The Holidays

There is a chill in the air today as our first Arctic cold front of the season sweeps down to my little spot of Texas. I don't know why, but I always feel so energized when the cooler weather and shorter days arrive. I recognize that I'm a weirdo. But I feel so optimistic at this time of year!

The Pop Household Holiday Season is going to be a little bit different this year. Namely because for the first time since 1979, we will not be waking up on Christmas Morning at my Mema's house.

Long story, and Mema is still with us, but we will be spending Christmas at my parents' house this year. It's an adjustment, but a necessary one.

Lots of things are different this year. At the top of the list is my family dynamic. The loss of trust and relationships with my extended family. Some unpleasantness regarding finances. Side note here. Isn't it amazing how money can drastically change a relationship? Envy, jealousy, pride, and money. They are all interconnected. And there is a moral slippery slope, apparently, when one is entrusted with the caretaking of someone else's cash.

But enough of that. I'm so looking forward to the holidays this year. Last year, we went to Playa del Carmen with my parents the week before Christmas. Got home on the 21st, and I ordered Christmas cards. Ordered and let them sit in a box. I'm considering sending them out this year. Why not? They are just sitting there, wasting my money. And if I send them out, then that's one thing crossed off my to-do list right there!

This year, just The Mr. and The Boy and I are going away. We are taking The Boy out of school a week early and going to a winter wonderland. We get back in time for the Big Day.

So, today is November 12. My father is on his way down to help me out while the hubs is out of town. Next week, the hubs goes out of town again, but this time, I'm on my own. The following week is Thanksgiving. I am hosting again. I love hosting this holiday. Lets me shine. Then two weeks later, we head to snow. Then it's Christmas! Then New Year's! The remainder of the year is close to over.

I sure have a long list of things I'd like to get done between now and then.

Clean out the playroom

Organize the playroom

Organize The Boy's bedroom

Clean out The Boy's closet

Clean out ALL the closets

Clean out the junk drawers (yes. drawers. ugh.)

Clean out the spare room

Decorate the spare room

Lose 10 pounds

Make a big Goodwill donation

Throw out all of our old coolers

Clean out the garage

Fix our wood blinds

Organize the pantry

Throw out/recycle all my old magazines

Organize my kitchen cabinets

So. Um. Yeah. It's a long list. It's ambitious. Truth be told, I'll consider myself lucky to finish the top two items.

Christmas Spirit

I'm big on this season.

I love decorating and shopping and baking and singing and church and the general and overall feeling of peace, love, and happiness that occurs during the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Yesterday, our tree went up. It isn't decorated yet and nothing is down from the attic, but the tree is up. And it's beautiful.

I have this "thing" about decorating for holidays. I don't like to put out decorations when the house is cluttered. It bugs me. And after the weekend we just had, our house is CLUTTERED. Hoo-boy! Boy Pop's toys are scattered to every corner, his room still isn't completely decorated after the move, his old room is a disaster, as is the guest room.

Clutter stresses me out. Big time. So this afternoon, I really hope to join forces with my boy and get his toys put away, the laundry done, and the clutter cleared up somewhat. I want there to be plenty of room for what is about to come down from the attic.

Folks, Christmas is about to explode all over my house!

I can't wait!

Writing With the Sole Purpose of Freaking Myself Out...

• 13 days until Thanksgiving
• 29 days until we go skiing for a week
• 43 days until Christmas

I pretty much finalized my Thanksgiving menu this morning. Debating adding another meat to the menu, but other than that? Done.

The Boy's ski clothes are purchased, but the pants need altering in the waist because he's so darn skinny. I wish I was so darn skinny.

Two Christmas gifts have been purchased for the Boy. And hidden. Unwrapped.

We've decided upon the type of Christmas Card we will be sending out, but have not yet ordered them. It's on the agenda for this evening.

Our ski things are currently in bins stacked in my guest room. My guest room that is also currently stacked with bins full of office supplies. My guest room that is supposed to house my parents in 11 days.

We have two birthday parties tomorrow, and I'm re-gifting one gift (Boy Pop got it for his birthday, but it was something he already had - Don't Judge Me!) and need to buy another.

