Ho-ho-holidays

The holiday season is now in full swing around our casa. We hosted our church group's Christmas party on Friday night. Unfortunately, Paul had to go to CA for work on Friday morning. He learned of the trip only after we'd agreed to have the party at our house (because I love to play hostess). Even though he's mostly just a handsome nuisance when I'm trying to get ready for a party, it's nice to have him underfoot. It was as I was vaccuuming, while considering all the various other things I needed to do to get ready, that I realized how handy he is to have around and how much I really missed him at the party. Such is our life. I've come to terms with the abandonment issues and I know that he's not doing this to get out of anything or avoid me. But I do miss having him around.

But, before he left, Paul did make his "special dish"--a mainstay at our parties for the past two years after Paul heard about it while listening to a sports radio show. He is always willing and excited to make it. That is, if I'll buy the ingredients and find him a bowl. But it is his dish so he does the actual "work" in creating it. That work involves opening the bag of plain M&M's and Reece's Pieces and mixing them together. Quite the treat.

Last night, we went to a performance of th e Nutcracker Suite. The last time I saw this particular ballet was about 20 years ago. My dad was off hunting so my mom took my sisters and me out for a Girls' Night. We went to a fancy dinner and the ballet. No fancy dinner tonight but I did convince Paul to dress up. My argument lost quite a bit of validity since the people sitting on either side of us were wearing jeans and sweatshirts. :::sigh:::

At an adjoining theater, the National Institute of Flamenco was having their winter recitals. The intermissions of the two performance coincided so we were treated to tiny flamenco dancers running around the lobby, stomping on the marble flooring, and playing chase with brothers, sisters, and other tiny dancers. The NIF had several tables of silent auction items set up and I do love me a good auction. Paul and I "won" several items--6 acupuncture treatments (Paul), 6 couples dance lessons (me), and 2 tickets for any NM Symphony performance (gift for Paul's mom). I had to snipe the symphony tickets at the last minute from NM's Secretary of State. She has commercials that aired frequently during election season so she was easily recognizable (although much smaller than I expected). When she wandered back into the flamenco performance, I was able to raise the bid and win the tickets, happily marking one more gift off the list.

Tonight, I went through the gifts we've purchased so far, relieved to find that we only lack a few stocking stuffer gifts. Paul ordered the gifts for his parents. He's getting his mother an air-soft BB gun. I don't know why. I tried to discourage it. He thinks it's funny. I bought her the symphony tickets to try to distract her from the BB gun. I bought the few last gifts for friends and family--going to have those sent directly to the recipient so I don't have to worry about braving the post office (or worry about getting it to Texas). We'd bought a gift for friends but I changed my mind when it arrived. Not that it isn't a great gift--I just don't think they'll fully appreciate it. And this is definitely something that needs to be fully appreciated. So, instead we sent them a pasta dinner basket. I think they'll enjoy that more. I still need to wrap and mail a couple of gifts but only two boxes. So unfortunately, I will have to brave the post office or send Paul to do the dirty work since one of the boxes is to his brother and family. And I've got to get those Christmas cards mailed out but at least I'm 75% done with addressing the envelopes.

I'm definitely in a much better place this year than I was last year. By this time last year, I'd already become a Scrooge McDuck and was ready to just chunk it all and go into hibernation. I was already realizing by this time last year that I was on a downward spiral but it took another nine months for me to hit bottom and do anything about it. I'm worried about Paul because I recognize some of the same things that I was feeling in him. He's just so stressed and overworked and overwhelmed right now. Work is just crushing his spirit and it hurts my heart to see him like this.

I've got a busy week with a book fair at school and meetings several nights next week. It's also the last week of the semester so I'll be finished with school on the 15th. Paul is gone again the first part of the week but hopefully will have no more business trips until the New Year. We're hosting the neighborhood holiday party next Sunday (our 2nd annual). Then I'm dogsitting for a friend and we're off to Texas for the holidays in two weeks. I can't believe that Christmas is just two weeks away. Because for all the gifts I've purchased and other things I've accomplished this holiday season, I still don't have any wrapping paper.