Christmas Grinch

12/23/15 The Christmas hustle and bustle has put me in a mood and I am starting to feel a bit like the Grinch. I do not like feeling this way, but it is happening a little more each day. It all started on Friday when I took the whole day to do my final Christmas shopping. With 19 people on my list I was more than overwhelmed. I had done lots of black Friday shopping and got lots of internet shopping and felt I had a good handle on things. Still 19 people is too much, way too much, it doesn’t seem right. I have my family, my parents, my brother and his wife and daughter, Mark’s parents, and one of Mark’s sister’s and husband, and 3 nieces and a nephew, and My Aunt Alice. That is all… There has got to be a better way and each year I think we need to figure that out. I have suggested gift cards and we did that one year, and a grab bag exchange, we also did that one year. Unltimately,  others  really enjoy gifts. I think it would be wonderful to give survival items or animals for World Vision to countries in need. Or, we could even help a local family. I am not into getting gifts as much as others.  With our own kids, we have tried to simplify, but even that has been hard. I am trying to keep the plan of each person gets: one thing they want, one thing they need, one thing to wear, and one thing to read. 
Today I left the house making stops in Boone and Ames before going to lunch with my good friend Carolyn. I love our visits and we are so much alike sometimes its scary.  So on to the mall I went. Little did I know that the Friday before Christmas, December 18th would be considered the busiest shopping day of the year. It should have been an indicator when I pulled into the Jordan Creek mall and the parking had overflowed into the grass on every row. The big trucks that parked there tore ruts and made mud holes in the once green grass. I knew exactly what I wanted to pick up for both Jake and Mark. All of the choices for Jake’s gift were long gone and no more. Plan B, there was no plan B. Mark’s gift he pointed out and specifically told me he liked, a print was gone and there would be no more.  It was busy, it was crazy, and I wanderd for awhile hoping for a plan B, something, anything. The longer I wandered the more stressed I became and the more my head hurt and stomach became knotted. I wanted out of this mall and fast. I had to make a stop at Target before leaving town. That put me at 4:30 leaving Des Moines, which put me in heavy traffic of rush hour. It took a half hour to go a distance that should only take 10 minutes. By the end of the day, other than meeting up with Carolyn, was a big flop. I was beginning to feel Grinchy.  
This week I made another desperate trip to Boone, the store I was hoping to find something was closed on the one day I made it to town.  In the other stores, I wandered hoping something would just jump at me and say, “This would be the prefect gift”. No luck, feeling more stressed. 19 people to buy for is just too many! And then there is the big man in the red suit. Santa makes Christmas so complicated!! That is all I can say about that.

            Baking and cooking Christmas goodies is supposed to be fun. I was looking forward to it and I booked 3 whole days for the kids and I to make and bake and deliver goodies. 3 days of no school and a full day to enjoy it. I envisioned this fun time with the kids. We made candies and baked goodies. I did this while doing laundry, cooking dinner and supper, and wrapping gifts. The dishes were piling as I would wash a few here and there. What a mess! I would go go go, and not sit down. I was cooking lunch amidst a mess on all counters with dishes everywhere. The kids were helpful but the boys only for brief moments, then they were off doing whatever. Luke was my gingerbread roller, and Jake ran my mixer. Today is day 3 of candies and goodies and I have had plenty of problems. One batch of cake mix got overbeat because I stepped away while it was mixing. The cookie cutter cookies were all shapes of crosses and over half of them broke when you tried to pick them up or frost them. The candy cane cookies were a disaster trying to shape and roll they would crumble. I made a crumble apple cake that baked over in my pan and I was worried it would not turn out so made a pan of apple crisp as my back up. I have been eating and nibbling on everything I make which is not good and my stomach actually hurts from too much sugar. All the work put into the goodies and 3 days later doesn't seem like much in the end. I am taking them to Mercedes and Julian and a box for the Spillman’s. Also a plate for the hired men. I had good intentions of many others, but am wore out and have had it. I don’t even have to fix a big Holiday meal, or prepare for a house full of people. I am definitely not cut out for hospitality. Some people are just very natural at it and I amcnot one of those. I heard on the radio that we should not be looking to try and have a perfect Christmas, because we are not perfect. We are broken people in a broken world, and the only thing perfect is the Savior Jesus Christ who was sent for us. This season is about Jesus and his birthday, not making perfect cakes and candies, not buying all the perfect presents for everyone, not taking the perfect family photo in the perfect Christmas outfits, but the perfect baby born unto us. For that I am thankful and for that I am not allowing myself to be the Grinch!