‘Tis only a few days until Christmas! How many of you have finished your shopping?  I have found there are three types of people when it comes to Christmas shopping.

Type One: The Organizer

My mother-in-law finished hers sometime in September.  I don’t know whether to laugh, cry or be green with envy.  On the one hand, I think it’s kinda weird to be so organized that you even have a clue Christmas is a mere four months away.  On the other hand, I’d like for once to have a relaxing week before Christmas day.

But I guess that will never happen.  I’ve tried for years to get started early so I could finish early, but the only thing that happened was I spent more money.  I’d tell myself I was all through, but then I find something else I thought the kids couldn’t live without.  Or one of the kiddos would throw me for a loop.

It happens every year, too.  I’ll start buying stuff straight off their lists, then two weeks before Christmas, they change their minds.

“No, I didn’t really want that Nintendo game.  I rented it and it was boring.”  Or, “Oh, Mom! I found some perfume that I really, really like much better than that other stuff I told you I loved.”  Or, “I hope I don’t get any sweaters for Christmas. I hate sweaters.”

Type Two: Husbands

They wait until Christmas Eve.  My husband says “he works better under pressure.”

Type Three: The Rest of Us

We borrow all the bad traits from the other two and then add more of our own.

I’ll buy little stuff all year, but forget where I hid it.  I buy stuff ahead of time, then it goes on sale.  I buy Christmas cards, but don’t have time to send them out.  And I will ALWAYS be up ’til midnight on Christmas eve, wrapping gifts.

Luckily, I work pretty well under pressure, too.