(12/18)...streaming

The last candle is lit today. Of course, you know that. I love Advent and I am sad to see this candle lit. It always makes me a little nervous, too, about those things I am making for Christmas which are not yet finished (started). About wrapping, baking, cleaning. I saw New Year's Eve noise makers at the store and had a little heart palpitation.

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Tomorrow morning my oldest is having surgery to remove his tonsils. It was not an easy surgery for Faith, who is nine, so I know that it will not be easy for Geoff, who is 22. Sadly the week before Christmas is the only time he can do it, now that he is of the age where he has a job, goes to school and does not get paid for sick time. When faced with all the facts (he's still on our insurance, he can take two weeks off school without losing his job, he will be at home where his mother will nurse him around the clock) he finally conceded to the surgery, which he has known that he has needed for several years. I wish that we had done it when he was 10. Our pediatrician is very conservative, and while that's normally a good thing in my book, this is one case when we should have acted more urgently. If you have a child who possibly needs his or her tonsils out, do it now and don't wait. They (the tonsils) won't get better.

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In light of tomorrow's scheduled event, I (hopefully) got all my Christmas shopping and errand running finished and I can stay home and finish (start) a few gifts, bake cookies, and watch Christmas movies. Sounds idyllic? I'll also be nursing a grumpy young adult with a sore throat. Thanks goodness for pain medicine. For me. (wink)

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Speaking of baking, I have not yet thought about what cookies I will bake next week. I used to ask my children, but after Thanksgiving (I asked and was sorry that I had) I decided to make what I want to make, which will definitely include the cookies I like (pizzelles, springerle, biscotti). Have you started baking? What do you bake?

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I also have not started thinking about the Christmas Eve and Day menus (well, I started but didn't get very far). I need to sit down with paper and pencil and plan. All my family comes on Christmas Eve and I tell what I'd really like to make...reservations.

Normally my brothers (et al) and mother come after they attend early Christmas Eve Mass. My own family normally goes to Mass on Christmas Day because I like waking up knowing that at least part of my day with be focused on the Lord. My husband and teenage children are trying to talk me into 10 p.m. Mass this year. Which means I will cook, serve and clean up dinner, have gift exchange with my family, clean up and leave for Mass, come home and probably clean up again before I put my own children's gifts out. Sound exhausting? I'm not sure I'm going to win the battle though. I may sleep through Mass this year.

What do you do? I admit that my teens tend to gum up my plans every time.