How many sleeps?

I am sick of Christmas knitting. I don't want to look at FIL's gift anymore. The yarn and needles are small and if I push myself I feel pain. I must resign myself to the fact that this will be a Happy New Year gift. Perhaps a Ukrainian Christmas gift. SIL's gift is on the home stretch but I am tired of it as well. What's a girl to do?

I chose the selfish route. I have two beautiful balls of new yarn vying for my attention. A ball of fiery Malabrigo and a ball of Fleece Artist Curlylocks in Rainbow Brite colors. According to the nice lady who sold it to me, the Fleece Artist has enough yardage to make a shawl. I am sceptical, but really a shawl that is too small easily turns into a triangle-shaped scarf. I cast on. I am using one of Yarn Harlot's Increasing Triangle Shawl recipes. It is going to be so purty. I will have to buy a sundress to match it since it will probably be summer by the time I finish it.

I tried to trim Emmett's hair yesterday. What an ordeal. I warned him first. "You need a haircut. We are going to cut your hair." He shook his head "No." I turned on his favourite TV show, Poko and positioned his chair in front of the TV. I got out the clippers and he disappeared into his room for a minute. He reappeared with a blanket over his head. I removed the blanket and wrestled with him long enough to trim around his ears. Thankfully that was all it took to make him look a bit more presentable. I am going to try to cut Richard's hair next, but we will do it at a time when Emmett can watch. I want him to see that Daddy doesn't scream and fight and that wrestling is not usually part of the haircut process. Richard promised to behave as long as I give him a cookie afterward.

We survived the Christmas Pageant. Despite the fact that only two kids and one mom showed up to rehearse the day before, it turned out remarkably well. I have many notes to make next year's better. The party afterward was great fun. Covering the priest in toilet paper and dressing him like a snowman was a hit, as was the gingerbread man decorating table. I get a couple of weeks off from Sunday School duties now, so I feel like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. All I need to do for the next couple of weeks is keep the nursery supplied with colouring pages.

Two more Christmas gifts to buy and I am all done! What do pre-adolescent girls like these days? We have yet to put up our tree, but that will be happening in the next day or two. Even though I am not done my shopping and have not even begun to wrap gifts, I am feeling remarkably calm.