The Best Deals

I love a bargain. I can squeeze a nickel out of two pennies, I am that frugal. And I stumbled upon a couple of really good sales this week. Nothing makes me happier than buying something I really love for 80% off. Look at me...spending more money after Christmas. I am such a good consumer. Heh.

Anyhow, we have survived the holidays once again. Lucas was thrilled with all of his gifts and he kept exclaiming over and over and over "I must have been the best boy this year to get all of these gifts!" And he's right. He's been pretty darn good. Every gift he received from "Santa" that wasn't something he specifically wished for confused him, however. And he kept asking me time and time again, "How did Santa know I wanted this so bad when I didn't even wish for it?! Did you wish for this for me?" Not knowing what to say, I just agreed with him, so he told me that I'm the best mom he's ever had. He's made of mighty cute stuff, that one.

Merry Christmas!

I have achieved a level of procrastination this year normally reserved for professionals. In true slacker mommy fashion, I left everything for tonight. Some of the shopping happened today before we went to the movies and all of the wrapping...every last stitch...occurred after Lucas went to bed. Or maybe I should say after he fell asleep since he put himself to bed at 7pm, but didn't actually fall asleep until 9pm because he was just so excited! But it's before midnight, and I'm done, so my reward is a yummy bowl of Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream and Sex and the City reruns on TBS...mmmmm.

(Didn't even bother to wrap this one...too cumbersome. Or maybe I'm just lazy.)

Magical

I went to Walmart this evening with my son, against my better judgement but wanting to make peanut butter balls, and as I suspected, it was packed. Navigating weary shoppers leaning heavily on their carts, hearing tired children crying in every isle. It was not the funnest trip.

My mom had made the most delicious baklava in the world and she gave us an entire tray that we snacked on on the way, and Lucas, all hopped up on sugar and honey, could only speak in his MOST LOUDEST VOICE EVER! It was like he had a bullhorn attached to his mouth. Deafening.

We gathered up everything on my list, except all of the things I needed that they didn't have, and headed for the car. As I was unloading the cart my Mom said to me, "Quick, look!" I turned around in time to see my son, light up by the street lamps, with his face turned to the silent sky watching the snow swirl down around him. It made me stop everything, the peacefulness of it after the chaos of the store. He caught us watching and gave a big smile. "I thought I was about to fly," he said, "It was like magic." Oh! I hugged him so hard he told me I was "squishin' his belly." What an excellent way to end my night.

Finally!

I threw aside my slacker ways this evening and put up our tree. In true me fashion I decided I didn't have any place to put the tree without it getting in the way. So before I could get the tree up I first had to move a couch. And then another couch. And then all the toys that came tumbling out from underneath the couches when I moved them needed to be dusted off and put away. And then the carpet needed to be vacuumed, because gross! So basically, a hundred hours after I started putting up the tree we finally finished. After all that effort I might as well just leave it up until next year. It would really be so much easier.

Didn't Happen

Who wants to take a guess about whether or not I got the tree up? Oh...I might of outed myself in the title up there...yeah...it's not up. BUT TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY! And so is the day ofter that, and the day after that...I guess as long as I get it up by Christmas, all will be fine.

We did get a lot done today however, including but not limited to: Christmas shopping with the masses, dishes, laundry, dishes, wrapping, dishes and of course facebook and twitter, which I can't seem to stay away from this week. If you're on twitter and you don't mind me stalking you a little following you let me know! The WantNot updates alone could keep me busy...

Winter Wonderland

It's snowing so hard that it's a total whiteout. First whiteout of the year. Feels much more like Christmas now. Off to start wrapping presents...

Awwwww....He's No Dummy

Lucas and I were sitting in the car waiting to pick up my mom from work (on my way to work) (doesn't it seem like a lot of my stories start out that way?) and I handed him a toy catalog and pen and told him to have at it. Go wild. Start making Your List. And then he sent the world crashing down around me by announcing that THERE IS NO SANTA CLAUS. I'm sorry, but 4 is simply too young to be so jaded. So I started gushing about how OF COURSE there's a Santa Claus if only you BELIEVE! I begged him to tell me what he wanted for Christmas. I offered to write his letter myself, so sure was I that Santa was REAL and that he NEEDED that letter. He said all he wanted was an xBox360 but Grandma was going to get it for him. There was nothing he was willing to ask Santa for. And also? If you say your wish out loud it won't come true.

It was like being on the losers team during a major debate. Not fun.

"Okay, we won't talk about it anymore for right now", I told him, "but Santa most definitely is real but only if you believe...and also, he's not a mind reader so we should just play it safe and make a list." I faced front and pulled out a magazine and turned up the radio a little so he'd know I was done pestering him about for the time being. It was then I heard a tiny little whisper from the back. "I believe. I believe." And that, my friends, is how you melt your mother into a puddle of goo with just four little words.

"Did you just hear me say anything?" he demanded from the back seat.

"What sweetie? Were you talking to me?" I replied, all nonchalant.

