So these actual “work” projects I suddenly have are seriously cutting into my blogging time. I am not complaining, well I am – a little. I really enjoy my work, but the timing is seriously really kind of crappy right now. I have two projects that essentially got handed to me today, and are due January 3rd.

It is a nice little break to go to the coffee shop and actually use my brain for some real work, though. Uh, let me rephrase that. I do real work, very hard work everyday. As every SAH (stay-at-home) mom will tell you, it is the absolute hardest job, it is very demanding, very physical, and always 24 hours a day. But, I can mostly do it with my brain pretty much turned off. The biggest workout my mind gets most days is trying to come up with a new bribe or compromise that I haven’t tried on Emma yet. So to actually be designing graphics, talking with adults about something other than our children’s eating and bathroom habits, and feeling useful…it is a nice change.

But, back to the sucky timing. I am starting to feel a little of the “Christmas stress” that I have been trying so hard to avoid. I still haven’t finished Christmas shopping, haven’t begun to even think of wrapping the gifts, and I am only about halfway finished on the calendars that I do for our friends and family each year. Do you think anyone would notice if their calendar was missing January and they got it for Valentine’s Day?

And honestly…I just want to go hang out at the park with the girls. The weather is beautiful – fall-like for everywhere else in the country – that nice sweatshirt or sweater, perfect-for-the-park weather. And the girls have really been into it lately. It is great for Emma, our little social butterfly. She makes a new friend everytime we go, and she basically runs herself silly. Addie has figured out that she can climb…HIGH. So she is just as fearless as E. She has also learned not only how to say “park” but points it out whenever we go by it. Just her wistful, longing look out the window as we go by, is enough to make me stop, even if it means we are late for something, or we put off grocery shopping (again!) in favor of a trip down the slide. (We are in desperate need of a grocery shop. Have been for about a week, now.)

So…what I should be doing, instead of sitting here complaining, is crossing something off of my to-do list so I can go to the park and continue my quest for a stress-free holiday. I guess I better get on it. *Sigh* How are the rest of you doing on your Christmas To-Do lists?

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3 more days to get your stories and/or pictures in for the Elmo contest! I only have a few so far so your odds of winning are really good!! Come on, put it on the top of your list of things to do!