Update Finally

I have been so busy since Thanksgiving. I've been working tons and volunteering a lot at the school. Plus Angelina had three doctor appts and everyone had dentist appts. Things finally slowed down as of Friday. Good thing....I really needed more than five hours of sleep each night.

Most of the items we are giving for Christmas I bought in the last two weeks. I have ten things wrapped, so I'm less than a third of the way done with wrapping. I'm trying to space it out a bit so that on Christmas Eve I'm not up wrapping so late. We'll spend Christmas Eve at my parents' house and I'd love to be able to come home and actually get some sleep that night instead of staying up late doing the whole present thing. Christmas Day we'll spend with Steve's family in Flint.

I don't think I'm doing Christmas cards again this year. I'm really not into it. And I'm starting to wonder if either no one else is either or if I'm getting dropped off of people's lists because I didn't send them out last year. Leave me a message in the guestbook and give me your opinion on Christmas cards. How important is it to send them? One of the first years we were married I sent a ton but I've seen decline in the most recent years. I don't think it's a big priority of those of us who are growing up in the more advanced computer era. It's easier to text, email or send an e-card. Doesn't make it right but I'm wondering how all of you feel about it.

As with most years there is always one of my kids who is harder to buy for than the other two. This year it's Angelina's turn. She wants Dora and Littlest Pet Shop stuff. And she already has a ton of each. We tried to find stuff that would interest her and still be what she wants. Not an easy kid to buy for this year! Allison was so easy....I could have spent double on her. At one point I had to stop myself or I was going to have to work hard to find extra stuff for Stephen and Ang and I was out of ideas for the two of them. Five years old is a great age for Allison....fun stuff!

I spent hours today working in Stephen's room. And it wasn't messy. I was organizing it and getting rid of toys that he no longer plays with. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Super Heros and a few other assorted toys didn't make the cut. We packed them up and have to decide what to do with them. Save them for a garage sale? Save them forever until he has his own children? What do we do? Donate them to Purple Heart? I've decided that I hate toys that have little pieces, such as Playmobil, Imaginext and GI Joe. I must have sorted through hundreds of miscellaneous pieces today. While my kids play with these things constantly it drives me crazy to have to organize them. Why can't they keep them in the Rubbermaid totes I put them in if they aren't being played with? Is it too easy to see that it wouldn't be hard to have it all together? And my son doesn't need another damn Nerf gun. I think I counted fifteen in his room. Excessive.