[AmyAnne]

I can't be the only one here on Holiday Prep Overload, can I????


So far today: I have gone to the grocery because we ran out of sugar. Came home, made a cake, helped do cleaning, did laundry, came downstairs, did Sausage balls, iced the cake, let Austin open gifts from friends and out of town family today so he wouldn't be on gift overload on Christmas. Went BACK to the store because we ran out of cream cheese. Made a turtle cheesecake...which has caramel, which means unwrapping every danged one of those caramels in the bag! Started the devilled eggs. Now, while the cheesecake's baking, I have to iron the stuff in the guest room so the guest room isn't a mess, fold more laundry, and start getting the house cleaned up. I think Tony's Pizza will be doing the cooking tonight.

Anyone ever heard the Church Dinner joke.... because I can totally relate!

A woman invites her friends from church to a dinner party. As the meal is being served, she calls on her daughter to say the blessing. Her daughter says "Oh, Mommy I wouldn't know what to say". The preacher interjects "Just say what you hear Mommy say". The little girl nods, bows her head and says "Dear Lord, why did I invite all these people over to dinner???"

[Snugglebug]

Oh you have no idea! Not only am I rushing around wrapping, planning and cooking for Christmas (while dh is out of town for work!!!) with our extended family. I am also preparing to fly from CA to OH on the 26th with my four kiddos by myself! Ahhhhhhhh! I am waking up with nightmares about changing planes in Pheonix!

I am just hoping that people will still have a little left over Christmas spirit at the airport and on the plane!

Gotta go pack some more!

Merry Christmas!

[crick]

Supermom Amy! Good grief!!

Power to you for hosting a holiday dinner...I'm one of those who gladly accept invitations from those like yourself. LOL!

Just breathe...

[AmyAnne]

We originally agreed to host Christmas because DH's Grandparents are local and Grandma has Alztheimer's, so going to my MIL's 5 hours away is traumatic for her. Plus this is A's first Christmas with us so we didn't want to add that in there.... then we figured out we had 14 people coming. As it is, I shortcutted a few things, asked MIL to make the traditional coffee cake that takes 4 hours to make, and decided on Ham versus turkey, because it'll be easier on ME. (I actually prefer turkey)

DH is on his way home from the pizza joint. I splurged and got fried mushrooms tonight!

Tomorrow inlaws will be here for supper. They called last minute, but MIL, bless her heart, said they're coming early so they can take us to dinner and I won't have to cook. It's time like this I am grateful my MIL has hosted so many Christmas Dinners and understands!!

[swsoutherlands]

I've been doing okay with Christmas so far, but then last night everything changed because I found out that my last living grandparent (Grandpa T) is dying in Hawaii. Now my mom is coming to visit only briefly before getting on a plane to HI. So far this year alone my husband & I have lost 3 grandpas-- all within 2 months of each other this spring. So once Grandpa T goes, I'll be grandparent-less. I suppose it's one of those hard rites-of-passage that comes from growing up. Death is just harder at the holidays, huh?

[bjhv5]

Well lets see if I can confuse everyone!!

I have our familt which is dh and myself as well as our 6 children,then we have 2 of my sons friends staying with us for the holiday break from school
we also have my dh's exwifes ex husband and his girlfriend and his dd ( my step dd's 1/2 sister whom she has not seen in 2 years thanks to mom)with the ex wife here
we are getting the 2 older sibs of our youngest 2 here on christmas eve
I have lost any one yet?
Okay and my dd who is terminally ill had a massive seizure yesterday so we thought we might be headed to the hospital but thank GOD she is okay .
And we are doing last minute shopping because the 2 friends mom dropped them off with NO presents!!! and I will not let them sit here while ours open theirs.So stress of gift buying added in ( not to mention the $$)
Then my dad calls and tells me that my sister did not get any of her children(5 of them) anything because she and dh just did not have $,so with the gift cards we had gotten we went out and bought them things along with my dad.
I still have not made it to the grocery store to get my ham and am worried that we will be eating hamburger shaped like a ham
I was up until 2:00 am last night putting together christmas trays of goodies( baking,chilling etc) for dh to take to work to thank them for the wonderful gift they gave us yesterday( my dh and 1 other guy on the job are foster parents and the crew took up a donation for the 2 of them as a thank you for taking care of other people children it was a nice thing) as welll as trays for our ped.'s office and pharmacy.

So now I know I have lost you all but thank you for letting me vent!!!! I feel MUCH better and not as if I am about to loose my mind

God Bless and Merry Christmas!!!!!!
Hugs to all

[mallory4]

Just a twinge of guilt after reading all you busy ladies' posts. I thought that since this was my first holiday as the mother of four, we should go out to eat for Christmas, so we are!

We usually have lots of guests, AND host a day-after potluck on the 26th for even more folks, but this year I just didn't want to do it. So all the friends and family we usually have over are joining us at our favorite restaurant. Everyone was very willing, and I am off the hook! Yes!

I am still doing lots of baking because it wouldn't be the holidays without me using up 6 lbs of butter, and we are having everyone over for dessert so the house still has to be spiffed up, but I still feel much more relaxed.

I'll be back in the fray next year. Good luck everyone, and happy holidays!

[mommyto9]

Okay yesterday, the 23, I was cleaning, wrapping presents, baking, and made the daily trip to Walmart. Then I get a call from the music store that our son's guitars are in. So I put dd in charge and head for the music store 40 miles away to get the LAST Christmas presents. The traffic was terrifying!! bumper to bumper and hardly moving. Then on the way home i remember I forgot to get green onions for the cheeseball, so I stop at the local market on the way home. Get home, continue cleaning, wrapping etc...

THEN.... fd starts throwing up....that's right....throwing up.....all night.....

So far she hasn't puked since 11:30 pm. Hopefully she's felling better, b/c she and her brother (grammar??) are suppose to be spending the night with some family on Christmas Eve.

Now today, I have to do "pukey" laundry. Bake some Christmas cookies, and get my bedroom cleaned up.

But, I'm still feeling jolly.....

Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Christmas!!!!

[wrekdiver]

Wow!! You ladies should get special halo's when the time comes!

We always go to my in-law's, where I am not required to bring anything but the family.

I look forward to baking the one home-made lemon merginue pie that my BIL ask for every christmas.

My father came down to visit earlier in the week and I put him to work wrapping and delivering all my gifts.

So, I can't recall one stressful thing I have done this whole advent season.

But...what goes around, comes around. When my children grow up then my house will be the new grand central station. I'm definitely looking forward to those days

[TexasJingles]

Okay, here's mine.

MIL called late yesterday and asked if I could make the greenbean cassarole. Not a problem..I've never made it..but I read directions very well. And I have to go to the store.

So, today I go and buy the things needed. I bring home the bag with the canned goods, hd is kind and unloads the car.

So, far, so good. Right?

I also have some last minute gifts for unexpected additions to the dinner (fruit baskets is all I can wing at the last moment).

Now, here it is midnight and dh is running around the house like a maniac! He can't find the bag with the green beans!! I even looked (I saw them before dinner). The green bean theif has come and taken them! (that's a line from one of my darlings).

Well, better scoot so Santa can visit...might have to run to Walgreens in the am to get more green beans!

Merry Christmas!