Thursday, December 20, 2007

This is it.

Today is my last day of work before having 17 days off in a row. The best part? Only 2 of those are vacation days… the rest are just gifts for working in higher education and earning much less than I could out there in the “real world”. Ahem.

Everyone around here keeps asking if I am ready for Christmas. Emotionally – yes, I am. Christmas itself isn’t much of an ordeal for me. Homer is Jewish, so that fact that we celebrate anything to do with Christmas with my family has always been a no-brainer. That makes it pretty stress-free on the family front. The other good thing is that none of the extended family festivities happen at my house. I just have to show up with my kids and my potluck dish and that’s all that is expected of me.

Of course, when people are asking whether or not I’m ready, they are really asking if I have my shopping done. Nope. Not even close. Am I stressed about it? Nope. I know exactly what I am buying people and where to get it (I have a chart drawn up). I have the day off tomorrow and will shop all day while the kids are still in school/daycare. I have my route mapped out and will not hit one single mall. I’ll wrap everything up after the kids have gone to bed on Friday night and I’ll be done. I do it this way every year and the system hasn’t failed me yet.

For the rest of the holidays, I’ll just tinker around the house (read: clean out closets, cupboards and the basement), spend lots of time with the kids and Homer and meet up with some friends for coffee or lunch. Seventeen days seems like a long time right now, but I’m pretty sure it will seem too short on the other side of it.

I’m not sure if I’ll post in the next couple of weeks or just take a little break.

Wishing all my bloggy friends a wonderful Christmas full of cookies, friends, family and wishes granted. I’ll see you when I see you!

17 comments:

Christina Schmidt said...

Huh, I thought my 11 days rocked - 17 sounds like a life time!!! Every year I promise myself to somehow work out enough vacation days to take extra time during the time off but I never quite make it. Maybe next year!

Happy Holidays to you as well!

Saly said...

We have the same plan and agenda! Kids will be at daycare tomorrow, and we will get our shopping done! I'm usually wrapping overnight, befoe Christmas morning though.
Merry Christmas to you too! Take care!

Tess said...

This entry is such a nice, calming influence on my Reader. Everyone else is FREAKING OUT.

I am already pouting about the lack of blog posts next week when I am AT WORK. And with so little to do, too! THE HUMANITY!

A happy holiday to each and every Simpson!

Badness Jones said...

Merry Christmas Simpsons!

Laural Dawn said...

Merry Christmas to you too!

Enjoy it.

Misty said...

Aren't you organized...care to send some of that down my way?

This year, for the first year ever, we will be having Christmas at our house. I am hoping the heathens - *ahem* - neighbor children won't come calling. Apparently, I am making a ham. Or so I have been informed. So I have to worry about that now. But really? It is all good. I am cool. :)

Merry Christmas, Marge!

artemisia said...

Oh, yeah! Have fun!

Blog said...

Happy holidays, Lorid!!! You sound great! Enjoy! :)

Family Adventure said...

Woo-hoo!! Have a fabulous time off! I hope you enjoy it all, and that it doesn't fly by too quickly!

And here's to a wonderful Christmas at the Simpson's too :)

Heidi

Banana said...

Merry Christmas! Hope you have a wonderful 17 day break. I'm supremely jealous.

Jess said...

My god, I can't believe you have a chart. Isn't it convenient when your significant other comes from a family that doesn't celebrate the same holidays as yours? We have that lucky situation for Thanksgiving, since Germans don't celebrate it.

Enjoy your 17 days off! I hope your Christmas was great.

shay said...

Merry Christmas to you guys (a bit late)!

Mighty Morphin' Mama said...

Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you all!

Beck said...

I hope you're having a wonderful break and that you had a beautiful Christmas!

Anonymous said...

Gostei muito desse post e seu blog é muito interessante, vou passar por aqui sempre =) Depois dá uma passada lá no meu site, que é sobre o CresceNet, espero que goste. O endereço dele é http://www.provedorcrescenet.com . Um abraço.

Nowheymama said...

I took a blogging break, too, although I didn't annouce it, as I probably should have.

Happy New Year!

Amreen said...

hi lori - hope you had a great holiday and are enjoying your time off!