to him and finished the paperwork I needed to get done for the Faire, then started on my cards. All the cards to the relatives in Canada are done, which is good because it takes three weeks for the mail to get to some of them who live in remote areas. I finished up the baking on Sunday evening and, yesterday morning prior to the first appointment, cleaned up my baking mess and put all the candy in tins to transport to the Bakery Friday night. And, all the laundry got done including all three children's sheets. I still have Don's and my sheets to wash and the towels, but things are definately looking up.

I'm afraid what suffered the most was my Blog. No time to Post during this very busy weekend. In fact, Posts may be scanty from now through Christmas as I struggle to complete all my shopping, shipping, wrapping, decorating, and baking. So much to do, so little time.

On Sunday, while I was sitting at the computer working on my Christmas letter, Daelyn and Don walked into the Den. Don stood at my shoulder and Daelyn climbed into my lap.

"Are you working on your Blog, Mommy? You are, aren't you. You're working on your Blog," he rattled on over and over again. I looked up at Don. He rolled his eyes. There was no sense trying to explain to Daelyn that I was trying desperately to finish a letter to send to all our friends and I didn't have time to do my Blog. Besides, he was convinced I was Posting.

"I have something you need to tell them, Mommy." I looked at Don again. We exchanged quizzical glances.

"Tell them I 'spect to noorse now." I stared at Daelyn for a moment, not quite grasping what he was saying. "Tell them I love to noorse," he added. Up at Don again. He nodded once, crisply, with one eyebrow raised as if to say, "Well, there you have it."

Not typical posting material, but, hey. In an emergency, I'll use just about anything.