Time is running out! ACK!

So Christmas is officially 10 days away... and I am no where near ready. And I'm not just talking about shopping for presents. I mean everything. Well to be more precise, nothing... as in nothing is done. Here's the run down of what's (not) happening holiday-wise at my house:

- the tree has been purchased, brought home and is in the stand, but not yet lighted or decorated (I have major concerns about the tree this year, real trees usually drink a lot more water than this one has so far and so I'm very concerned about how well it's going to hold up throughout the trimming process); I have not even brought any of the tree or house decorations up from the basement yet
- the wreath is on the front door but not decorated either (this is progress though, because it sat on the end of the driveway for about five days before I found the wreath hook)
- the outdoor lights are sitting on the dining room table and the evergreen trimmings (from the tree) which I wanted to use to accent the railing on the front porch has been in the back of the van for about three days now (thankfully it's been cold enough to keep them relatively fresh)
- I have gathered all the ingredients for cookies (which is what I'm supposed to be making this year) but have not mixed any dough, icing or planned how many I'll need/who I'm giving them to
- I have purchased approx. 1/3 of the gifts I'll need and they are in shopping bags on the floor in room; note I say "approximately" because I have yet to write my gift-giving list, plan what to buy or determine my budget
- I have not yet made final plans about where we'll be spending Christmas Eve/morning (e.g. my house or my mother's) but we do know that we've been invited to a close friend's house for Christmas dinner
- I have not done any of the food shopping yet, nor do I have a clue what I need

ACK!

I don't understand what's happened to me. Years ago I would have all presents purchased and wrapped by the end of the first week of December and my house was fully "decked out" by the first weekend. My gift-giving list would have notations about what to buy for who, possible alternatives, potential amount to be spent, where to purchase the gift AND fields for tracking when I bought it, wrapped it and delivered it. My grocery list would breakdown the ingredients needed for each dish I was planning to serve and quantities based on the number of guests I was anticipating. My bar would be fully stocked and there'd be "back-up" gifts under the tree for adults and kids. Yes, there'd always be some last minute shopping, baking, etc. that I'd have to do but that was part of the fun. Making sure I'd nailed down every last detail even if it meant another trip to the store or staying up a little late on Christmas Eve.

But this year, I swear I barely realized it was December. What the hell has happened to me? Where did the super organized dreag21 of Christmas Pasts go? And why?

I think I'm lacking in the holiday spirit department this year. I just don't feel like it's almost Christmas. But I know I need to get my ass in gear. I could blame it all on being sick recently, but that's not the entire reason. I just don't know what is.

Ah well, hopefully I'll find me a little Christmas cheer and get a move on with the rest. Wish me luck folks. Hopefully you're better prepared for the holidays this year than I am.

(PS: the link above is hilarious, especially if you ask them to sing The 12 Days of Christmas)

*** PROGRESS UPDATE ***
Last night, after we got home from dance class, a quick stop at the grocery and picking up The Girl from work, I got the lights on the tree and in the living room window. Tonight Smalley and I will trim the tree! And I will mix cookie dough, I promise. And if I'm feeling ambitious, I will string the porch lights and put out the flood light... all before I head to the airport to pick up my Dad who's coming in on an 11.00 p.m. flight. Hoo boy.

And there's the answer folks! I figured out my lack of Christmas prep progress: between being sick (for like a week and a half), the busyness of the three kids and balancing my work load, I just haven't had time! But Christmas is important, so now I gotta make time. I can pass out on boxing Day dammit. But right now I gotta get back to work! (I rarely blog from work, aside for uploading a post I worked on the night before and dropping in some links or a photo, etc. But I figured this update would be a quickie.)

Costume Switching

So Smalley went to dance classes on Thursday and Saturday, as well as school on Friday dressed like this:



I made this dress years ago when The Girl wanted to be Bride of Frankenstein, and with a few new accessories, it quite nicely rolled into a witch costume. Add some make-up (little girls love make-up) and she was happy.

But by Saturday evening, she was getting bored of being a witch and wanted something new. Thanks goodness I don't toss Hallowe'en costumes. Into the box we went and after quite a few tries found something that still fit (sorry homemade Wonder Woman costume, you're too small), intrigued her ("Ew Mom, what's a jester?!") and was complete enough to be a costume (piggy ears and a tail may be okay for The Girl who surprisingly wanted to go out with us this year despite being 18! but not for a full-costume-seeking 7-year-old).

So for the official trick or treating event, Smalley was:



A flapper! Again, make-up makes everything better. But you will note that she still opted for the witch fake nails. And of course all costumes end up looking a little weird in T.O. when you have to wear layers underneath for the weather, but no biggie.

Celine (my mother's god-daughter who also joined us for trick-or-treating) was a "goth princess" - as I've said before, make-up, make-up, make-up. I think Celine's turned out pretty good. Plus she's a natural actress so she really got into the part:



I don't always dress-up but this year I made a effort. I was a pirate from the neck up (too lazy to put on anything else). We were a pretty good looking group too:



Now the only thing left is to pack away the decorations and monitor the kids' blood sugar levels over the next two weeks!

