Getting down to crunch time...

I should really be wrapping presents, but there is time right? Paul and I look at each other and wonder not only how we have accomplished what we have but how we are going to seal the deal. By the time we get everyone to sleep, we are usually asleep ourselves; yes, we have the bad habit of laying with our little ones to get them to sleep, and we end up falling asleep right along with them. While I love the cuddle time, especially with my Georgie, it renders me useless to complete projects like wrapping presents.

Do you have any idea what it is like shopping for 6 kids? I mean trying to keep things looking fair and all is a task itself. Last night, I finally laid everything out. Each kid had a pile, and then I scanned to see who looked a little heavy and who might look a little jipped. I have to say I did pretty well, and I will add that I did almost all of it in one night. I was a woman on a mission. I had done some research online and had a list of people and ideas and then headed to my favorite stores. It was way overwhelming to shop that long, and things were falling off the pile in my cart. I must have looked nuts, but hey, I hear I'm crazy. I think I actually spent less money doing it this way because I didn't have a chance to forget what I had already gotten for them. All in all, I am pretty pleased with myself. I think I picked out some neat stuff, and I don't think we went overboard.

I am totally excited to be bringing Santa back. For those of you who may not know, we have tried out some new traditions over the last few years. We would do our stockings on the Feast of St. Nicholas and would celebrate our Christmas with just us on Epiphany. Essentially, we took Santa out of the picture; I guess I was fighting commercialization and had some trouble connecting Santa to Jesus. I can admit it, I was too serious for the fantasy, but I really wanted our kids to know the true meaning of Christmas. Please refrain from judging.

Well, we have done some rethinking, and are happy to report that cookies and milk will be waiting for jolly old St. Nick this year. It is very exciting to have the magic of Christmas in our home. The kids know the true meaning, and they also know that God can in fact make reindeer fly. The kids can't wait to see what kind of presents Santa brings to celebrate Jesus' birthday. Isn't that just like Jesus to give us presents on His birthday?

Not sure what the plan will be for tomorrow, but it will probably involve some type of baking and maybe some frosting. Happy crunch time!