Christmas time, Oh Christmas time!

So it's not too late as of yet, but I know I won't be sleeping anytime soon. It's not my fault! It's that darn child inside of me who always stayed awake all night and woke up at 3 in the morning, just waiting until I could creep into my parents room and beat the life out of them with a pillow. Although in all honesty, what I thought was all night was probably somewhere around 9 or 10. But hey, that was a big deal. Further exaggerated by the fact that we used to crawl into bed at around 6 so Santa could get there sooner.

The sheer anticipation of Christmas is enough to drive me batty. I wish I could say this more eloquently, but it will take too long to figure out some good wording: I am not patient. When I am waiting for something, it is the only thing on my mind until the second it happens. Even heating up a brownie in the microwave for twelve seconds leaves my staring until it's out. And with Christmas, the build-up is insanity.
My family used to make a chain to count down from 50 days. So it's all the way at the beginning of November, I'm starting to get excited. Actually... we wrote our letters to Santa in August. Then all throughout December there are commercials and Christmas carols and decorations and everything you could possibly need to get into the spirit.

Christmas Eve was definitely a magical night. It started at about four when we would all read the Christmas story in the Bible, then act out the Christmas story. Jason=Joseph, Tracy=Mary, Erica=the angel, Brad=every other character. It was pretty awesome, especially the angel, she was gold. And then we would watch the video of the Christmas story, maybe sing some carols about the story. Basically any form that you could possibly absorb information, we used it. And then there was that one tantalizing present that we got to open on Christmas Eve, the one that always gave me the itch that kept me awake as long as my little eyelids could stay open.

And then the day would come and we would rush down the stairs at 5:00 in the morning and it would be over lickity-split and then... well then nothing. It was awesome.

This year, Christmas took me totally by surprise. We were lame and had no directions, I have been worrying about finals and going crazy, my parents have been keeping me so so busy with a million things at home, and holy cow, Christmas is tomorrow morning! Insanity. I'm not even ready. Yes, I've finished my shopping, all the presents are wrapped and everything is ready, but I live for that agonizing waiting! It makes the holiday miserable and wonderful all at the same time. I haven't even watched A Muppet Christmas Carol or Little Women. Christmas was never practiced. What if I forget how it happens?! Christmas will be ruined!

Man, this is making me nervous. Now I'm going to spend the rest of my night sitting in my bed, and have visions of sugarplums dance in my head. Even though I don't know what sugarplums are, and they sound pretty gross.

Merry Christmas, loved ones!