There are NO Christmas Shopping Shortcuts

Two days before Thanksgiving, I was almost completely finished with my Christmas shopping. I was one of those smug people that go around bragging about how much easier it is to shop before the crowds and post-Thanksgiving clamor. I made all the usual self-righteous statements about how I'm simplifying my preparations this year so that I can savor and enjoy this holiday time. Note to self: keep your smug and self-righteous declarations to yourself next year...the shopping gods are listening. Now we are less than two weeks away from Christmas, and I have spent the better part of every day this week shopping, returning, mailing, making lists, checking them thrice. I thought I was so with it this year..I had planned and organized every detail, but somehow, I managed to overlook some things.

Like the fact that I bought the perfect Christmas present for my dad....in July...and then forgot all about it...and sent him something else that is pretty much the grandpa equivalent of getting socks and underwear for Christmas...and then I woke up at 6:24 a.m. two days ago with the sudden realization of that perfect gift...now where did I put it? Two hours later it turned up, and now I'm looking at it and wondering if I really want to go back to the post office after I've already managed to mail everything else...or maybe I should just save it for next Christmas...after all...it's not like I would forget I had it.

And then there is the issue of the sweater vests. This one is one part my fault for being in "hurry-hurry-don't check it-hurry" mode, and one part department store error. Every year, I get Anna a darling Christmas dress for church, but nothing for the boys. I decided this year to buy them coordinating sweater-vests so that they wouldn't be left out. I looked everywhere for something I loved and after 6 stores of searching, I finally settled on something I liked instead. They had green, red, and white sweater vests all laid out on the same table. I picked a different color for each boy, including 2 size 8/10 for Zachary and Noah who wear the same size. Now here is my problem.

Here is vest number one..you'll understand the close-up in a second.

Here is vest number two. Same brand, same size, same style, same table.

Guess who is headed to the mall this afternoon to make an exchange.

Then my boys brought home lists of things they needed for class parties. On Monday, I got Noah's list and grabbed the things he needed while I was out. On Tuesday, I got Zachary's list and made a quick run to the grocery store for his things and a few odds and ends. On Thursday I got Isaac's list and made my third trip to the grocery store this afternoon. I had hoped to do all my Christmas baking this week, but it will have to postponed indefinitely because at the rate I'm going I will be making 429 more trips to the store and post office between now and Christmas.

This last picture isn't really about Christmas shopping directly, but if you take an Arizona-bred kitty, add a sudden cold-snap in the weather , mix in so many hours of shopping that my bedroom has not been cleaned once this week, you get this:

So much for this planning thing...next year I plan to procrastinate.