Did you know...

Did you know that Christmas is coming?

No, seriously. I know we're all surrounded by lights and decorations and music and have been tripping over random Christmas junk at Target since October 3rd. And of course everyone has their tree, their lists, their schedules, their menus, their stamps, their dread of waiting in line at the post office (incidentally, when I went in this morning, there was NO ONE in line. I walked right up to the counter. When I left, the line was out the door. Thank you, karma!). I know you know it's coming. You know I know it's coming.

But don't you ever kind of half forget? And then you have a huge "oh crap!!" moment when you remember?

This happened to me today.

Now, when I wrote to you on Monday all about my hats and cheesecake, I didn't mention that I was sick. Oh boy, was I sick. I took 2 days off from work to sit around and feel rather like the time I had something nasty that turned into pneumonia (pneumonia was interesting- my lungs made noise when I breathed. I found it funny. My mother found it terrifying. That's how we are.) (oh and don't worry, my lungs aren't making weird noises this time). But I used my sick days wisely: I crafted. I finished the Christmas cards, I finished my lovely advent calendar, I finished decorating the tree, I wrote presents lists. What I did not do was make up the baking schedule.

And so, 2 days later, I'm just checking up on things, making the mistake of reading tastespotting and seeing cookie after cookie, candy after candy, that I want to add to my list, but I have to be reasonable and remember that I'm not giving dozens of cookies away like I once did, and suddenly it hit me: I have 5 baking days left til Christmas!

Shopping days don't matter, it's the baking time that's important.

And so I have Thursday, Friday, Monday, Wednesday and I'm hoping to squeeze out some time on Sunday, to bake. (If I stay up super late on Tuesday, I can stick a batch in then...) Here's the list.

pumpkin molasses cookies
chocolate covered cherry cookies
pistachio almond cookies
gingerbread biscotti
brown sugar spice cutout cookies
gingerbread men
red velvet cookies
coconut macaroons (or possibly coconut almond macaroons, or these, or these.)
cranberry noels (thanks to watching Martha Stewart all day on Tuesday- here's a link to the recipe, which isn't where I originally found it)
cranberry turkish delight (based on this)
peppermint marshmallows
mulled cider jelly candy
and the new addition I just can't resist: caramel marshmallows

So that's what has to get done between now and next Wednesday (since we're traveling next Thursday).

Tentative schedule:
Thursday: biscotti (2 batches), turkish delight, cider jellies, wash bottles for elderberry schnapps and start aliquoting into bottles. Make cranberry noel dough and freeze, bake later.
Friday: coconut macaroons, peppermint marshmallows
Sunday: ideally caramel marshmallows, pumpkin molasses cookies, bake cranberry noel dough.
Monday: sugar and gingerbread cutter cookies, chocolate cherry cookies, pistachio cookies
Wednesday: frost the cutter cookies (royal icing for sugar cookies, milk/sugar icing for gingerbread). Bake red velvet cookies, possibly frost at my parents' house on Friday. Coconut cookies.

Not to mention the other big thing: wrap the presents. That's scheduled for Monday, when my husband will be out of the house and I can wrap out in the open, in the living room.

It's a lot. Wish me luck, I'll need it! I have no idea how people with kids manage (fewer cookies, I suppose).