The price of procrastination...

I just realized that this year I was swamped with everything going on. We normally get our Christmas cards out right after Thanksgiving and this year the cards went out this week.  In addition, we scrammed around on Saturday to get some packages mailed off and the lines were out of this world. I was somewhat shameful that we waited this long to send things off. I picked up that tradition of mailing out cards early on from my parents as a child. However, I have seen occasions where they sent theirs out a little later than normal, and it is okay. As my mother tells me eloquently, "Don't sweat the small stuff, its the thought that counts."

We went to our big post office twice on Saturday because it stays open until midnight. The lines were ridiculous and police officers were stationed outside when we returned in the evening. So, we called it a day when we finished with everything and my husband got up really early Sunday morning to go send the packages off. Luckily, there were only 4 people in line in front of him and he was in out and out quickly. 

While I am a little bit disappointed in myself that we did not follow our routine of getting our cards out earlier and shipping the packages off earlier because we had completed most of our "kiddie" gifts prior to Thanksgiving. 

I realized that circumstances are out of our control at times and I wasn't just sitting at home idle. The reality is that things will not always be perfect and sent out on time. Children remind you of that because they will throw a curve into your plans. So, maybe this was my year to be reminded that it is okay,  things happen and to get ready to have my life changed, because children bring immediate change and I will have to roll with the flow.  

However, there is a price to pay for sending Christmas goodies out later than normal, but it is worth it to make sure that our "little" loved ones get their packages. 

Next year we will make it a point to get packages in the mail after Thanksgiving to avoid crazy lines at the post office. This was a lesson to be learned with a child coming.