Christmas in 10

In trying to get ready to celebrate Christmas this year I feel like I've done so much. I really was trying to focus less on the secular end of it and focus more on the part that really matters. I was all set to do The Jesse Tree devotions with my family. The kids were not too receptive. Combine that w. a few missed night due to parents being out and then a weekend away and it has not worked. I bought a book for me to read during advent. Got around yesterday to reading the introduction. Love my nativity scene, i keep it our year round. Christmas is in 10 days and I have two more gifts to buy, lots to wrap, 9 dozen cookies to bake for a Cookie Swap on friday night. Made 36 cookies for a cookie swap today. I need to find time to slow down a bit and really reflect on Christmas. At my MOPS group today our leader shared some bad news with us about another Mom in our group. I know this Mom from high school and my heart breaks for her. Just heartbroken for her and her husband and two little boys. There have been things going on in our lives that are taking away from Christmas. We have lots of questions about why certain things are happening. But are they really pulling us away from Christmas? Maybe away from the hustle and bustle, away from the menu planning, and Christmas Card sending. But closer to God perhaps. All these questions and things that come up in life that we must bring before God in prayer. We are closer to God because of the time we NEED to spend with Him so that we can make some sense of the world around us. To make sense of things we hear about. Things that affect those we care about and those we love. I don't go back and edit as I write. I just am putting thought to paper. I just felt so called to really do something extra this year. . . maybe I just chose the wrong thing. Maybe it didn't need to be so complicated. Maybe I just need to spend the extra time praying for all those that need it. And not worry about creating traditions or moments for my family. I think those might happen all by themselves.

Just a thought. . .

How come it only takes about 10 seconds to 3 minutes to make a mess but so long to clean it up??? if it took as long to make the mess as it does to clean it up, it might actually be worth it. From a mommy who is sick of cleaning all day long (or so it seems).
Is laundry considered done once it is clean and dry or does it have to be folded and put away too?