it's beginning to feel a lot like i've procrastinated...

...or, has christmas just come Way Too Fast this year? (that idea is much more pleasing and then i don't have to take responsibility for being ill-prepared...) --usually i'm so good at getting the cards out and off the to-do list, yet here they sit upon my desk waiting for that final look-through to make sure i've not forgotten to put on a stamp, or a return address. plus there are 35 cards out there in walmart.com land waiting to get to my doorstep so that i can actually get the rest done. i completely underestimated the number of cards on my list this year. i thought i had done a good job of weeding out some no-longer-necessary recipients and adding the new friends, but clearly i was off. never fear; i intend for them to go in today's mail and i hope you like them. i take such terrible pictures at this point that i may be vowing to only send out kid pictures from now on. we'll see.

i purchased just about everything for anyone online this year. except for one trip to tj maxx for some things for the girls, and perhaps one last dollar general or drug store stop on christmas eve for stocking stuffers, everything was purchased from this office chair (yeah, i know i am supposed to be working!) or from kevin's laptop late at night when everyone is asleep. it's how i roll this year! i am all about simplifying my life and if it gets the job done, i'm not losing any sleep over it.

now, i'm on to a week filled with activities-- a fundraiser at work (not my bright idea but i'm a team player!), daycare party for the kids, party at our house for kevin's office staff, and the last-minute things that go into a holiday. like-- what the heck i'll make for christmas supper. it'll just be our family plus jake and melanie, so i don't have to go overboard. deep-fried turkey, here we come. it's kevin's specialty and it keeps my oven free for other things!

the girls have seen santa...well, one of his helpers. they totally get it that there's no earthly WAY santa can be at the mall every weekend AND boss the elves around up at the north pole. yesterday's santa seemed a bit frail and there was no lap-sitting, only a little leaning in for a picture. (it's hard to see in the picture but there was no option of getting up on his lap!)... santa must have hit the eggnog too hard on saturday night and was a bit under the weather!

here are the girls with ho-ho yesterday (note new haircut....we're done growing the hair out!! we get too many compliments on the short haircut!):

i also took the girls to see our local production of 'the nutcracker' on friday night. it was a fabulous evening and jules was even more entranced with it than georgia. i know what that will mean-- ballet for two starting next semester. she's already asked kevin about it, and though we were going to be pennypinchers and tell her she had to wait until she's five like georgia did, it's hard not to give in. during the ballet class on monday, jules sits at the door and shadows everything the class does. i think we'll let her go ahead and start when the new semester begins in january. here's juliet and georgia with sydni, the sugar plum fairy who is also the 'helper' in georgia's class.

this is the last time i know i'll post before the holidays, so i hope everyone who reads this has a wonderful holiday. i hope everyone makes it to their destination safely and enjoys the time with family and friends, as we will. we are thankful for another year gone by with healthy and happy children and, really, very little drama compared to what the rest of the world goes through on a daily basis. for many reasons-- we are probably the luckiest and most fortunate people we know. merry christmas and a happy new year from all of the plues:

(not our christmas picture but one of the runners-up!)