Damn...

Look, I know I missed out for Christmas folks, but I need me some of this fly-away action.

High Anxiety

I am very high strung at the moment. I am not sleeping and when I do, I have horrible dreams that make me even more exhausted. For the most part my anxiety is warranted- worrying about family members who aren’t in the best of health. There is a part of me, however, that is worrying about something ridiculous and unfortunately that is a big part of my sleeplessness.
You see, I get very stressed out about finding the right gifts for people. I agonize over it for quite awhile before it’s time to shop. Then I wander aimlessly around various stores to see if anything speaks to me. This year I know I failed miserably. Mr. H. and the kids were with me for a large part of my Christmas shopping and were getting very tired of following me around while I picked something up, carried it around in the cart for awhile, and then changed my mind. Plus, Mr. H. kept reminding me that we wouldn’t be able to shop last weekend because we’d be doing family stuff. So, in the end, I panicked and went with some traditional stand-bys which, on principle, I tend to avoid.
Now that there is less than a week to go, I am up at night worrying whether everyone will like what I got them or if they will think I am lazy and don’t really know them at all. I’d hate to think of myself as bad gift-giver.
Also, I still have one gift left to buy. The recipient’s name stares at me from my Christmas list screaming “FAILURE! FAILURE! YOU DON’T HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT TO GET, AND THERE ARE ONLY 6 DAYS LEFT!!!!!” I should know. This is a person that by all rights I should be close to and know exactly what the perfect gift should be, but I don’t. I have buyer’s block. So I am anxious, and the days are slipping away.

Will I end up being the type of person that will take a bus cross town on Christmas Eve to buy a didgeridoo because in my insanity I have resolved that it is the absolute best gift? WILL I? Well, dear readers, if one of you gets a didgeridoo from me on Christmas, you’ll know that I will.

P.S. Yes, I did actually get a didgeridoo for my birthday once. I got it from someone who should have known better. I can’t play it, so it was used as a sad decoration until Girl started pulling herself up on things, then it was put into storage, where it remains.

My Christmas Wish!

When my sisters and I were little we had a Christmas morning rule, well two really: (1.) You may not step one toe past the bathroom without Mom and Dad, and (2.) You may not wake Mom or Dad up until seven a.m. You see, we had each staked a claim on one seat in the living room and on Christmas morning every one of our toys was set out in our areas, unwrapped and waiting for us.
You can imagine that the excitement of Christmas morning woke us long before seven, but the fear that our Christmas presents would disappear in a poof of dust kept us from going past the bathroom door without our mom and dad. At least, I never did, and I am pretty sure that my sisters didn't. I will admit, however, to high stretches and little mini-hops trying to see, but the design of our hallway kept me from seeing anything good. Instead, Meander and I would stay in our beds until our excitement could no longer be contained, then we'd pile into La Sirena's tiny twin bed and read Christmas books (especially Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry) until it was time to wake up our parents. Then we'd have a short wait in their room while they prepared the equipment to properly record the occasion (first on that silent film and later on VHS). Then we'd be allowed to walk single file down the hall and get a glimpse of the treasure trove that awaited us.
Later as teenagers, and even now as adults, when my sisters and I talk about our Christmas mornings there are doubters (There is NO WAY that you guys never peeked!) and haters (God, your parents were so mean!). But I really loved it! It extended the anticipation. You are wide awake and all of your presents are just down the hall, what could they be?
I've even tried to enforce the rules on my kids. I am successful for the most part. Usually our activities on Christmas Eve wear them out so thoroughly that I end up waking them up at eight because my excitement at seeing their excitement is more than I can bear.
I do run into some problems though. You see, Mr. H.'s Christmases consisted of waking up at five a.m. ripping open all his presents and going back to bed before his parents ever woke up. He is a firm believer in this. Last Christmas he thought he'd be nice and let me sleep in.
GACK! I didn't get to snap pictures of their first glimpse of their presents. Didn't get to see that moment of surprise and glee at seeing that they got what they wanted. Didn't get to see what the very first thing they went to was. That's a whole lot to miss.
See in the end that's what my parents wanted. They wanted the joy, at least my mom wanted the joy, and my dad wanted it for her. Christmas isn't about the thanks you get for finding the perfect presents. You don't get thanks, Santa does. But I spend the better part of December making sure Santa gets the right things and staying up late to help him arrange those gifts perfectly and I want to see that Santa got it right.
I think my utter disappointment and depression at missing the moment has helped Mr. H. get a clue. Because the moment is all I really want this year and every year until Santa stops coming to my house.

Okay...

I am not sure if there are people who are buying a Christmas present for Girl and haven't yet, but the girl could use some Nerf type sports equipment, because it is really hard to hit a wiffle golf ball with a toy spatula.

The goose is getting fat!

