December stessors

My biggest one, which is really dumb, is how neat and tidy (not) the house
is. I've been spending the weekend looking around the house seeing the
clutter here, the dust there, etc.

I'm doing three more things: Child-proofing the living room, cleaning the
flour off my butcher block shelves (making cookies and lefse is messy work,
right?), and wiping the oily dust off my kitchen light fixtures. Then I'm
quitting.

The kids don't come home to see if I finally got the house ship-shape; they
come home to see everybody. And 5 minutes after everyone arrives
everything's a mess again, anyway. (Eleven people and 5 dogs, total, and my
house is NOT large.)

The knot in my stomach is already starting to ease.

Phyllis Copp...

feeling well! I worry every Christmas but it always turns out just fine. My
granddaughter from Maryland always tells her Mom that she "wants to go home
to Nanna's!" I'm looking forward to it! If one more person came, they'd have
to sleep on the floor, IF they could find room!!

Phyllis Copp...

and

Phyllis

Marilee...

**Lin**...

Oh my goodness! Don't waste your time cleaning now, with that many
people and dogs no one will even notice and you'll have to do it all
over again when they leave anyway. :-)

Lin

mmj1...

A lived in house is much more fun than a sterile one. With eleven people and
five dogs.........LOL who is going to notice. Certainly not the kids or the
dogs. Love and togetherness is all that matters. Sounds like a wonderful
holiday to me. Have a great one!

Joy...

Yup. My mother was pretty horrified that I wasn't as good a housekeeper as
she was. However, one time when my parents visited, after they left, my Dad
remarked that my house looked "well loved in". I appreciated her relaying

Chakolate...

What a lovely thing to say.

that comment to me.

Joy...

I'm glad you're catching on, Marilee. My mother used to go into a cleaning

Marilee...

Exactly! And while I am so looking forward to the visit, I am also looking
forward to the day after they all leave! ;)

Marilee

frenzy before the holidays and at various other times. It stressed
everybody out. It wasn't until she was in her 80's that she finally caught
on and realized that much of that was unnecessary.

Marilee...

I never have been tidy, and I've never worried about it much, except at
times like this. When I know when people will be arriving, and have time to
make lists of things that *should* be done, lists of things that *could* be
done, and lists that *must* be done--and a series of weekends to cross
completed things off said lists.

Sometimes the priorities get confused, and they seem to all gravitate to the
*must* list--if you get my drift. ;)

Marilee, epiphanies R us

Joy...

Oh, yes, I get your drift all right. BTDT.

Val Adams...

I envy you, even the tummy knot, I have _STILL_ got to give that wall
another coat of paint before I can really start cleaning! We got a lovely
fluffy Noble fir, though, that part of cleaning ought to be fun!

Phyllis Copp...

the

I have 9 coming--the other two are Jim and me. Two guest dogs plus the 3
that live here. Sigh.

I bought one of those aerobeds, which seems pretty nifty. I have a
hide-a-bed in the living room, but I don't like to assign that to a person
unless I'm desperate. It's not so bad at other times of the year, but NOT
GOOD at Christmas, when the little kids want to see what Santa brought and
they have to wait for someone to get up!!

Phyllis Copp...

Those aerobeds are great, I have one for my grandson to sleep on, we put it
at the foot of his Mom and Dad's bed. I don't like to sleep on it only for
the reason of having to get up!! It's a little low to the ground for my
comfort!
Phyllis