Christmas - check.

I'm checking off my "to do" list and judging by all the checked off items, with the exception of thank you notes and the accompanying wailing and screaming from Youngest and Tween over having to write them - Christmas is done. Christmas really snuck up on me this year. It was with complete and total surprise that I saw the Advent wreath decorating the sanctuary the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Where did my "cushion weekend" go this year? How is it that I was still reeling from the cooking and traveling of Thanksgiving and all of a sudden Advent was upon us and I was not ready?! So I got busy made my list, checked each item off as accomplished and now ..I'm done. Well, except for Christmas cards too.. but everyone knows not to expect those until the New Year - that's a Just Mom tradition.

Well, there you have it, the meat of many a homily. Christmas doesn't end on December 25th; Christmas begins December 25th. Advent is not the time to be ready...it is the time to get ready! Advent is not supposed to be everything is in place already around the house time...it's the open your heart, open your home, and GET READY time. So now that Christmas is here and I, apparently, am ready, what should I do to celebrate?

Today's celebration was quite a lot of work! The morning was unwrapping, and breakfast, and then Mass. After Mass was cleaning from all of the above and then cooking, and eating, and cleaning again. And then, at last, the lazy began!

The lazy today included:
1. Finishing my Sudoko book that I've been working on for months.
2. Reading my Christmas present book, Remember Me, by Sophie Kinsella. (Review to follow.)
3. Reaching another FreeCell milestone - 999,200.
4. Discovering a new game, Bubble Spinner...very difficult!
5. Uploading pictures from the camera to the computer and to Walgreens and maybe I'll even order some...nah.
6. Eating the Godiva chocolates I got from Ex-Marine.

So now that I have indulged myself, I feel like I should make some sort of spiritual plan for celebrating Christmas. Perhaps readign scripture, some sort of extra prayer, attending Mass more often? I'll think on it and get back.