I’ve been talking a good game:  focus on the experience, not the details;  I do all this work because I want to, not because I have to;  Christmas is about being with people, not about gifts.  But we’re getting to the 11th hour, and all of this sincere and well-intentioned talk I’ve been doing is starting to fall apart in the face of HOW MUCH I STILL HAVE TO GET DONE.

My tree is almost (but not quite) decorated.  We baked cookies, but then we ate them all (so I’d really like to bake more).  I still have at least two more gifts to shop for and I need to find a star for the top of my tree (because apparently ours was left in storage at home).  We still have to do all of our holiday food shopping and preparation.  And absolutely nothing (that is being given to anyone who lives in this house) is wrapped.  Oh, and I’m pretty sure my tree is still crooked.

Ok.  It’s not really that bad.  In fact, I go back and read what I just wrote, and it really, really isn’t too bad.  I still have 4 days.

I really do all of this because I want to.  I really do want to focus on the experience and not the details (even though, right this minute, it is driving me insane that the tree skirt is crooked).  I know that the gifts are not what is important.

As my mom told me yesterday, “Sometimes getting frazzled is the only way to conjure up the energy to get the job done”.  I’m hoping this is just me conjuring my energy.  I’m going to need it!