Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Home All Day!

Rubber duckies! I took this picture on the Hillsborough (NC) Historic Homes tour Sunday. Lots of inspiration to be found, though most of the decor I saw wasn't as affordable as this.

I'm home today! I didn't go out to breakfast or brunch or lunch or coffee. I didn't do a school visit or a doctor's visit, I didn't partake of any volunteer opportunities at Our Fine School. I just stayed home. And I'm here until it's time to pick up Jack at 3:30. Two more hours of Me Time!

I've spent my Me Time working on a proposal I'm helping draft for the North Carolina Folklife Institute, where I've been volunteering since the spring. Here's a secret: Sometimes, when I'm working on my NCFI stuff, I pretend like I have a real job. I write drafts of proposals and grants, and I make phone calls and send emails--it's all so grown-up!

So, yes, I've stayed home today and played grown-up job holder. I guess I should be doing some Christmas shopping, but I'm have such fun enjoying the Christmas season that I hate to ruin it by buying stuff. I've been listening to Christmas carols and reading Little Women and Christmas Gift and going on historic home tours with the youth group moms from church.

Who knew that if you want to feel the Christmas spirit, you have to do it before Christmas gets ruined by errands and present wrapping (which I do not enjoy) and baking cookies (don't mind the baking, do mind the mess and the little sugar sprinkles all over my kitchen) and stressing out about spending too much money. Lesson learned.

We're putting up our tree this weekend, a full week earlier than usual, but now that I'm an early celebrator, I no longer get grinchy about folks putting up their trees the day after Thanksgiving (what's next? Trees right after Halloween? Oh, don't get me started!). Nope, I'm an early Christmas girl. Joy to the world!

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By the way, tomorrow, December 6th, is my friend Danielle's birthday. It's also the day the 13th amendment, the one that abolished slavery, was signed by Abraham Lincoln. And, finally, it's St. Nicholas Day. So happy December 6th, everyone, and happy birthday to the marvelous Miss Danielle!

9 comments:

GretchenJoanna said...

Thanks for sharing your Christmas spirit here. I am a newly converted early and contented celebrator this year, thanks to the encouragement of you and some others in Blogland. I notice that you are spending your Me Time on behalf of others, which is a most Christmasy thing. Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Heather said...

It does get hard to enjoy the season when you are the mom and are responsible for all the buying, wrapping, decorating, baking, etc. It sounds like you are doing a great job, though! My son just informed me that there was only 20 days left until Christmas and I had a mild wave of panic wash over me. I'm determined to enjoy the time of year, though, so I think I'm just going to go with the motto, "Good Enough."

Tracy said...

I had just begun to wonder what had happened to you....I'm glad it's just that you've been busy with 'real life' and enjoying an early start to Christmas.

I love that you think your 'job' isn't a real job. For some reason that tickles my sense of humour. There are some days when I wonder to myself whether I could have a go at writing a book. And then I realise my imagination is severely handicapped. I have no imaginary friends that visit me or talk to me. No....I'll have to stick to my grown-up job where children like to hit, bite and try to strangle me. Maybe I should write a survival guide for teacher aides?

Pom Pom said...

Yay for a Me Day! I like that kind of quiet!
Oh yeah, wrapping paper. Better buy some.
When we had all the kids at home, I could never find the tape. Now I can!
I am still working on a letter for you. It's taking forever because I am a slooooooooooow correspondent.

Leslie said...

Days at home are the best! I'm glad you got to enjoy one. We had our outside lights up before thanksgiving. I think my husband was making up for no lights last year. I love them and have decided that the longer the season the better.

Gumbo Lily said...

I'm glad you got some quiet Me Time and that you are enjoying the Christmas season without gifts so far. Isn't Little Women so much fun to read?

Jody

Susan said...

Wish I were there toast Danielle with you! You are a good friend to salute her with a blogosphere "happy birthday."

My youngest is glad that you don't have a real job. She just finished Secret Language of Girls and announced, "Miss Frances is wonderful and talented too." Nobody says that to people who have real jobs.

Susan said...

Wish I were there toast Danielle with you! You are a good friend to salute her with a blogosphere "happy birthday."

My youngest is glad that you don't have a real job. She just finished Secret Language of Girls and announced, "Miss Frances is wonderful and talented too." Nobody says that to people who have real jobs.

Jo said...

I love being home all day so much! As you say, doesn't happen enough. I am up very early this morning, enjoying the quiet before the hordes descend, and I have turned on the Christmas tree lights so I can enjoy some quiet twinkling befor breakfast...