It's wrapping day, here.

 

Pebble jar December 18, non-leap year

You better watch out...

The pebble jar calendar, in its Christmas decor, looks about the same every year when it's time to wrap the presents.  See the dwindling number of days left in the year (little jar, center front)?  See the growing heap of days spent (big jar, center of wreath)?  Yes, I do better with non-living decor!  😏

I always intend to wrap early, provided I'm doing any presents in a given year, that is.  This year, I am determined that they will be wrapped TODAY, not waiting for Christmas eve day.

Christmas eve day is reserved, this year, for baking a couple of treats to go to the gathering.  Wrapping and baking don't mix very well, at least in my own mind.

Tools

Results, so far

It takes me a long time, and it is not one of my strong skill sets.  But getting there!  The stocking is from son's deployment to Afghanistan.  The name at the top is "The Wizard".  It needs to move from my house to his... this is a good time.

I think I shall leave the Two Blind Brothers box "naked", as well as a "fish tank" gift for the young people.

"What is a Fish Tank gift?" you might ask.

Family lore has it that one year on my son's birthday, he asked for a small fish bowl.  His father got him a 29 gallon aquarium!  And this forced me into the setting up of said aquarium, using up a good deal of the birthday time.  Son really didn't want this aquarium, it was something his Dad wanted.  So whenever we go shopping for gifts, if we choose the gift WE want, instead of something that really suits the recipient, in our family we call it a "fish tank" and laugh at the inside joke.

My friend Gerri and I borrowed kayaks from my son and his GF to provide swim leg support for a triathlon in September, and we noticed a couple of things that would be useful if we ever needed to borrow them again:  pool noodles (to help as flotation for a swimmer in trouble) and safety whistles (to call a power boat to the rescue for a swimmer is even worse trouble).  So we went in together to purchase these little trinkets.  But they definitely qualify under the family definition as "fish tank" gifts because Gerri and I are the triathlon support kayakers, not my son and his girlfriend.

Oh, I have real gifts for them, too, but it's tradition to bring humor in the bag, and the beat up box from the two blind brothers and the fish tank gift should supply that!

Does your family have any quirky traditions when it comes to gift exchanges?

Here's hoping you've had a good day, this one and only Saturday, December 18, 2021 we'll ever get!  But whatever kind of day it's been, it's at its closing now, and it had been "enough".  Be kind to yourself and nurture your evening with bedtime routines and restful sleep.  You are loved.  You are valued.  You are worth taking care of... in the only time we have... the present!

🧧🎁🎄🎅🤶🤶🍬🍬💖