Mission Complete?

I returned yesterday from the "home of my heart" along with my youngest daughter, oldest daughter, and her husband. My youngest daughter, who is 15, drove a good bit of the way down on Wednesday night. However, I cannot take credit for all the bravado of letting her drive. My steel-nerved, chilvarous son-in-law offered to ride in the front with Lauren as she drove. Of course, I tried to talk him out of it (for about 5 seconds) and blissfully crawled in the backseat with my oldest. The only mistake was that I sat on the passenger side of the backseat, where I could see the speedometer and anything else I probably didn't want to see.

She did fine. And, shucks, about the time we had traveled halfway, it turned 9:00 p.m. (the first six months, a permitted driver can only drive from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.). Lauren is a literalist and also one of those rare teenagers that actually obeys the rules and doesn't generally ask questions. (My other two were NEVER like that!) However, when 9:00 came and Lauren announced that she could no longer drive that night, I felt benevolent enough to whomever made that rule to send them a gift card and bake them a cake!!

Now the next week looms in front of me, and I find it full of various projects and challenges. Do I dare mention bringing downstairs the pile of boxes that hold my Christmas decorations? Why does my family become paralyzed, disappear, or get down in their backs when I mention that project? I remember last year, right after Thanksgiving, feeling the "spirit" and wanting to start decorating right then. I tried every thing possible to transfer my Christmas "spirit" to all or even a couple of my family members, but they would not budge. I ended up sputtering to myself upstairs, making noise as I heaved the boxes (the heaving sounds I made were probably a little exaggerated compared to the weight of the boxes, but it felt good!) out of the storage closet, and making an attempt to bring stuff down by myself. By the time the boxes were downstairs (with the half-hearted help of my family), the Christmas spirit had sprinted out of this house!

So, this year, I will not rush it, and I will plan it better. I will set the mood, play the music, and fill their bellys. Also, considering the three others who reside in this house right now and their weakness for chocolate, I will come up with some magnificent "Death By Chocolate" dessert -- only to be eaten AFTER all the Christmas boxes are downstairs! If that sounds conniving, well, it probably is, but I'm a woman on a mission!!