Holiday Moves

Monday Avocado and I spent the day at Borders, wrapping presents for tips as part of a From Kids to Kids service project for the Girl Scouts. The kid originally wanted to work from 9am until midnight, when the store closed; in the event she worked from 9:30 to 6pm, which I thought was pretty considerable (and I was there from noon until six, but that doesn't count because I'm the mom). It was--mostly--a good day; stretches of boredom interrupted by spurts of frantic activity, as three people suddenly showed up with six books each that required wrapping. It's pleasantly exhausting being on public display that way for hours on end--like doing the world's longest book signing, except without the ego-boost. Nancy, the fabulous troop leader, was there all day too, although for a while we were at different tables. But it felt good to raise the money, which is going to buy gift cards for teenage kids in foster care for whom, as Avocado disdainfully put it, "Toys for Tots" just doesn't cut it.

Friday the Scouts are doing another service project: Avocado, Sarcasm Girl and I are participating, going to the food bank at 7:45 to help "shop" for provisions for a lunch for 300-odd homeless people that the Scouts will prepare and serve. I love that the Scout troop does these things; Avocado, in particular, really likes "doing good," particularly at this time of year.

In the midst of all this altrusistic scurrying, the usual holiday stuff is going on: we got the tree on Monday night (the only reason Avocado consented to leave Borders before midnight was because we agreed to buy the tree that evening) and it is all decorated and looking lovely.

And last night we hired a contractor to repair the front hallway and do the kitchen remodel. WIthin six months we should have a dishwasher and an oven large enough to hold a turkey and a side dish. It's not that Christmas will be anticlimactic after that, but it's certainly a big-ticket festive item.