It just doesn't seem right

Santa is supposed to come to our house tomorrow night.  He has always come to our house on Dec. 22.  The 23rd we stay home and enjoy our day of relaxiation and fun together.  Then on the 24th we pile into the van and head home to Ohio for Christmas.

I should be in a last minute scramble to pack and get the gifts together.  The kids and I should be baking the cookies to leave out for Santa.

Not this year.  For the first time in our married lives, we will not be going home for Christmas.  We are taking the kids to Disney the first week of January, so a trip to Ohio just isn't possible. 

So instead of packing, I was able to go to a book club meeting last night.  I decided to take a dessert I've been wanting to make.  Unfortunately, the batter was so thick and sticky that it killed my hand-held mixer.  Smoke literally poured out of it.  The kids found it fascinating, but that meant I had to finish mixing the cookie portion, as well as the filling, by hand.  The consistancy is way off, but it was still pretty yummy.

I am putting a stand mixer on my Christmas wish list.

Instead of scrambling to get presents ready, I scheduled our van to get the windshield repaired.

That horizontal line you see is the crack that showed up several months ago.  I never thought about getting it fixed until I was in the van.  I would even tell myself, "Self, call the insurance company when you get into the house."  By the time I got into the house, I had way too many other things to distract me.  I never remembered.  Until our insurance guy, who happens to be the deacon at our church, saw the crack.  He harrassed my oldest child and my husband to make me get it fixed.  So I finally scheduled an appointment for people to come to my house to fix it.

Too bad it's raining. 

Normally a person would just pull his car into the garage, where the technician could get to work.  This is our garage:

Even if the van could fit in there, not the best working conditions.

We also have a large barn.  Perhaps that could work?

In the technician's words, "Um, yeah, no.  We're going to need to reschedule."

Of course, as soon as he scheduled me for Monday morning and pulled away, the rain stopped.  Not one drop has fallen since then.  Arg.

And I was so excited for it to happen today.  I am so curious to see how one relatively short man will change the windshield on a 12 passenger van.

So, I go back to not packing.  To not getting frazzled about gifts.  To not baking, 'cause I ain't makin' any more cookies without some sort of electric mixer. 

I will plan what we will eat on Christmas Day.  I will contemplate the time we will attend Mass.  I will feel a bit lonely.  I'm going to miss playing cards with my dad and grandma.  I will miss having breakfast and a few games of Scrabble with my great-aunt. 

And then on Tuesday, I will begin the we're-leaving-for-Disney-in-two-days scramble to get packed for 2 parents, 6 kids, and 2 grandmas who are taking a loooong road trip to see Mickey Mouse.

 Have a lovely day!