I love this week before Christmas. It is the span of seven days that I have before everything gets really crazy on Christmas Adam and Christmas Eve. (Christmas Adam is the day before Christmas Eve because Adam came before Eve.).
This week is the best because I usually have everything done, cards written and mailed, gifts purchased and wrapped.
This is the week that I will find some time to bake those wonderful Christmas cookies that I will end up eating all by myself. There is Christmas music on the radio in my car and on the stereo in my house. (In spite of the fact that it drives The Man crazy. But since I put up with Hockey, football and country music the entire time I am with him I figure a week or two of Christmas music is the least I can have.) The little tree is up and decorated, the lights are up outside and all is well with my world.
I was driving home from mass this morning at 9 AM and there were very few people on the roads. Early Sunday morning is usually nice and quiet around here so I get to do a lot of thinking as I drive to and from church. For some reason the world was just a little brighter and a lot happier this morning and I got to thinking about how much I enjoy this final full week before the Christmas explosion. This is the week that the excitement and anticipation of this wonderful season is at its peak. It is also the week that many people are in full panic mode and are driving and acting like lunatics but in my own little world life is just beautiful.
I love the building excitement of wondering if my family will like the gifts I am giving them. I really enjoy shopping for my family and friends because I shop all year long. When I see something that I just KNOW someone will love I have to purchase it and tuck it away till December. I have even gotten very good at "hiding" these items all in one place so that when it's time to wrap and deliver them I actually know where everything is. The joy of giving a gift that you have chosen for a special person in your life is better than any gift I could receive.
I like wrapping gifts . . . Choosing the right paper for each person and decorating the package is great fun.
Yesterday I went down to see my three grand kids in Pompano. I went down early so that their dad could go to his gym and do his work out without having to bring the kids along. Once my son left for the gym I told the kids we were going to Walmart to do some Christmas shopping for their dad. (Mom and dad are divorced and although they are still friends they are both over worked and spread thin juggling three kids between two houses.) The idea of Christmas shopping for their dad really got the kids excited and moving so we were in the store by 9:45 AM. It was perfect ! While we were driving to Walmart I had the three kids brain storming what they wanted to get their dad. Five year old Grey had a pen and paper in the back seat so she was our secretary in charge of writing down our list. I asked them for ideas and the very first thing they wanted to buy their dad was BEER. And we think kids aren't paying attention ! Once we got past that idea they decided they wanted to buy their father SHOES. (I almost drove off the road when they came up with that idea.) You would have to know my fashion conscious son who wouldn't be caught dead in Walmart shoes to really appreciate this. But the kids were adamant about the shoes so that is what we bought. They decided the shoes had to be "fancy" shoes, not sneakers and they had to be black. Did you know you can actually get a fairly nice looking pair of mens shoes for under $25 ? God only knows how comfortable they will be but the kids tested each pair in the store until they found a pair that fit all their criteria. I can not tell you how excited these kids are about this pair of shoes. We had to buy just the right wrapping paper for the shoes along with a tie and some air freshener for my son's car.
We spent an hour and a half running, literally running, around Walmart. We all had such a GREAT time. . . it was the best day ever. Once we got home they immediately had to wrap their gifts, put them all in a huge gift bag and then decorate the bag. The bag now has no less than fifty labels and stickers decorating it but it is their creation so it looks amazing.
As I was driving home yesterday I couldn't stop smiling at what a fun time we had together. I would love to be a fly on the wall on Christmas morning to see my son opening these gifts. I DO have my doubts that the kids will actually be able to make it to Christmas without telling their dad what they bought him. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if they had him opening the gifts after school some day this week. But it doesn't matter . . . This is the best week of the year for excitement, love, celebrating and giving.
Have a fantastic week . . . enjoy each day because we will have to wait a whole year until we feel this wonderful again.
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