The Last Thing

Y'all, I am totally procrastinating.

The cookies have been baked. The kitchen is tidied; my sewing/craft area has been organized and cleaned. The kids have cleaned their rooms and they are enjoying some R&R in front of a movie. I have been to the gym, and to Mrs Moofish's house where we decorated cookies with all the little Moosfishes.

In a last ditch effort to postpone what must be done, I even went to the store, with my children, on the Friday before Christmas! Although I did toss around the idea of getting up at 5 am tomorrow so I could shop in "without-the-kids" peace. But shopping with all the other grouchy Mom's who hauled their children to buy groceries won out. Hands down. No questions asked. We're talking critical, borderline desperate, avoidance here.

(And for the record, I wasn't even the tiniest bit grouchy. Oh no! Not me. When The Boy and The Girl decided that they should play the "shut-your-eyes-and-let-me-lead-
you-through-the-store-as-if-you-were-blind" game (they can't keep from running into people with both eyes open), I spoke to them in my sweetest tone and with the loveliest Christmas disposition.

I said, "THE NEXT CHILD I HAVE TO EVEN LOOK AT, MUCH LESS SPEAK TO, WILL NOT ONLY BE GROUNDED TODAY, BUT FOREVER!!" Of course this was done very quietly, and with a smile on my face, so that all the parents around me would think I was asking "Would you like brown sugar and cinnamon PopTarts, or Cherry?"

OK, so that might have been a bit grouchy. Grouchy enough for me to feel the tiniest bit of guilt as they very quietly and obediently walked on each side of the cart through the grocery store, as if someone had just canceled Christmas.

When we got back from the store It was still here, waiting. That one small thing that must be tended too. Why does It seem like such a huge undertaking? Because It isn't fun. It isn't creative. It isn't festive, or lovely, or sparkly. It isn't warm. It doesn't smell like coffee. Oh for goodness sake! I just need to hang up this keyboard and go.

I have to clean the bathrooms.

Don't you feel sorry for me?