'Twas the day before Christmas.....

....and all through the house, not a creature is stirring, except for me, of course. Everyone else is still a-bed, but I'm wide awake and feverishly going through a list of things that MUST BE DONE before we leave for Mass at two-thirty this afternoon, not the least of which is making sure we take with us the cheeseball, crackers and serving platter meant for our family festivities at Grandad's as soon as we get out of church. I have been haunted by dreams the past four days that I would forget that cheeseball and that we'd either show up empty handed or that we'd have to drive back home to get it and keep everyone else waiting. Gahhhh!!!

It's amazing, the things that can stress women out during the holidays.

Anyway, left on the list are gifts for Kieren, Dayden and Kiersi, which still need to be purchased and wrapped. The gifts we have for the girls also require some wrapping, although Meelyn and Aisling prefer gift bags festooned with tissue paper, which makes things easier. I think I have everything from the grocery I need, so we can avoid that particular torment. Aisling has to be at the church at three o'clock for a final practice from 3:00-3:30, with Christmas carols starting at three-thirty and continuing on until Mass starts at four. I'm glad we're getting there early, or there'd be NO CHANCE for a seat. And then on to New Castle to the assisted living center, where the family has a nice room reserved that we can all gather in to relax and eat hors d'oeuvres.

It's not even seven-thirty in the morning yet and I can already hear Hershey back there in the utility room, racketing around in his crate and grumbling to be let out. He must be afflicted with the Christmas whim-whams too, because he usually sleeps until at least nine o'clock. Wimzie is probably lying in her crate next to his and silently plotting his painful death for waking her up so early. She is, as always, full of festive cheer and abounding love for others.

Cheeseball. Cheeseball. Cheeseball......