Christmas - Who is ready and who is not?

[Peace Of Mind]

I've been wrapping presents, marinating pecans and cranberries in brandy and brown sugar for baked brie for tomorrow night's party and Miss R's cranberries to go with Christmas dinner. I think I'm pretty much done now other than cooking on Christmas for DH and I and some friends. I feel like I'm forgetting something...

How about you all?

[Deleted]

the tree isn't fully decorated, our jingle bell wreath isn't up, and presents are still unwrapped under the tree.... so offhand, I'd say we're not ready.

[josie]

I'm all ready!

[The J]

I have to wrap gifts, and make some food for saturday. And drink heavily in anticipation of spending two days with family

[Anne_in_VA]

I'm pretty much done. I've been cleaning all day, wrapping presents and have everything ready for Christmas morning except for making the fruit salad. We're going over to the kids house at 7:30 am to watch the grandkids open presents. DIL is making breakfast and asked me to bring my cranberry/apple compote and a fruit salad. She'll be making breakfast strata's, bacon and toast.

After the grandkids open all their presents and we've eaten, we'll come home and I'll be cooking for DH, SD and her two children. We'll play some Christmas music and sing and probably play some Wii games (the 4yo loves to play Wii games). SS and DIL will be going to her mom's for the afternoon but they may come over in the evening.

It'll be a really fun day.

[Peace Of Mind]

Dec 23, 2010 15:04:04 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

the tree isn't fully decorated, our jingle bell wreath isn't up, and presents are still unwrapped under the tree.... so offhand, I'd say we're not ready.

Jen, LMAO!! Girl, what have you been doing? Are you milking being pregnant? ;P

[MB-NY]

"Girl, what have you been doing? Are you milking being pregnant? ;P "

Slacker.

I guess I have it easy. No kids at home, one relative staying tonight and leaving in the morning, and that's it. With just DW and myself, there's not all that much we need to prepare.

[NancysSummerSip]

I will be up tonight, baking and wrapping, but only for the Christmas dinner with friends (two desserts, plus some goody bags). The party hostess and DH get gifts Saturday; I will not see my family until next month, so I get to shop for them in the post-holiday sales.

Sheesh...thanks for the reminder. I need a to-do list.

[Deleted]

LOL! POM, I have no idea! We procrastinated this year with getting gifts, so that messed up everything else. We usually have the tree up the first weekend of December, but we ended up not putting it up until last week. DH decorated some, but we didn't finish. We were getting gifts up until Sunday. The house is a mess. I have no energy to do it all.

[Bluerobin]

Ready!!!! I even found a 10 pound lump of coal. Now who can I give that to? No, it is real coal, not candy.

[Peace Of Mind]

MB - DH and I are just like you and your DW. No kids, and we buy what we want, when we want year round so we don't have to stress on what to pick for each other.

Jen - Enjoy it now because when you start to hear the pitter patter of little feet you won't have those luxuries!

Nancy - That is great you get to benefit from the after holiday sales for Christmas gifts! Can I ask you a weird question? My friends that wanted to come to my house for Christmas are Jewish. Would it be okay to play Christmas music or would that be rude of me? It's mostly orchestrated and easy listening type music. Not a lot of Christian themed music.

[NancysSummerSip]

Sure, POM...my friend does that at her dinner. As far as I am concerned, when I am a guest, I have no say in what my host does, serves, plays or offers. My job is to be a good guest. I would never comment of music, decor, food, etc. Your friends are coming to your territory, and as gracious guests, should accept what you offer.
And besides, you really don't want hours and hours of Hanukah music. It WILL make your ears bleed.

[Bluerobin]

POM, Crabby and I only do token gifts too. No kids, and nephews are grown. I do hafta find someone for the coal though.

[Peace Of Mind]

**And besides, you really don't want hours and hours of Hanukah music. It WILL make your ears bleed. **

LOL!! I think theirs would too as they are not really heavy into their traditions.
Thank you for your answer, Nancy. I still, as the hostess, want them to be comfortable and not make them feel awkward even if they are at my home. I like my guests to be catered to and comfortable. KWIM?

[Peace Of Mind]

Dec 23, 2010 15:50:16 GMT -5 Bluerobin said:

POM, Crabby and I only do token gifts too. No kids, and nephews are grown. I do hafta find someone for the coal though.

Blue - We've not exchanged gifts for years, including birthdays. That was something I came up with. We are so spoiled and I didn't want either of us to dread birthdays, anniversaries, holidays... because we HAD to try to find a gift. We both are picky and just prefer doing it ourselves and whenever... no reason really. Did I mention we were spoiled? We do buy things for our kitty kids. They are partial to kitty pot.

[NancysSummerSip]

You are a sweetie to want to do that. My people are usually fine with whatever, as long as there is food.

