I was certain that being home this year and not working outside the house, I would be ahead of the game for the holidays.  HA!  How is it that this week is Thanksgiving and that a month from now - 4 weeks - it will be Christmas?

Now throw in francesca’s 2nd birthday on December 14th, and then 10 days later Ross’ 5th Birthday on December 24th.  I am so not ready.

I did plan Ross’ party and invited his classmates (the boys) and cousins and such.  Since Francesca will be 2 and has yet to declare her party theme choice - we will double up and celebrate her birthday with Ross’ party.  This time around the holidays it’s easier than planning 2 separate parties.  His theme is dinosaurs - kids will dig for dinosaur bones, make and explode volcanos and make fossil prints.  I can alter the theme a bit for Francesca by including Barney (ugh).  Maybe on her cake.  Ross prefers the ferocious T-Rex.

I have goody bags to make and birthday presents to buy, but at least a couple of weeks to get that done.  I started baking for Thanksgiving and made 3 batches of pumpkin cookies, most frosted, some not.  YUM. They are disappearing fast though.  Note to self: hold off on the baking til a little closer to the day.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll make the pies.  We can hold off on those because you have to cut into the perfectly round pumpkin pies.  Not so easy to sneak and then you can’t put the pie out after dinner with a piece missing!  Not so for the cookies, no one will miss one..(oh if only just one).

Christmas is another story.  I have been shopped and wrapped by this point in the past.  Not always.  When I was expecting Ross, his due date was 12/26 so I was shopped and wrapped by Thanksgiving and good thing since I was on bedrest at the very end.  And lo and behold he was born on Christmas Eve.  Francesca also came in December - the 14th - so I was ready then too.  I already feel so behind.  I know I have time still but I am no fan of shopping close to the holiday.  I am a planner.  I like to look for the perfect gifts too.

I also have to take the holiday picture of the kids once the tree is up, get prints made and dash off the cards.

I am going to have to kick it in gear after Thanskgiving. and do some marathon shopping.  Wonder how that will go with the kids in tow.  Last year, I worked across from the mall so I would do a lot of shopping on my lunch hour.  That was nice because I didn’t have to lug the kids in and out of stores. 

How about you,  have you done your holiday shopping?