Merry Christmas

My goal for this year was to have all of my Xmas shopping done and presents wrapped before the 20th of December. This was important to me because I couldn't remember a Christmas where I wasn't scrambling around on Xmas Eve stressing about what I had to get for everyone. I wanted everything to be done so I could relax and enjoy the holiday parties, the skiing, and the family. Oh well, at least I had good intentions.

I did a Xmas movie that took hours and hours to accomplish, and I was still putting the final touches on the gifts even the morning of Christmas. Was I relaxed? No. Did I enjoy it? Yes.

Annalisa and Riley are 3 and 5 years old so they are just getting to that magical age were they believe there is a Santa. It's so fun because Kate and I enjoy keeping the dream alive. We had an elaborate scheme this year. Kate put out the cookies and milk with a note to Santa. I came to the house early in the morning, ate the cookies and drank the milk and wrote a note to the girls. Then I took Kate's skis and made some tracks so it looked like Santa's sleigh had dropped by. I then rang some bells outside the window so Riley could hear them in her anxious, Christmas morning half sleep. It worked out beautifully and it was so heart-warming to see Riley and Annalisa come down the stairs, wide eyed and shocked at all the new presents under the tree. Riley was a little upset that she didn't catch Santa in the act, but she'll have more chances.