Done!

I did it. The last gift was put in the mail today... teacher gifts made and wrapped and ready to be delivered tomorrow... Santa found the wii he was looking for for what seems like EVER, the house looks beautiful (ok, the parts that are not under construction look beautiful) and I finally feel like it's all going to be ok. Done, done, done!

Of course there is still santa-wrapping to do, cookie baking, gingerbread house making... a holiday cake and one last gift to find and purchase, a menu to plan and shop for.. but that's nothing compared to the last month's worth of work, amidst floods and flu. Almost like play, right? It sounds like a lot though when I type it all out... who am I kidding? So much for that sigh of relief.

Why do we do this every year? Every year I swear I'm going to find a way to make it more simple, more meaningful, more enjoyable. Every year I wish we could just escape to some tropical island and spend the day eating pineapples and fresh-caught grilled fish, or sipping drinks served in coconut shells with little umbrellas floating on top... snorkeling in a reef full of colorful fish... burying toes in white sand... napping in hammock. But no, here I am, doing it all over again, just like last year. At least I think it's like last year, because honestly, I can't even remember last year. Think I'll remember this Christmas a month or two from now too? Or will it all be a blur?