Ready, Set

Lamb and I baked cookies for Santa yesterday. With plenty of frosting all around. I managed to keep some without frosting so Mister could enjoy them.

Lamb also made a pizza cookie with some of the dough. She seems to like that, lately.

Lamb also left instructions for Santa's arrival: cookies, milk, and carrots--and a towel to catch the carrot shreds that she still talks about (oh those messy reindeer). She also wants a water bowl. Lamb will be with her mom and brother Christmas Eve, so I said I'd send her a picture of the preparation.

And today I need to make up the gift tags and notes for my home and my Ex's home so the Santa handwriting will match.

I don't plan to eat the frosting cup that Lamb made up for Santa. Oh, it will be in the picture of what I set out for Santa that I said I'd email to Lamb. But unlike Lamb, I prefer at least some token cake or cookie under my frosting.

I like this time of year. On Friday when I went to the store for some shopping, the cashier remarked that I looked happy. Sure, it's Christmas. She said most men this time of year look grim. Huh.

Maybe it will be different in that gap between small children and small grandchildren. But for now, I like the holiday. Sure, there are Christmas wars and commercialization and creeping Santa-ism that seems to reach Halloween.

But just around me, it's just fine. I manage not to punch anyone for the last item on a shelf. The spirit of giving and the spirit of Christ's birthday seem OK.

And I even managed to mail cards by Thursday! Whew. Christmas actually snuck up on me this year.

I might not hit the mall today, however. I usually like to go shopping on Christmas Eve just to soak in the holiday. If I see something of interest, I'll buy. But I go with the security of knowing I'm really done with shopping. So no pressure. This is actually an evolution from my younger days when I actually needed to shop on Christmas Eve. That was a long time ago.

I'm good to go.

I hope all of you out there have as good a holiday--whatever it is--as I am having.