busy busy

I think everyone is busy this time of year, huh? This will be our busy week, as David's mom's side of the family will start arriving Wednesday, more Thursday, and the last ones Friday morning. We have a busy few days to finish preparing for their arrival, and somewhere in there I need to bake a cake for Matthew's birthday and wrap his birthday presents. I am planning to bake the cake tomorrow and decorate it Wednesday. He wants an airplane cake. I hear that request several times a week. He also wants to blow out the candles, and Scarlett can help. Then, he wants to lick the icing off the candles and put them back in the cake! I don't know where that idea came from!

We will wait on my mother-in-law and brother-in-law to actually eat cake and open birthday presents. When I told Matthew that Uncle C was visiting on his birthday he said "oh and bringing me a present?" That kid. So I warned Uncle C that he might want to let Matthew open his Christmas present early.

I will spend a lot of the week cooking, especially Thursday. I will do as much make ahead for Christmas dinner as I can. We'll eat Christmas dinner Friday. And in our family, Christmas dinner is very similar to Thanksgiving dinner. Our menu:

• Turkey
  
• Dressing
  
• Ham
  
• Sweet potatoes
  
• Green beans
  
• Macaroni & cheese
  
• Hashbrown casserole
  
• Cheesy broccoli & cauliflower bake
  
• Cranberry sauce
  
• Rolls
  
• Brownies
  
• Girdle Busters
  
• Pound Cake
  
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
  

I will also be making a chocolate pound cake, but I won't serve it until Saturday since the 20th is MIL's birthday & I'm going to let that be her birthday cake.

I'm also making cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, and a really nice spread for breakfast one morning. And of course dinner the other nights everyone is here, but David is taking Saturday off my hands by grilling.

So you can see, all bets are off for weight watchers this holiday season. I'm planning a lot of activities too, and my goal is to "just maintain". Then I'll hit the gym & diet hard come 2009.

I love planning things like this and getting it all done. I just wish I loved cleaning house as much as I love the rest of it. I swear I'm always saying I have cleaning to do. I just can't seem to get it caught up. Off to clean!