The warm and fuzzy glow of the end of Daylight Savings Time has worn off. It's so nice to go to school and work in daylight, but I'm not going to bed any earlier, so the amount of sleep I'm getting is the same.

I signed on to work during our company's Christmas holiday week, and the week after. I get paid double for the one week and get a "free" week during January for my efforts. But that makes for a LONG stretch without a break. The money is definitely worth it, I think. Ask me on December 27th when I'm resentful of those people who are not working. And then remind me that I made the choice.

Every November I stock up on Thanksgiving-themed magazines solely for the recipes. Every Thanksgiving, I end up making mostly the same things. But the pictures sure are pretty!

I didn't mean to blow off NaBloPoMo this year... In fact, I truly and honestly meant to participate. Just like I "meant" to work out every day this week, I "meant" to stick to a carb-free diet this week, I "meant" to organize the remaining crap in the guest bedroom this week, and I "meant" to set up an appointment to take my dog to the groomer this week. I have lots of good intentions, don't I? What is it they say? It's the thought that counts, right?

Oh, and next Wednesday, we are having our carpet pulled out of the dining room and tile installed. The damned cats will have to find a new place to pee (because they couldn't possibly be bothered going in their actual litter box, now could they?). I hope and pray that the tile comes in on time so that we can get this project done before Thanksgiving.

Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland!

We are taking the Boy out of school a week before they let out for "Winter" Break. I think Beaver Creek will be absolutely magical in the weeks leading up to Christmas! Can't wait to hang out in the village and on the mountain with my two favorite boys!

A Pop Family Christmas

Boy Pop and Santa, Early December

This year, Christmas was spent as we do every year… Boy Pop gets picked up by my parents on December 22nd, and they, along with my older brother, all head down to my grandmother's house. I worked during the week of Christmas this year because I took my vacation the week before in Colorado. So Dr Pop and I left as soon as I got off work on the 24th and headed down to meet everyone at my Mema's house.

About two hours after we arrived, we all loaded up into our cars and went to the annual Christmas Eve service at the First Baptist Church. We have been going to the service every year since they started it back in 1993.*

*Last year was the exception to the rule because Mema had just come home from the hospital. None of us were up to going anywhere that night.

At a really cool micro-brewery in Edwards, CO.

After church, we all went to my cousin's house for a Christmas Eve meal. Stuffed silly, we went back to Mema's house to prepare for the big day. My mom and I got into a bit of a tiff (we'd been snarky on and off since Dr Pop and I arrived earlier that day) and it didn't really end that well. Thankfully, I had been reminded to bring Ambien with me, so I took one and fell into a blissful, uninterrupted, dreamless sleep, waking up refreshed bright and early on Christmas morning by my dog. After coffee, we sent Bubba in to wake up Boy Pop, who I guess did not recognize that he was supposed to be the first one up in the house, not the last! Didn't he realize that we were waiting to see his excitement?

I really thought this sign was funny, since it was a sledding hill in CO.

He got more presents than he should have.

Then we had breakfast and my mom and I made up.

Some time was spent playing with toys and showers, etc. and all of a sudden it was time for lunch. We all walked across the street to my aunt's house (yeah, my grandmother, aunt, uncle, one cousin, his wife and two kids all live in the same small town) to have lunch. Post lunch, Dr Pop, Boy Pop, and I packed up the car and drove back to our house.

Because he gets so many toys from relatives on Christmas morning, we have our own celebration (just the three of us) in the afternoon at our house. Santa comes to both places (he gets a stocking at Mema's house and the big gifts are at our house). Boy Pop was so excited to see that Santa had been there (as he always is) and he looked up the chimney to see if he'd left any other evidence of his visit behind. Santa decided to leave gifts in a stocking at our house, too, and boy, was our son ever excited!

And then he got to the big gifts! Wow. There is hardly any walking room in our playroom right now. Yes, I know my son is spoiled, but at least he isn't rotten.

