I can’t believe it. Only 12 days until Christmas. Where did the time go? The days go so quickly anymore. Aidan will be here in six days!! So exciting! It’ll be his first Christmas in Chicago! I really hope it won’t be too cold to take him to Chriskindlmarket, Navy Pier, and stuff like that. But we’ll have fun watching holiday programs and baking cookies, so no matter what, we’re going to have a good time. Santa specifically requested chocolate chip cookies, so we have to make sure some are waiting for him Christmas Eve. (Plus I want to eat some, too!)

To Do List Revisited:
01. Task I’d rather not discuss online. – DONE AND DONE! And it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was dreading!
02. Make doctor appointment.
03. Go to doctor (this ties in with #2).
04. Order “baby” honey ham (unfortunately, not Honey Baked–the store is too far away–but there is a Honey Bear Ham place right around the corner that has super Yelp reviews, so I’m going to go with them!). – Oh yes. I went to Honey Bear Ham, and the guy gave me a sample. HEAVEN. I pick it up December 24.
05. Clean Aidan’s room. (It’s mostly done, but I need to do a bit of rearranging and such. His room turns into a storage room when he’s gone, and I like to make it look like a bedroom when he’s here.)
06. Plan Christmas menu. (Ham is already handled.)
07. Plan Hanukkah menu? (Will ask Adam if he wants something special.) – We went to Eleven City Diner.
08. Address and mail out holiday/Christmas cards. – Most of them are done and mailed.
09. Finish Christmas shopping.
10. Wrap presents (before December 19) – Some are wrapped. Some are not. You know how it goes.
11. Mail packages (before December 15) – Yeah. That. Shipping costs = WALLET DRAINER. Part of the reason is that I’d rather go to the UPS store a block away than to the U.S. Post Office. You know the UPS store jacks up the U.S. Mail prices for convenience, but the post offices here… blah.

New Things To Do:

12. Buy groceries for Aidan’s visit and for Christmas.
13. Read A CHRISTMAS CAROL by Charles Dickens.
14. Project for a few friends of mine. – Sorta started.
15. Book Aidan’s return flight to OH. I hate doing this because I have to pay a ton of money to send him away. Worst chore ever.

I still have to get gifts for Chris & Matty and my stepfather Greg. Then I need to mail those items, and my mom’s gift as well. I’ll do that Tuesday. Tomorrow, I will go downtown and finish my shopping once and for all. Michigan Avenue, here I come!

Adam needs to buy stuff for EVERYONE in his family. He’d better hurry. These twelve days are going to speed by, and stuff still needs to ship!

TWELVE DAYS!!

(Originally published at Anywhere Is…)