Taking Stock

We have returned from the last camping trip of the season. Now, all of the gear will be cleaned and packed away until next year. The leaves have already started to fall from the tree in our front yard. Tomorrow, we will drain the pool and prepare it for winter storage. By the end of the week, I plan to have a sort through Peanut's massive wardrobe to weed out the too-smalls and the too-worns.

Yes, the year is winding down.

I'm sitting here, nursing a glass of rootbeer, thinking of everything that I want to accomplish before year's end. My Peanut will be two in just two months and two weeks. I haven't decided how we will celebrate this year. I don't want the huge, 60+ guests party that we had last year, but because of family logistics, people feel snubbed if they are not included in the celebration. We had planned on going to see "The Wiggles" live (four men whom Peanut thinks hung the moon!), but the closest they are coming is a two hour drive away. I really struggle with the whole problem of making things special but not doing too much. With Peanut being an only child, I tend to go overboard on birthdays and holidays, even though I start out with the best of intentions. I not very good at finding a happy medium where my baby is concerned!

I've been looking over my yearly to-do-before-the-snow-flies list, and I have sadly noted how many items, that were listed last fall, still aren't finished. We have some projects on there that have been half-completed for five years! I hope to do better this year, (although, most of the unfinished stuff is my hubby's) and cross everything off of the list.

I am toying with idea of trying something new for Thanksgiving. We have so much family that, every year, we have to turn down two dinner invitations and pick a third to visit. When we were first married, we tried to make everyone happy and ended up eating three huge meals only four hours apart! I'm considering having a Thanks giving dinner here at our house and inviting someone (non-family) to share it with us. I know it won't go over well with the families, but I feel the need for a less stressful holiday this year.

And speaking of less stressful, how awful would I be if I ran away to Europe for Christmas, with my lovely hubby and darling baby in tow?!