All-in-all it was a lovely Christmas. Boy Pop picked out some gorgeous earrings to give me (with lots of help from his father). Dr Pop and I received some Christmas money from family, and I promptly spent most of mine on clothes even though I'd considered spending most of it on Botox, but that's another story for another day.

Because The Radio Stations Won't Play It

I give to you, my wonderful blog readers, the BEST CHRISTMAS SONG EVER!

(From one of my most-favorite Texas musicians, the one, the only, Robert Earl Keen, Jr.)




From my family, to your family...

Have a wonderful Christmas/Holiday/Whatever and a fabulous New Year!

Has It Really Been That Long?

Holy Cow! I haven't posted since the 4th! Wow!

Not dead, just brain-dead.

Actually, just very busy.

Christmas.

Family.

Colorado.

Work.

Christmas.

Halp!

I have so many pictures and stories, I don't know what to talk about first. So I think I'll go hibernate and work some more.

Love ya!

Merry Christmas!
Happy Holidays!
Happy Chanukkah!
Etc, etc, etc...

Another Progress Report:

• Gifts = same
• Voice = only a little scratchy
• Meds = added Mucinex DM to the cocktail and feel tons better
• Sleep = overslept this morning
• Maid = SHOWED. UP. Color me surprised.
• Cookies = bought sugar cookie dough
• Candy = made salt water taffy last night and it is too salty... go figure
• Hair = Dr Pop gave Boy Pop a haircut last night
• Hair, part 2 = we took Boy Pop to get the haircut fixed today
• Mood = not too terrible, actually, considering it's day 2 and all
• Laundry = is one really ever done with laundry?
• Organizing my home = are you insane??? it's five days before Christmas.
• Reflections on my New Year's Resolutions = scary thought

Progress Report - 6 Days To Go

• Christmas Cards = mailed
• Gifts = 25% wrapped, 90% purchased
• Cookies = not happening
• Medication = being taken in mass quantities
• Ability to Breathe = not through my nose without Afrin
• Voice = 50% to 75% gone depending on the time of day
• Sleep = not very damn much
• Laundry = close to done
• Kitchen = semi-disaster area
• Maid = supposedly coming tomorrow, but not holding my breath
• Mood = PMS but not too bad

Peace on Earth...

Goodwill toward men...*

Christmas decorations? Check. All up and accounted for.

Christmas parties? Check.

Trip to see Santa? Check.

Christmas gifts purchased? Well, this is where it gets tricky...

Christmas gifts wrapped? Currently they are sitting in various closets in my house. Unwrapped. In bags. Possibly leaning against other things.

Cookies made? Not quite.

Christmas cards done? Ahhhhhhhahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!

So. Um. Yeah. I've stalled out on my careful preparations and holiday planning. We were so on top of the game this year! We got our decorations out and up and they were completed by the end of the first week of December. We've done Christmas party stuff, ridden the Polar Express, watched Christmas movies, and gone to see Santa Claus. We went out ahead of the crowds to buy all of our Christmas gifts and really got most of it done. And that's where I stalled.

When it is November and you haven't finished your Christmas shopping, card sending, and cookie making, you have all the time in the world to get it done. And then comes December 1st and all of a sudden just going to the grocery store for dinner turns into a demented, swear-laden, take-your-life-into-your-own-hands affair what with all the crazies out there. *

I thought to myself, no problem, I'll just finish up during lunch over the next week or two. But that didn't happen.

So now it is December 12th. 13 days until Christmas. For those of you who are mathematically challenged, that means we are now LESS than two weeks away from the big day. I'm starting to panic. Just a little.

At least the weather is cooperating now. It's cold. Unseasonably cold. And grey. And rainy. And while I dislike rain, I love the wintry weather.

*It is so entirely difficult to maintain good holiday cheer and actually be NICE when all around I am confronted by the worst of humanity and stupidity. Seriously. It's like no one ever goes to the store except in December. And the drivers! One woman came very close to running me off the road... In my neighborhood! She veered all the way over to the left and when I looked back through my rearview mirror, she was driving on the left. Last I checked, we drove on the right over here. All in all, goodwill is hard to come by sometimes.