Despite what you see in stores and on T.V., Christmas is still a ways down the road right? Not if you live in my house. Girl received Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for Christmas from my Aunt Sharon last year (or May which is when we finally saw her). She has watched it at least 5 times this week. She has also been singing Jingle Bells for over a month now and showing me all the toys that Santa is going to bring her (pretty much everything in the toy aisles at Wal-Mart). I've also been singing Santa Clause is Coming to Town whenever she throws a temper tantrum, which right now is a lot because she has decided that she's too big to nap. I don't mind her new found love of Christmas; I love Christmas. Mr. H., however, is a great big Scrooge so he is forced to fake a holiday spirit in early November that he doesn't even feel on Christmas Eve!

* Note I got a call first thing the morning after I wrote this from someone calling dibs on somethings

* 11/24 another person has claimed dibs ( At others requests, I am adding to these lists)!

Girl's Top Five Christmas List:
1. A big girl bike (I've already alerted Santa and he's all over this one)
2. Twin baby dolls (She just learned what twins are; she wants to be a part of it)
3. A purple power-wheels car (Santa's not getting it powerwheels are TOO MUCH- money, space takers, etc.)
4. Deigo videos (she has none of his videos and Deigo is her boyfriend) She will have one now!
5. A barbie car
6. Olivia and the Missing Toy
7. Olivia Forms a Band
8. 25 piece puzzels!
9. Little Mermaid on DVD
10. Dress up clothes

Boy's top five
1. Ugly dolls (Ice Bat and Cinko especially)
2. Bionicles
3. Origami supplies
4. The Wandmaker's Guidebook
5. Sleeping Sickness or Mad Cow
6. A Soy Silk Pal
7. Astrojax
8. Billy Madison on DVD
9. Uber Orbs
10. Kirby Nightmare in Dreamland for Gameboy Advance

Nest Away!

While reading some of my favorite blogs, I came across a website that sells the ultimate in presents for Liza. Anyone who has ever told me I am hard to buy for search no more, because I'll take anything on this page! Seriously, the blank ones you have to paint yourself, the already made ones, whatever. I have a secret passion for these things, that will not be secret anymore! But seriously this is the best one!

On Work and Birthdays.

There are certain times when I enjoy having a job again, and there are times that I don't. Today is a day that I don't. At the moment, Mr. Hobbitfeet is at home with a sick Girl, and being here is killing me. Mr. H. stayed home because the last few times a kid has been sick I stayed home. Also, I only work part-time and I don't get sick days but Mr. H. does.
I fully trust that he's is doing a good job. He is a great dad. I, however, am quite often a control freak and just hate that I am not there taking care of her.
Not to mention the fact that since we were so busy in January, we had to put off all the sales people who wanted to meet with us and sell advertising to the hospital. So since February started we have had nothing but meeting after meeting with radio/tv/newspaper people telling us why we should advertise with them. These are quite possibly the most BORING meetings (with the exception of the staff meeting I had while at COT where the director read our 100 page demographic study out loud for 1.5 hours).
One reason I hate these meetings is that although I fit "Our Key Demographic" as a married woman aged 25-49 with children, I don't behave like a "Typical East-Central Illinoisian" so when my boss asks me if I would listen to this radio station or watch that tv show the answer is always no! I hate being the voice of the "GEN-Xers" for my boss. The phrase makes me vomit. This is why I should not be in PR/Marketing. I hate demographics! Also, sales people!



On a totally different topic. My birthday is a week from Sunday, so everybody buy me presents! Seriously, everybody says I am super hard to buy presents for, but I don't think I am. Here is an easy shopping guide in the world of Woodlandmama:

1. Don't buy me clothes, I am fat and you aren't going to get the right size, so don't try. But, if you find it super neccessary to buy me clothes, don't get me skirts, see-through shirts or anything pink. I am a jeans and t-shirts girl. I have been since I was a kid. I have never, ever enjoyed dressing up. So, don't bother.
2. The only jewelery I wear are my wedding/engagement rings. I never wear watches, or necklaces no matter how pretty.
3. There are things I wish I had but I don't:
a. Original Broadway Cast Recordings, I have Annie, West Side Story and the Full Monty, I don't even need to have seen the play. If the music is good, I would love to have it. The only exception would be the Sound of Music, I would prefer the movie soundtrack to that. I dislike Mary Martin.
b. Season 4 and 5 of Angel on DVD. That is all I am missing to complete my Buffyverse collection.
c. DVDs. There are millions of movies that I don't have on DVD that I love: Heathers, Star Wars- Episode 3 (Hey then I'd have all the Star Wars movies). Shakespear in Love... If you question if I have a movie ask Mr. H., he wouldn't know but he could look in the movie cabinet.
d. New karaoke cds. We have so many karaoke nights that new songs are appreciated. In fact there were two I saw at Wal-mart that I wanted though I can't remember what they were. I think it was like the Billboard Karaoke Hits from the 60's, 70's, 80's & 90's Vol. 1 and 2.

See, that wasn't so complicated was it? Ha, Ha nothing like shameless begging on my blog. Hey, now that you know, tell Mr. H. He refuses to read this. Although he tells his friends to read it (Cheers Jason!), he hasn't even glanced at it.