My Christmas List is a To-Do List

Maybe I'll feel differently next year when I have a 10-month-old, but...I am totally not interested in getting a photo of my kid on Santa's lap. Unless one of my friends or relatives dresses up as Santa for a party, I just don't see myself getting that picture. At least not until she's old enough to request a visit to Santa, at which point I suppose if we were there anyway, I'd probably get a picture.

But speaking of Christmas pictures, for Christmas cards next year? I am so looking forward to setting up something fun and silly and snapping a bunch of pics to DIY our own photo cards (and for a much cooler keep-sake than the Santa picture). I'm thinking Baby Girl in nothing but a red diaper and santa hat, playing with a string of white Christmas lights, with some neutral fabric in the background and maybe a couple other non-breakable accessories. Or! Maybe a big pot fashioned to look like a mug, and stick her in there along with a few bags of big marshmallows like she's bathing in hot chocolate! Can a 10-month-old munch on marshmallows (with adult supervision)?

Anyhoo, that's all to come a year from now. This year, I have a huge to-do list of a different sort: this is the last time I'll have multiple days off of work in a row before D Day, so in addition to all the usual Christmas stuff, there's a TON of baby-related stuff I really want to get done between now and January 2nd! And I am SO GLAD I saved up my vacation days so I could have off for 13 days in a row, starting this Wednesday, December 21st! Here's what's on the ol' list:

Monday 12/19 Evening:

• Coat of paint on the dresser


• Lots of laundry, including all the old clothes I plan to make into cloth diapers & cover

Tuesday 12/20 Evening:

• More laundry (see above)


• Clean up & decorate Dining Room table


• Finish decorating tree (just need to hang ornaments)


• Vacuum/sweep/dust once all decorating is done

Wednesday 12/21:

• Tidy/reorganize 2nd bedroom in prep for more storage needs


• Clear out office except for small desk, computer, & printer


• All extra non-baby stuff from 2nd bedroom & office goes to the basement


• Finish up anything still pending from above (more laundry? fold laundry?)

Thursday 12/22:

• Wrapping & other prep for Christmas gifts (this is 5 bullets on my personal list, but I don't want to give anything away!


• Shop for any necessary supplies for baking Christmas cookies tomorrow

Friday 12/23:

• Bake Christmas cookies with Hannah!


• Two more Christmas gift prep items

Christmas Eve 12/24:

• Askey Family Christmas!


• Cooking in the morning?


• Knitting

Christmas Day 12/25:

• Killian Family Christmas!


• More knitting

Monday 12/26:

• Lebanon Christmas Brunch & Pregnant Cousins Pow-Wow!


• More knitting!! (I really need to knit every day to get anywhere near all my knitting done, so just assume this bullet is included in all future days!)


• PREP Christmas Dinner!

Tuesday 12/27:

• Paint the Office Nursery!

Wednesday 12/28:

• Sewing Day - hem curtains, make cloth diapers & diaper covers

Thursdasy 12/29:

• Finish painting nursery (trim, wall stripes?)

Friday 12/30:

• More of whatever still needs to be done (painting? sewing?)


• Finish painting dresser & bookcases in basement

Saturday 12/31:

• More finishing what still needs to be done from previous days


• KNITTING

Sunday 1/1/2012:

• Freak out because it's 2012 already, and because I'm going to have a BABY this year


• Start un-decorating


• More sewing? Start to assemble the nursery?

Monday 1/2/2012:

• Finish un-decorating


• Get house tidy & ready for organized storage of baby stuff

If I can come reasonably close to actually following this list, I will be feeling LOADS better about the prospect of bringing a baby home to our house in (less than?) 2 months. WAY, way better.