It's not a competition. I understand that we do what we can with our talents.
I just don't understand how my husband may have missed the line when God was giving out multi-tasking abilities.
This year in particular, I've noticed that I have completed 90% of the Christmas shopping for my family, all the Christmas cards, including taking the darn photos, making the layout and printing the darn things out, mailed the cards, wrapped the presents and packaged the to be mailed items, paid for the shipping and addressed all the packages, planned and made my shopping list for Christmas morning eats, made all the cookies, pulled out the Christmas decorations from storage and put up the tree, by myself (ok with the help of my 2 year old).
Add to this lovely list the fact that I also had to pick out and purchase my mother's presents to our daughter, assist my MIL in picking out and tracking her presents for our daughter [my MIL swears if she doesn't track the packages via phone not online the packages will not arrive], wrap both my MIL's presents and mom's presents for our daughter, hide said presents, scramble to find Santa's gift for daughter after Amazon.com unceremoniously cancelled our order, change my Christmas night dinner menu three times thanks to my Mom's sudden procurement of a ham and make sure my husband doesn't feel left out as he said in October, "I'm beginning to not look forward to the holidays."
I'm right now elbow deep in cookie mode. I gave up on the rolled out cookies after two batches. Why? 1) although it was fun with my daughter, all my kitchen supplies are still in storage so we had to roll out the dough with her wooden toy rolling pins. [Can I get a merit badge for this feat alone? Two bloody batches with a toy rolling pin.] and 2) I have to package 30 bags of cookies for my office because, well, I'm an idiot but that's another post.
So where is my husband in all of this? He's studying for finals. Yes, I can't fault him for this. However, can someone explain to me how I somehow manage to work, make meals that don't consist of almond butter and bread for our toddler and husband and handle the rest of the above? How do I still find a way to help toddler experience all the wonders of Christmas in NYC? How do I still find a way to help toddler learn a bit about the real meaning of the season by showing her the manager and asking her to help me put up the display? How do I find time to find gag gifts for his family's Christmas party and figure out what to make to bring over for the buffet?
I need three things from him: 1. drop off the Christmas packages at the post office. I even wrapped them and paid online for the shipping. He couldn't do this until the last minute (I predated them two days ahead knowing this would not happen the next day) and had to go to the late night post office in midtown to drop them off. 2. figure out why I can't get the bottom half of the tree lights to light. I somehow managed to require a male-male extension cord for the bottom half. I think I get a pass after you have read all that I've been juggling but DH thinks I have a 'retarded' tree. 3. on Christmas Eve put together the two 'put together' toys for TG.
It's less than 5 days 'til Christmas and my tree is still only half lit and I'm wondering if I'm going to have to figure out how to put together TG's house.
I'm going to need some 'special' hot chocolate.
