Monday

We have enjoyed having Olivia home so much!  We have already baked three different holiday goodies, and yesterday we delivered 40+ buckets of treats to members of our church family.  We plan on cooking one or two things today.  Also, the children have their final piano lessons for the semester this afternoon.  That means that Sam has one last session of running errands with Mama this afternoon.  While Julie, Clay, and Leah are at piano, Sam and I run all over town, marking things off my list.  He does not enjoy this too much!  But I usually try to buy him a treat of gum or a candy bar or something at a check-out counter each week.

Saturday I attended our annual Ladies' Brunch and Ornament Swap.  This is always such a fun event, and this year was no different.  Grown ladies can be very funny (and sneaky) when playing dirty Santa with beautiful Christmas ornaments.  I got a very large ornament that I hung in the doorway between my kitchen and my den.  It is red and green and sparkly.

After the brunch, and since I was fortified with lots of coffee and mocha punch, I planned to finish my Christmas shopping.  I had a typed list, organized by store.  Unfortunately, everyone else in northeast Mississippi had the same idea and town was crowded!  It was crazy!  I made it to Sam's, Walmart, Lifeway (where I had to park in the O'Charley's parking lot because there were no parking spots left at Lifeway!), and then the mall.  Only I did not even get to every store on my list in the mall.  Nor did I get to the Dollar Tree, Trails and Treads, or Kohl's.  It was 5:00 PM when I decided that I needed to go home to cook supper.  Normally it takes me 10-12 minutes to get home from the mall.  Saturday at 5:00, it took 45 minutes!

Thankfully, sweet Olivia had prepared supper.  She is so happy to be at home doing all things domestic and crafty!  She has worked on the puzzle I bought for her, made a snowflake mobile, crocheted gifts, and read for pleasure.  All of my children are staying busy crafting presents for each other and for for other people too.  I have wrapped and wrapped and wrapped, and thankfully everyone in the family has helped me too.  I love Christmas gift wrap and ribbon!

I plan to run 3 miles this morning.  I have rested since December 7th (the crazy, freezing cold marathon!)  I have requested to switch my registration for the Mississippi River Marathon from the full marathon to the half marathon.  I am not mentally up for marathon training right now.  Or really physically either--I need to reserve my energy for full-force homeschooling beginning January 7th.

I also plan to finish my Christmas shopping today.  Surely, town won't be as crowded today!

One last Holiday Hint:  If you are giving a gift that needs to be charged, consider charging it before wrapping it.  If you charge it the day before you give it, chances are it will be ready to be used right out of the box.  I also insert any needed batteries into toys and games before I wrap them.