December 28, 2009

Taming the Chaos


It happens every year.

I'm so flippin excited for Christmas that I just cant wait. I play music and decorate and bake and generally enjoy myself from the time the table is cleared on Thanksgiving until Christmas Day. But despite my love for the baking and the tree and the music and the family time, when it's over, I'm done.

This year we took our tree down Christmas night. Not because we were in much of a hurry but because it looked like this. I'm not kidding you. The tree was so dry and had lost so many needles that it screamed fire hazard and I was afraid to even keep the lights on for long so out it went. By the time we got it through the door it was totally bare of needles, and the pile of them next to the fireplace where the tree had been, well, let's just say it took more than one (or two or three) scoops with the dust pan. Actually, I kind of like it bare. I was almost tempted to bring the naked tree back in and redecorate it. Almost. But as I said. When I'm done, I'm done.

I spent today starting to control the chaos that Christmas always brings. The laundry piled up while I hung out with my parents. The bathroom went uncleaned despite the five adults, two children, three dogs and a cat that spent the last week here. The toys the kids received sat in piles around the house, or maybe I should say moving from pile to pile as they were played with and left when some other new thing beckoned.

And now that the house is somewhat back in order I have the urge to do a big, room by room, whole house clean. If I don't get distracted or worn out that will keep me busy for the next week and a half. Cleaning out closets and under beds between growing crystals with Briton and changing the hair bobbles in Evelyn's hair (her new obsession, so cute. Thanks MaGrand!)

Tonight I'm finishing up an experiment with Plasti-dip (you want to play with liquid plastic too, I know you do!) And tomorrow I'll pull down the decorations and get started on the cleaning. It's a little sad to see the holiday go, but, nutcase that I am, I also get a little buzz out of the idea of getting the house really clean. I should probably be committed for that. But then who would keep my house in order while I was away at the loony bin?