Merry Chaos to All!

Ho, ho, ho! And I know, know, know. Christmas is so last year, but as indicated by today's representative photo, my mind is still in a place of joyful chaos.

People, Christmas was just about as wonderful as life gets. As we gathered around the tree on Christmas morning (well, practically Christmas all day) Husband and I were surrounded by one of his favorite brothers, all four Boys, and TWO Lovely Girls, and it was as if this we'd been waiting all our lives for this exact configuration of loved ones to be together. So much fun, so much laughter, so much happiness.

So much chaos.

Notice the clock on the wall as the final presents were being distributed. Yes, it tells us it's quarter of three in the afternoon, which is exactly 45 minutes past the time I'd invited guests to be at our house for Christmas dinner. I had texted them at 1:30 to let them know they should have another glass of eggnog at home, and I texted them again at 2:30 to tell them to make that two glasses of eggnog.

Somehow, in a process that involved a LOT of improvisation (the potato recipe originally called for 90 minutes in the oven) everyone pitched in and the chaos was tamed and a meal on the table by 4:14 p.m. I only was unglued for about 30 minutes of the prep time, which included rolls that WOULD NOT RISE. (Thank you, Boy#1, for pitching in with the kitchen duties calmly and letting me fret un-calmly.)

The next day cars began pulling away from the curb, and the House on the Corner settled back on its foundation for a few days.

But only for a few days because the start of the new year meant the start of a long-awaited bathroom remodel and the chaos has ramped up to DefCon red levels: As I write this a craftsman with a sledgehammer is demolishing a cast-iron tub in the room above my head. If, as sounds entirely probable, the room above my head suddenly drops a floor and becomes the room on top of my head, tell my family I love them.

And apparently, I love chaos.