Good morning all,
Finish up week is right - I'll be finished OFF by the end of it!
This morning, I wrote the first batch of cards and mailed most of them. Including almost all of the overseas ones (only 9 days late for international!!, and 4 for USA - at least Europe and the UK, which is most of my overseas ones, are later this week). But I still have to get the address for 2, including a UAE, so I think that one will be definitely late. (Although I may be very cheeky and send it via the diplomatic bag - as it's to a friend in the Embassy there).
I have nothing wrapped yet, although I did help DD do her wrapping on Saturday night. While DH slept on the couch (he flew overnight on Friday and that always takes it out of him). She only has 1 thing left to buy, maybe 2, and I am down to 1 full present (which I will pick up one lunchtime) and 2 parts of presents (1 will be bought when we buy the wine for visiting, and the other can easily actually be given as it is).
Also, as DH DID arrive home on Saturday morning, the house has been blitzed again. (I did a fair bit the past few weeks, but he always does a big catch up!). And I got 15 minutes to put away all my clean clothes (I had DD's done, and mine were sorted into piles, just not away yet). But my big priority is always to keep the cleaning cycle going so that there isn't a huge pile of dirty things needing washing and I can root for clean things if they aren't yet put away.
And because I had been reasonably organised about the purchasing, and am relatively calm about the wrapping (I know I can bring them unwrapped as we are staying independent of both families!), I was able to enjoy the festivities we had over the weekend. A party in a neighbour's house on Friday (DD and I got home just before 3am, about 5 minutes before the au pair got in from the nightclub!!); 2 Santa parties on Saturday (my office and one of DD's sportsclubs), as well as training at that club beforehand and collecting DH from the airport bus; and hockey training (well, Christmas tournament), holy communion preparation mass and the Santa steam train yesterday. But I am a little worn out today.
The plan for this week is to eat as well as possible the nights at home (I put a load of veggies into last night's dinner, tonight is an easy prep but nutricious meal, and I will get more veggies into us later in the week. I might try to get some liver as well for me at least, for the iron and energy). I used a lot from the freezer last week, and I am mostly trying to empty the fridge and some of the freezer this week as well before we go away.
I need to figure out a few jobs for DH to do as well, as he will be off for 3 days. Not to overload him, but maybe things like buy the alcohol (and he can choose a few nice Christmas beers for himself then!), and ask him ever so nicely to polish my boots. And have the car packed up on Friday so that it's a fast easy departure on Saturday.