Does anyone else have as much trouble as me with Christmas shopping? (or any kind of present shopping for that matter?? I know I’ve mentioned this before but I’ve just got to go over it again.) My Dear Husband manages to make it look absolutely effortless. I would say I am the opposite of effortless.
For me it’s more like pushing that “Christmas bus” Maren was talking about yesterday.
By Myself. Uphill. In the Snow.
I have already made dozens of lists. I keep rewriting and scribbling and redeciding.
I got scared out of my pants yesterday in the Wal-mart parking lot. I decided to look over my scribbled lists a bit more before I went into the store to see if there was anything I should be picking up while I was there. A friend saw me and knocked on the window of the van. I get really involved in my list-making (we’re talking the full power of my brain being engaged) and I freaked out a tiny bit when she knocked. It took me a moment to recover from my shock and even recognize her!
I decided I didn’t like the Wal-mart parking lot list and was making a new one in the parking lot of the school. I didn’t even see the kids until they too began knocking on the van window. (see previous paragraph for my reaction to the knocking)
Aside from the list making, I keep taking out my stockpile of “presents-gathered-throughout-the-year-by-my-husband.” I repeatedly look them over, redistribute them among the kids, and stare at them. Is there something for everyone? Who gets which stuffed animal? What is from Santa and what is from me? Why did my husband buy ten thousand books and will the girls mind getting ten thousand books for Christmas….?
One more thing. I have also wasted much of this week searching the internet for barbie clothes and presents for my Dear Husband. I want barbie clothes in bulk and I want them fairly cheap, but I don’t think those options exist. (I won’t even take time to go into the horror of shopping for Dear Husband. Suffice it to say, Bane. Of. My. Existence.)
Basically, to put it in a nutshell, I am going nuts over presents while poor Tiny Baby cries in the background. I know it’s only Dec. 1st. Plenty of time. And I know it will all be taken care of. And the girls will be happy. And I will be happy- I really like Christmas.
In the meantime, if you see me sitting somewhere around town, parked in my van, and writing something, go ahead and knock on my window if you want to say hi.
I like surprises.
