Christmas Review

Every good action plan needs evaluated to ensure peak performance, so I am putting Christmas 2023 under the microscope. 

The plan: Execute a holiday so perfectly that Marth Stewart puts me on staff so she can have more time for the eighty-year-old thirst trap photos she likes to shame us mortal women with.  

I'm talking gifts boxed, wrapped, and settled under the sparkly tree. Healthy dinners prepped and served hot and on time–no getting lazy and hitting the fast food lines! Decorations will be pulled out of storage and actually placed around the house. No last minute panic-buying new decorations rather than sorting through boxes of the old stuff. There will also be time to relax, play games, and visit with the kiddos. 

I think that about covered it. 

So, how did it go? 

One week before Christmas: 

It was sketchy. Decorations were out and up, but I didn't want to burn any days off from work, so I worked until I could work no more! On the 22nd, the day of our family Christmas party, I was heading two and a half hours west to pick up Cole, Boy #2 at the airport. There was no way I could make the airport run and make it back to prep for the party. So I sent my niece money and put her in charge. 

I could have had a melt down, but I didn't. I delegated. Bonus points for me. 

Throughout the season. I did a fine job shopping and overbuying, but I wasn't wrapping. So, on the 22nd, after the party, my kids needed their beds. Problem? Beds were covered in gifts. All the boys who live out of town (all of them) mailed their gifts directly to the house. With my purchases and their purchases, every spare bed was stacked with unwrapped gifts. 

I must admit, between the party-prep fail and now this—I felt a melt down coming on. There was no way I was ever going to get everything done! What was I thinking??? 

But then I reminded myself—the biggest problem is that we have a bunch of everything. A bunch of family. A bunch of stuff. What a wonderful problem that is to have!  My husband and I moved, shifted, and shoved stuff until we had clear beds for everyone. On the 23rd, I wrapped until around 4 am. On Christmas Eve, more wrapping and Christmas dinner wasn't served until 9:00 pm. 

But it was served. 

By the 25th, the Seckmans were Christmas vacation ready without a single meltdown!  

Once the wrapping paper was cleared, I asked my family for reviews. 

• Gifts. A+. Well deserved. Remember...all those filled beds? Everyone got something they loved, especially Baby Violet. With three uncles and two excited grandparents, she honestly got bored with the unwrapping. 
• Food. A-.  Added white chocolate macadamia nut cookies to the usual brownies and chocolate chips cookie repertoire. Received high praise. Lose a point because it was noted that there were plenty of sweet snacks, but not enough savories.   
• Decorations. B. Done, but nothing fancy. I've paired decorating down over the last few years and happy I did. Much easier with less to hang, but nothing exciting or fresh. 
• Family time. A+. I made the big sacrifice of waking early with Violet so her dad could stay up and play video games with his brothers and her mom could log on for work. Such a chore. (Yes,  I'm being sarcastic.) That was no sacrifice! Mornings spent with Violet were the best times.  
• Preparedness. F. I managed to get everything done, but I was doing everything last minute. With a family the size of mine—I need to prep better. And I am. I've already started shopping for 2024. And this time, I'm piling it in closets and corners instead of on the empty beds. 

Merry Christmas from the guys and the baby girl.