20 days and counting

It's officially the Christmas season, and the mayhem has begun. The USC Santa Hat is on baby!
I was gonna be SO prepared this year. My sister and I started gathering lists and looking for presents in OCTOBER. I do have a few gifts already (though 4 of 20 is a lousy percentage) but there's all the other stuff to do too. My fridge is covered in lists of people to call, things to buy, make and do before the month is out. Here's a sampling:
As the activities chairperson at church I'm in charge of the Christmas party and I just realized that I haven't made the sign up sheets for the pot-luck dinner yet. There's two weeks (mostly) before the party there's only one more Sunday. People like to be eased into volunteering. I hope we have enough food. (Don't get me started on another of my rants; people who come to a pot-luck dinner and don't bring anything. What gives you the right to eat like a hog if you come empty handed? But I digress...) Beyond the food, there are the costumes to arrange for the group performing the nativity, collecting the music and words for the carolling, getting someone to play for the carolling, and getting the timing right for Santa Claus... Did I mention that this party is on the SAME day - at nearly the same time - as the wedding for a friend of mine? Yeah. How does one choose between events like that? And this is just one day of the month.
Next Saturday I have three (3!!) parties to attend. First I herd the kids into decorating the tree at church (because they just made me Primary President!!! That's the director type person over the children younger than 12), then it's on to lunch with the grown ups and lastly Tarzan's cousin has a performance that night. (When can a girl shop?)
There's the special program on Christmas Eve at church. Yes I also lead the music in sacrament meeting. (One would think I was musically talented from all the time I spend with songs and lyrics and pianists.) Solos and guest artists and speakers to line up.
Aaaaaand there's family stuff. I have GOT to mail my cards. Local cards shouldn't take too long but the ones to England and Canada and Brazil? I don't think I thank the United States Postal Service as often as I should. Thank you USPS!!
It's a pity that I spend so many of the daylight hours inside. Businesses other than retail should be closed after Thanksgiving. Who actually works during December? We pretend to in my office, but there's the holiday lunches for each of the clients and trading cards and bottles of wine (oooh goodie (sarcasm there)) back and forth. Nearly everyone takes days off and/or leaves early for "Christmas Shopping." I know I spend most of my time thinking/planning/dreaming of all the stuff to do after 5:30.
Yet...despite all the craziness, I loooove Christmas. If it all comes off and I don't mess up somewhere (please let there be enough food!) I have no regrets about the whole thing.

This is me getting merry!