Acabados. Färdiga. Done. Gatavas. Hotových. Finished.

Every year, about this time, I get panicked. I start buying junk that no one really needs or wants... just to make sure the offering is a bountiful one. Am I the only one that does this?


We are done with all the shopping over here in Crazyland. The presents are purchased, wrapped and stowed under the tree (or at our "off site" location) and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care. We will be making our cookies tonight and having our last holiday party. I am meeting my old friends for a final lunchtime shin-dig and then we are done.

Finished.
Afinado.
Fini.
Fertig.
Finito.
Gotowy.
Terminat.

(who knew I was so bilingual?)

Then all we have to do is wait. Which, for me, is the hardest part!

Sigh.

I told you a while back that there is a book I read every year around this time, and the final line always starts ringing in my brain about now... "Will what I have done be enough and will the offerings be accepted?"

I know that this makes my children seem like ungrateful, hard to please little critters-- and that is SO not the case. The person I'm trying to please just happens to be my most difficult critic...
Me.
I find myself thinking... I wish I would have, I should have or I could have... and then the doubt creeps in.

This year, our offerings are video game-less and more family time oriented. I know the kids will love it! But my doubting self always wonders if they had that secret wish that they didn't express because they just knew that Santa would know the real desires of their heart... Yeah. I know. Dumb.

But, one year my niece told my sister that. She would not tell my sister what she wanted for Christmas. Period. Because Santa already knows. He knows everything. So she figured she didn't need to tell... Talk about pressure!

So, our waiting game has begun. I wait to see if the offerings will meet the expectations.
Will they be ecstatic?
Or let down?

All we can do now is wait and see.