Getting My Shit Together Monday

Week Five - What I'd really like to be getting together this Monday are the scads of holiday gifts on big ol' master list. I'd like to spend nap time the afternoon surfing through those free shipping emails anxiously waiting for me in my email inbox and with a couple of happy, productive clicks, send off lovely little gifts to our friends and family in Portland, Richmond, Jackson Hole and Phoenix. I'd like to get all the toddler goodies out of my many cyber shopping carts and know that one of Santa's babies will have the delight of seeing gifts under the tree very soon.  I'd like to run out to the Home Depot parking lot and buy a loose-needled and green-spray-painted full and luscious Scotch Pine for our little apartment.  I'd like to get my boy all dressed up in his adorable Christmas jammies and take 500 photos of him that will hopefully produce one perfect shot for the 75 cards I will do my very best to send out before 2007. All of that wonderful stress sounds so good to me today, and I'd love to take advantage of the adrenaline and the opportunity to dive into the holidays.

Alas, today I won't be doing any of that. We're in that irritating time between paychecks, when the car payment and insurance have priority. We're living in an apartment that will need a good dusting off before decorating. And we're definitely taking Lil E to get his hair helmet trimmed down before loading up the memory card with potential Christmas pics. This week's Getting My Shit Together Monday will allow me to rewind a bit and take care of some of the tasks that will push me right into the holiday season.

I have three goals for today:

• Vacuum up the place (since, I kid you not, Lil E actually found a pine needle from last year under the dining room table yesterday...who someone clearly -ahem- tracked in)

• Clear out the toys and the clutter (at least in one corner) to make room for the tree

• If all is good with Santa, Baby Jesus and the universe, take Lil E to get and actually get a haircut *

This isn't the big-time, 45 color-coded baskets type of organization that I envisioned when I began Getting My Shit Together a month ago. It is, however, the little stuff that will help me sleep better into Tuesday and just plain old needs to get done (and isn't...or hasn't yet).  It won't make me feel all giddy from a combination of cleaning fluid and plastic tub smell, but it will clear the path for bringing Christmas into our little home (or at least bringing the plastic tubs marked CHRISTMAS up from the basement).

I'd take a picture of all the shizzleiciousness going on in our apartment, but I know it'll take me at least a week to get the before and afters off of my camera. Plus, I need to save as much of my memory card as I can for a Tuesday photo shoot with my clean-cut, Christmas-crazy boy.

* I can't bring myself to give a bullet point to one more goal that is just a wee bit embarrassing: Finally ditching the pumpkins and gourds centerpiece. Happy Holidays, alley critters! Yikes.

UPDATE:  All good intentions and motivation (even to clean and clear clutter) are somehow inevitably met by a child with an inexplicable fever, unabandoned energy and unable to go to co-op. Foiled again! Criminey.

Comments

[foodmomiac]

OK. I'll join you today. I need to get my first floor in decent shape because my daughter is having a playdate. And her friend's mom will be over at 4:30. And my apartment is embarrassing. Did I mention that I also have an interview all the way downtown at 11am?

[2Jmama]

I need to say that I LOVE "getting your shit together Monday"! Even if I don't always post I ALWAYS read it. It inspires me. My goal was to deep clean the house or at least the bathrooms. And sort toys. After a sleepless night with DS we are on to Plan B. Sleep with the boys!!

I ran to the mall with my brother and the boys and was very shocked at how BAD I looked...hhmmm...when you shock yourself it is time to step back and go to sleep!!

[maggie]

I tossed my pumpkins on Saturday after we brought home a Christmas tree. Tree is up, but still not decorated. And I don't know when that's happening. Maybe Wednesday? As for housekeeping, hah.

[Mack]

Oh, grrrrllll...you inspire me, but sadly my shit is still all over my home. I will, however, knock something off the list and think of you!