"Nope...I didn't say anything...but you can help me make a list, if you want."

Barnacles!!

I took the BEST pictures today of the kid playing in our first snowstorm and they came out SO GOOD. Except, I experimented shooting in RAW and now I can't get the [bleepin'] pictures to download. That is frustration at it's finest...a few of those pictures were in the running to grace this year's Christmas cards. Bah-hum-bug!

If any of you out there know what I'm doing wrong...LET ME KNOW! Otherwise...just feel bad for me. Heh.

edited:
I still haven't figured out the whole shooting in raw...but I did manage to switch a couple of my favorite pictures to a jpeg. file...yay!

I'm Hooked

Okay...beautiful, wonderful Christmas pics are important and all that...but let's take a moment to talk about something else. I am addicted to Guitar Hero III. My brother got an xBox 360 for Christmas, and we rocked out from 6am until noon. Because we are rock stars...especially me. And now I'm sore...but happy. Actual Christmas pictures to follow.

I'm Back!

I must say...although my job isn't really fun or glamorous, I get to work a lot of hours in a short space of time, and then I get a lot of days off...and we had ourselves some FUN in all of our days off this week.

Let's start with the fancy schmancy dinner party we got invited to on Tuesday. I think YUM! sums it up. We were all served a delicious salad as the first course, and I wondered if Lucas would touch it...not being a big bowl of iceberg lettuce and all. But he dug right in and ate his endive and well as some of mine. He was a little disappointed that the potatoes weren't mashed until he tried them...so tasty! He raised his glass and toasted the table to good behavior at dinner, and thoroughly enjoyed many, many, many glasses of ice water out of some very fancy crystal. I was so incredibly proud of him at the party. I think he did a very good job keeping all of his energy in check, the food could not be beat, the other party guests were wonderful and the hostess outdid herself with food and drinks and decorating. We do not often...lets say never...get invited to such grownup occasions, and we loved it!

I got all of our Christmas cards done and mailed...this is a very big deal for me. There have been years past where I've gotten everything written and stamped and then never mailed, so...yeah! Done!

My Christmas shopping is all done...but not wrapped...and is currently sitting all over my kitchen in a gazillion store bags...even the ones for Lucas...because he is not a snooper, something he definitely did NOT get from me! *wink*

I went to a cookie party in a blizzard on Thursday night, and even though my poor old car couldn't make it up a very steep drive covered in very deep snow, I had a blast and came home with some seriously yummy cookies.

I made a killing on Friday at the mall cashing in the rest of my Black Friday $10 free gift cards. I got Lucas a pair of Vans sneakers, the only brand that really fits his wide feet well, for the low low price of just $2.00 with tax. You can't beat that...really, I'd like to see you try! ;-) Also, three free Disney cars...brand new hard to find ones...'cause the eleventy million we already have just aren't enough...no sir...must buy more.

AND...the best, most awesome moment...I was walking through the lobby of the hospital with Lucas and he saw Santa. Apparently we have a volunteer on staff that looks like the best Santa in whole wide world. He was sitting behind the reception desk with a red sweater on and snow white hair and gold rimmed glasses (and a volunteers vest) and as we walked by Lucas caught sight of him and stopped dead in his tracks. The man said "Ho, Ho, Ho young man, have you been a good boy this year?" All Lucas could do was whisper, "I want Thomas pieces." over and over again. Poor child. He was starstruck. He has never let me take him up to the mall Santa, or the mall Easter bunny for that matter...so it was big deal to see this man so close after watching a string of Christmas specials this week. So fun!

TGIF

It's FRIDAY! Well, it is if you're ME! Man I love Tuesdays...or to be more specific...I love Tuesdays at 11pm. I have a wonderful weekend planned full of dinners out with friends, last minute Christmas shopping (I'm almost finished...so it's last minute for me...also, you couldn't pay me to go out the week before Christmas with a three year old. Well...maybe you could pay me.) and dentist appointments, 'cause who doesn't love handing over a twenty dollar copay to a surly dental receptionist for the pleasure of them making your gums bleed. Super fun!

AND! After the dinner out with friends portion of the evening on Friday, I get to go shopping. By myself. As in alone! No small boy in tow bent on using every public bathroom in the county. Can 'ya hear the angels singing? Can 'ya? It's like a gift from the baby Jesus. I am very excited.

I'm hoping my next post will include our Christmas picture, because that will mean I have actually done it, and also that it might actually get mailed to others in a timely fashion, like by Christmas...this year.

Our Tree is Up

This is the first time in my entire life that I've used a fake tree. It makes me a little sad...but this one given to us for free...which, you know, is right in our budget so...fake is the new real at our house. Lucas doesn't know the difference...he's just super excited that his train runs along the base of the tree. We put it up together on Thanksgiving night, and he read the directions and handed me all the color coded branches while I broke a sweat shoving them all in. When we (finally!) finished he threw up his arms and squealed "Let's do it again!" Yeah...maybe next year.