'Tis the Season

Well, Christmas is upon us. As usual, I haven't finished my shopping. But this year it doesn't bother me if I don't get finished until Christmas Eve. It's been such a long and draining fall with Kevin being so sick so often that I'm just so tired now and all I want to do is sleep instead of shop. I did order some things from Etsy but I can't tell what because they're gifts and I don't want to spoil it for anyone. I have the important things bought. That's all that matters I suppose.

I made some good sales in my Etsy shop this holiday season bringing my total sales up to 140. My sales figure reflects 141 right now but that's because I had someone back out of a sale and admin hasn't squared things with me yet, but they will in time. I'm sure a lot of people bought and then changed their mind. It's too bad that has to happen, but it does. I was glad to see the 20th pass as that was the last day to ship Priority with the USPS and get it there on time for Christmas. I made two sales that day and had to rush to get them to the P.O. because I hadn't checked Etsy all morning! I was busy getting ready for Christmas myself and so were they! But I got them mailed and off. One was a sale to Newton, just up the road from Charlotte. That's only my second Carolina sale (other than family). I was tickled.

Kevin has been having fun in his class making things about Christmas as well as other holidays celebrated around the world this time of year. He came home from school today with his backpack just brimming with goodies that he'd made in his class. There were painted and colored things, glued things and folded things. There was a Christmas card he'd made and on the inside he wrote "Merry Christmas Mom Dad and brother. Love, Kevin." He's so funny. He doesn't have a brother!

He brought home the gingerbread house he made from graham crackers, frosting, and candy pieces. The whole class made them. His turned out really good! It has a window over the door and it did have green gumdrop chimneys but he ate them! It's an adorable house!

He made an ornament. Oh, it's not just any ornament. It's something quite special and unique. Handmade you might say! The teacher got plain silver ball ornaments and each child painted their hand with white Crayola paint. Then the teacher put the ornament in their hand and they just grabbed the ball, leaving their handprint on the ornament. Then after it dried, the teacher's assistant finished each finger 'snowman' with a hat, face, etc. Then she attached the tag.

When Kevin showed it to me I thought it was so cute. Then I read the tag. I then proceeded to cry. Kevin didn't understand why I was crying. I told him it was because it was so sweet. He still didn't understand. I told him that when he was much older, say 18 or 20, he could look back at this ornament and see just how small his hand used to be and realize how much he'd grown. I was thinking I could look back at it and see my baby, who will always be my baby no matter how big he grows to be. (I'm crying again.) So then Kevin started crying with me and the two of us were sitting there on the floor in front of the fireplace crying and holding each other, he not really knowing why, and me clinging to his innocence as I clinged to him. What a sight we must have been. Isn't his ornament cute? He made lots of things, but the ornament was the best.

I uploaded lots of pics to Flickr of my decorations for this year. They're the same decorations I always have but since very few of you have seen them before I thought I'd share a bit of what we do in our house for Christmas. So I invite you to Flickr to view my Christmas 2007 set. It's not finished. It won't be until 2008!

If I don't get another chance to blog before Christmas, I want to wish everyone a very happy holiday! May it be filled with lots of joy and happiness!

Until next time.....