10

Three-and-a-half months ago, on August 1, I wrote this:

"We are embarking on another project - finishing what will be the family room in the basement. It's a "work when there is money to move on" project, so this may take awhile. I'm trying to stay positive about the process - which includes a lot of single parenting for me - and focus on the much needed end result."

Now, on November 16, I can officially say we are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. My husband has about 9 days left to finish this enormous project. He has continued working around his job, fire calls and training, and business trips, all while enduring a broken toe (running to the edge of the lake as our 4 year old plummeted off a huge boulder) and torn ligaments in his hand (fire training injury). So although this has felt like a 3 year project, I should be incredibly thankful that this has only been a three month project.

As carpet day approaches, he is frantically staining trim and doors and preparing for the last minute stuff that needs to be done. All this said, our thanksgiving break is going to revolve around finishing this project. I am going to try to be very positive during this time and focus on how wonderful it will be when everything is done.

But before I transition to "glass 1/2 full" mentality, I'll take one last look at 10 things that I typically do and/or wish I would be doing at Thanksgiving time that I will not get to do during our four days off.

1. Set up the Christmas Tree - We are waiting for the basement to be finished to move down some furniature (or at least the TV) so we have more room upstairs.

2. Lay around and watch football or movies all day long at least one day of the holiday break.

3. Put up Christmas lights and decorate the house.

4. Go Christmas shopping - one of my very favorite things to do!

5. Clean the house from top to bottom - why bother with all the dust and junk we are tracking in and out from finishing the basement.

6. Have friends over for dinner.

7. Wrap whatever Christmas presents we have already purchased - oh wait, we can't go shopping yet, and there will be no tree yet to put them under anyway!

8. Have "me" time - meet friends for coffee (yes, I know I don't drink coffee, but that sounds better than 'meet friends for a diet coke'), read, scrapbook, exercise, sleep, I could go on and on...

9. Take our kids out for a family date night.

10. Better yet, drop the kids off at grandma's and go out by ourselves.

Since they won't happen at Thanksgiving, let's just hope most of these thing occur before December 25.