Welcoming the Holidays... a day in the life post

Sorry dear friends about the lack of posts. I'm working on getting these letters in the mail.  While searching for a post from last year, I came across this... yes, all true a year ago.  Now days you can add keeping the pyrotechnic loving teenagers from lighting everything from their socks soaked in alcohol to the tip of a sharpie.  Good luck on getting the house ready for guests! I'm thrilled to just keep mine standing.

Here's today's effort to get my house Welcome ready:

• Early AM Wal-mart run to buy 3 new strands of lights to replace the 3 strands that blew on our tree. Yes, it's the same tree as the one in my other funny post.
  
• Run 6 kids through the chore routine... hours later... I'm exhausted and thinking maybe this house will never be clean. Why do we bother with giving kids chores? They all need a play habitat to tear apart while you efficiently clean the house.
• Hand the 10 and 12 year old lights and say, "Go decorate the front of the house... make it look nice."
  
• Find 10 year old on the roof hanging lights. WHAT!!!
• Find screen torn in room by roof... the 6 year old was caught trying to escape to help brother. WHAT!!!
• String 5 strands of lights back on the tree... hang all the ornaments AGAIN.
• Check on outside lights... WHAT??? They're more creative than my 33 year old brain could wrap around. Looks like Vegas meets the Griswalds.
• Let the 12 year old lead dough ornament activity. No harm done. Plenty of ornaments since he tripled the recipe.

What do I still have to do?

• Wipe the boogers off the wall.
• Sanitize the bathrooms before the CDC shuts us down. (The Department of Defense is watching our house closely. They believe we've managed to cultivate our own super-germ capable of bio-warfare. Of course, we're all immune because we live with it every day.)
• WRAP!! WHAT??? Yes, nothing is wrapped. NADA. 19 people at my house in 2 days. Gifts for all... multiple gifts. NOTHING WRAPPED! Ahhhh...
  
• Clean my room... I can't find my bed, or my closet, or my dresser, or the carpet.

I won't bother you with all the other details.


Merry Christmas to all of you wonderful ladies out there! Good luck getting your lists crossed off and I'll check in soon... (as long as the CDC doesn't haul me off!)

A note: Thanks to all who bought letters, spread the word, or just plain tolerated the shameless marketing plugs.  This means so much to our family, more than you'll know and I am so grateful for my fantastic friends for spreading the word.  A special thanks to my pals Kimba and Melissa for their sweet encouragement and beyond generous support!  These girls are gems.  Someday we'll all sit down together and devour a chocolate cake in real life. Love you girls!