Heart attack in the making

As if I don't stress enough already, the other night Smalley nearly gives me a freaking heart attack. She comes out of the shower, walks into the kitchen (practically dripping wet, seriously, the girl simply refuses to dry her skin after she showers) and asks me, "Mom? Is there hair stuck to my back?"

*sigh* The randomness of it all kills me sometimes. But still I must go on: "Yes Smalley, of course there's hair on your back. You washed your hair didn't you?" (FYI: her hair is medium length, running about 4-5 inches down her back.)

Smalley: But Mommm, it's bugGGging me!"
dreag21: Smalley I don't have time for this right now. I'm making dinner. Get dried and get dressed and I'll fix your hair after.
Smalley: Okay Mom, thanks! (She's excessively cheerful sometimes.)

So this little exchange buys me peace for all of about two minutes. Because then she's back, but this time, when I turn around I notice that tears are streaming down her face and her eyes are wide as saucers. Before I can ask what's wrong she drops this on me:

"Mommy! Why's my hair coming out? Do I have DIABETIES?! Am I dying?! Waaah!" And she presents me with a big wet clump of her hair... in her hand!

So of course I drop the knife on the cutting board and quickly grab her head to see what the hell IS going on. She grabs another section of hair on her head, pulls and says, "See Mommy! What's wrong with me?!" as she pulls it right out of her head with no resistance whatsoever. And I nearly shit myself.

(An important side note: Smalley goes to a babysitter in the mornings and after-school while I'm at work. The babysitter's teenage daughter has diabetes. Apparently Smalley has been asking a lot of questions about diabetics and what it means. Just so you understand where that came from. Also, I took her to see Marley & Me last Christmas (no I still do not understand why I would do something so stupid - I'd read the book, I knew the dog would die yet I still took my highly emotional then-six-year-old to see this movie - stupid move, I know!) and she went through a scared-of-death-scared-to-sleep-scared-to-let-Mommy-out-of-her-sight phase for like three months. Anyway, back to the kitchen and Smalley's hair falling out.)

So at this point all I can think to do is stall. I tell her we need to go to the bathroom where the light is better and she follows me down the hall wailing the whole time. I finally ask her to "Shut up for a sec so I can think, please!" and get down to examining her head. As I touch her bangs a chunk of hair, literally all of her bangs, falls out. I grab a wisp from the back and it comes off in my hands. NOW I am thinking what the hell is wrong with my kid?!

I ask her: Smalley, did you put anything in your hair that shouldn't have?
Smalley: *sob weep cry* No Mommy, I promise I didn't. I just used my shampoo. *sob weep cry*
dreag21: Are you sure? You didn't rub anything into it at Heather's? Or in the shower? *choking back panic*
Smalley: *sob weep cry* NO Momma, I told you I just used my shampoo. *sob weep cry* And the little comb for the knots! *sob weep cry*
dreag21: (having a moment of clarity, tone of voice changes from worried to annoyed instantly) WHAT comb?
Smalley: (stops mid-sob having detected change of tone) The little white one in the shower on the shelf.
dreag21: Oh Smalley. That's not just a comb, it's a blade!

So here's where the story will require me giving a little TMI but it's necesary folks. The little white comb that Smalley has been pulling through her head is this thing:




Except mine is white. It's a razor comb. It holds a flat balde razor and is used for... er... ummm... personal grooming. Does a really neat job of it too, without getting too close, which can lead to some unpleasant aftereffects, you know? *cough* itchy! *cough*

So anyway, mistaking it for a small comb, Smalley was pulling this thing through her hair in the shower and probably amazed at how easily the knots were coming out. As I realized THIS is why her hair was falling out I had a serious Homer Simpson moment. I could have just choked her. But I was so relieved that nothing was actually wrong with her that I could have cried too.

So as I search her head for cuts, I begin another session of a conversation that Smalley and I have a lot. One that I think we'll continue to have for a long time. It goes like this:

dreag21: Smalley, do you know what you did wrong here that has made so much of your hair come out?
Smalley: No Mommy.
dreag21: Well you were troubling something, you used it incorrectly and you're lucky you didn't hurt yourself. What have I said about troubling things that don't belong to you? (Admittedly my tone varied between flabbergasted and almost yelling here, I mean really kid? You could have scalped yourself!)
Smalley: Not to.
dreag21: Then why did you trouble it Smalley?
Smalley: I don't know.
dreag21: Well now you'll have all the time that it takes for your hair to grow back to think about why you shouldn't trouble things that don't belong to you.
Smalley: Okay Momma.

She now has some very rough chunks in throughout the back, but they're not too noticeable, especially when her hair tied back in a ponytail. The bangs however are a really sight.

I have to hope the folks at the salon can do something about this:



My seven-year-old now sports a comb-over!