And can I come over, too?

[Peace Of Mind]

You know that you are always welcome!

[Bluerobin]

Gee Nancy, my people want food and insist on booze!!!

[KaraBoo]

I'm ready - for it all to be over with!

Seriously though - I'm usually in a better mood. This year, I'm just in a funk all the way around. Presents are bought, food's ready to be cooked, waiting on the day to get here and everything be over with.

I'm such a Scrooge right now!!

[Peace Of Mind]

(((Hugs))) to you NQTY!! Maybe you will be pleasantly surprised on the actual day and have a wonderful Christmas! Do you have nasty weather where you live? When our days are overcast and yucky I put on Christmas music and turn our Christmas lights on inside and out. That always helps. And lots of wine. ;P

I hope you feel better soon so you can enjoy all of your efforts! <3

[swamp]

Shopping is done, almost all wrapped.

Food shopping is done, tomorrow I'll be cooking.

Kids are 3 and 4, so this year, they "get" the whole Santa concept. I think this is gonna be fun!

[KaraBoo]

Thanks POM. I know why I'm in the funk, but I don't think lights or better weather will do it this year (I'll skip the wine, but pass the rum please!).

Out of our 4 kids, 3 of them are my step-kids and for some reason them being so excited to see their mom got to me this year. I know I shouldn't be upset about that, but as an adult, I can see what a loser she is and it bothers me that they put her on a pedestal so much. Especially since she constantly lets them down. I know, I know....I don't need the lecture this may bring on....

[Peace Of Mind]

OMG NQTY! I use to be a step mom when married to my ex AND we had custody of his little sister (his kid sister not the step son's). I know exactly how you feel! And I mean - major loser, thief, dirty... you name it for the son's mom. But one day he said to me (I'll never forget it): "You did more for me in 2 years than my mom ever did my whole life."

Remain objective, if that is ever possible, and stay kind and you may be surprised one day too. ExDH's sister (after I left him! ) told him that she learned so much from me and she too realized all I did. Of course that was after the fact, but still nice to hear. (((More Hugs)))!!

[KaraBoo]

((Hugs back!!)) Thank you!!

I know - my ex's daughter is now married with a child of her own and she says the same thing to me now (only about her dad - my ex, not her mom). Some days, that's all that keeps my sanity together is hoping that current skids will say the same thing in the future.

I'll still have my happy face on tomorrow and Saturday (and Sunday!). We'll have a lovely Christmas.....maybe I'll have a Christmas miracle and wake up joyful!

[Peace Of Mind]

<<exalts NQTY>> For good karma.

[Sum Dum Gai]

The house has been decorated since just after Thanksgiving. We went and murdered a tree to put in the living room a few weeks ago. Most of the gifts for the kids were purchased on cyber Monday. All that remains is the gifts I have to purchase, which will be bought tomorrow.

It's kind of a Christmas tradition to wait until the last minute. Some people enjoy standing in line to shop on Black Friday. Me, I enjoy the frantic last minute rush on Christmas Eve. Just me and every other lazy husband/boyfriend rushing through the mall trying to figure out what's left that won't get us in too much hot water with the missus. Nothing expresses the spirit of the season quite like a bunch of stressed out anxious men spending their cash on stuff in the hopes of not letting down the people they love.

[sparrow]

Tree is still in the attic (not my fault as I am not climbing that ladder). Still have a few gifts to wrap and a few to purchase, have to cook dinner tomorrow night and a big breakfast at my daughter's the next morning, still have some cleaning to do and just started baking.

Rock on.

[Sum Dum Gai]

Oh, and for anyone with young kids. Google NORAD tracks Santa. It's an awesome program. The kids call in on Christmas Eve and the operator will tell them where Santa is and when he'll get to their house.

NORAD is the North American Aerospace Defense Command. The secretish mountain complex in Colorado that tracks everything in space and the skies over the US and Canada. Obviously they pick up Santa on their radar screens every year when his sleigh enters our airspace. My favorite part is the videos they put on the web page. Santa first enters our airspace over Washington DC and he's always escorted by two fighter planes.

I know it's a totally silly thing for our military members to be doing on Christmas Eve, but everyone up there has a good time volunteering with the program and is happy to give something back to the kids.

[ugonow]

And drink heavily in anticipation of spending two days with family

Read more: notmsnmoney.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=fun&action=display&thread=312#ixzz18yVvFERT Glad to hear it'snot just me.

[Cookies Galore]

I had a wine emergency earlier (cash only at my nearest liquor store!!!), but BF is on his way home from work with my present wrapping bottle of wine. My evening should consist of drinking that bottle and wrapping all my presents and then going to sleep and hoping hope of all hopes that I wake up on Sunday.