Getting Ready

Like everyone else out there in mommy/knitter blogland, I am busy getting some things done for the impending holiday. Today I scrambled around doing some cleaning that is only marginally holiday related. I washed everyone's sheets, did some vacuuming, folded some laundry...but it needed to be done, and now next weekend is clear for bathroom-scrubbing and detailing all the more public spaces as best we can with two little rug rats messing it all up again instantly before the 15 or so guest arrive for Christmas dinner.

I also got a hair cut. I love getting my hair cut, especially when I get to go to the fancy-schmancy salon where they give you a really good scalp massage and somehow the cut just looks and feels spiffier as you walk out to your car than otherwise. I desperately needed a hair cut, so I feel not a tinge of guilt in calling this a holiday preparation. We're having at least fifteen people over for dinner next week, after all!

While I was running around doing my thing today, Joe was busy playing with the girls for much of the day. It is so sweet to see him with the girls, talking and playing with them. I kept wanting to stick my head around the corner and see exactly what was going on as I heard something cute come out of someone's mouth. As I was leaving for the salon, he was pulling out his guitar, and I wanted very badly to sit and listen to them sing songs, even though I knew that he wouldn't be doing it if he knew I was around.

Julie and I also finished up our little tree-decorating project. I didn't get a picture of it, maybe tomorrow - it's a garland involving those circles of construction paper and tons of glitter-glue. Turned out pretty well for 3-year-old busy work. She spent a good chunk of the day carrying around her wad of yarn and besides teasing the cat with it, claiming she wanted to learn to knit. So while dinner was in the oven, we sat down for a few minutes and recited the old poem "In through the front door, once around the back, out through the window and off jumps Jack".



We kept the lesson very short, and I left it on a positive note. I want her begging for more, not avoiding my yarn and needles with rolls of the eyes. Still, it is very exciting to a knitting mama such as myself when her daughter shows an interest.

Here's a little tally of what's done and what's waiting to be done:

Done:

• Presents are bought.
• Cookies are baked.
• Tree is decorated.
• Some cleaning is done.
• Two of three washrags for teachers are knit.
• All of the holiday cards are addressed.
• Half of the holiday cards are signed and ready to go out.

Not Done, in order of priority:

• The other half of the holiday cards need to be signed and put in the post on Monday morning.
• Must knit that last washrag. I really don't care for knitting with flax - maybe I can find a stitch pattern that will be both useful and interesting enough to make it worth my time and hand pain. Need to have this done by Thursday at the latest, but they all need to be washed and wrapped nicely, so I'd like to finish the knitting by tomorrow night.
• I need to write a menu and grocery list for Christmas dinner, then do the shopping. It's a pretty simple meal, so I'm not too worried, but the sooner I get it over with, the more time I will have to run back to the store and pick up whatever it is I'm sure I will forget.
• I need to clean up my office room and get my junk out of the living room as much as possible. It's driving me crazy, and I don't want our guests looking at my ten different knitting projects draped all over the entertainment center and bookshelves.
• There's a sewing project in the basement that comprises a big part of Julie's gift. Her big gift is that we're cleaning out the basement and making it into a play room, and that involves making some curtains to hide a doorway to the storage area (already blocked off with a baby gate).
• It's too early to start now, but I'll need to cook Christmas dinner. 90% of it can be done ahead of time, and I am determined that I will get to spend some time relaxing with my family on Christmas day and not be a frazzled mess in the kitchen like last year.
  
• All the gifts need to be wrapped. Including the million-and-one little things I bought for the present games and for the stockings. I have till Christmas Eve on this one, and I may need it because I have to first remember exactly where I hid all the various gifts.

I guess I better get busy. I guess maybe I don't have time to sit and work on the tiger hat or the blankie after all. If you haven't read Stephanie's post on holidays this time of year, go read it now. It's almost exactly what I would say about the season if I were as eloquent and organized of thought as she is. We celebrate Christmas in our house to get through this darkest time of the year. The lights, the good food, the company and warmth...the joy of anticipation and the keeping busy getting ready. These things all help to pass the darkest days so that we can start to welcome back the sun.

I'm off to finish writing those cards.