The weeks before Christmas

To call the weeks before Christmas hectic in our house is a definite understatement. Like everyone of course, I am dealing with the general pressure of having to buy presents, write and send cards, arrange for lunches and dinners. But on top of that, my job generally gets a lot busier around this time of year (no I am not in retail, but still) and there's a flurry of school activities I have to attend, which makes scheduling especially difficult.

Like most people too, we are often besieged by a selection of seasonal ailments. Last year it was tummy bugs first, followed by a varied assortment of diseases, this time it's hacking and coughing and bronchitis for starters, and who knows what next. Winter isn't even half over and I've already had it with sleepless nights and sticking thermometers in various orifices. Especially since I have a child who will refuse all medication, even when I attempt to bribe her with chocolate or M&M's as a reward...

The only chore which we have managed to complete so far is getting the tree up and decorated, and this only happened because the daughter was home sick and we had an extra day to devote to it. The picture shows last year's tree but this year's is very much the same...


I also wrote up 4 menus but still have to work out the related shopping lists and - naturally - do the cooking. There's also cards, presents and juggling of days and times for invitations to be handled. It won't get done today. I have a headache, from sitting up with a coughing kid half the night, and I need to put in a full day at the office.

Every morning gets off on a stressful start when I peek out the window to see if there's ice or snow on the cars and - God forbid !- on the street... the latter happened a few days ago and we had to take the bus to school and work, which meant a cold and long journey, made even more uncomfortable by the nagging pain of arthritis in my knees...

Oh the joys of Christmas, indeed. I need a religious/cultural frame where there are no imposed celebrations and we can pick the days we feel really good and energetic as our festival days. I also need a warmer climate. And a maid, a secretary, a cook and a cleaner, and maybe a personal shopper as well. Hey wait... I need a wife ! That should about cover it !

PS sorry for whining a bit -- I'm sure things will get better as I can gradually tick more things off my to-do-list !