Back to Normal

Ah, Husband has just left for work. Hallelujah, we are somewhat back to normal! Also, the sun is peeking out just a bit, which makes the day look a little more promising.

Our New Year's Eve was fun - we had my bro-in-law and his girlfriend over and we ate ourselves silly. There was much cheese and little sausages from Husband's work gift basket, and chips and crackers and beer and wine and mixed drinks. In short, nothing at all healthy was consumed, and we all felt kind of gross the next morning. But not hung over, thank goodness. We also took several hysterical pictures of Daughter with my beer bottle. That's Klassy with a "K," people.

Last night I got to venture out by myself! Again! It is a rare thing around here. I took myself to Target, and you can bet the car radio was a-blastin' all the way there. Anyway, I was amazed to find that Target still has some quality Christmas items in stock. Witness:


Bag o' bows: $1.24
Gift boxes: depending on the size, less than 10 cents each
Tree skirt: $1.24 (you can't even buy enough felt to make a tree skirt for that price!)
Awesome NOEL stocking holders: $6.24

I am in love with these heavy metal stocking holders! I made 4 coordinating Christmas stockings a couple of years ago, under the assumption that we would probably have two children, but we have never had holders for them. I never wanted to buy them for big $$$, but when everything is 75% off? Absolutely.

The only fly in the Christmas ointment is that my mother-in-law, who simply cannot help but do things like this, bought Daughter a Christmas stocking with her name embroidered on it from Lillian Vernon. It sort of smells like a third-world basement. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Anyway, we now technically have five stockings, with one oddball that doesn't match (don't get me started on what this does to my mental state). Luckily, I guess, she also bought a holder for the stocking (also doesn't match, of course...please pass the medication). So I bought the set of 4 stocking holders figuring I can hang the 4 matching stockings and, as I put it to Husband, if we accidentally have 3 children, we're all set. Because my money says we won't end up with embroidered-name Christmas stockings for future children. I know from personal experience that only the oldest child gets that sort of thing.

***

So there is much to do this first week of 2006. We have a small pile of returns, which I hope to get done in one quick trip to the mall. If someone could explain the Gap's policy of making baby pants so short they don't come down past my daughter's knees, I'd appreciate it. I mean, she is on the tall side, but she's not a freak or anything. What babies are they using for size reference??

Moving on, we also have thank-you notes to send out to the people who left gifts for us at my parents' house but who we did not actually see. This is only a big deal because it necessitates a trip to the post office for 2 cent stamps. I bought about a zillion Muppet stamps when they came out, not anticipating a postage hike. Poo. I could have semi-avoided this problem by not being lazy, and writing the notes immediately after Christmas when the postage was still 37 cents. HA! It would never happen that way.

There is also a library book to return, and a package to drop off at UPS. So if I do it all in one day, that's...let's see...about 4 times I have to drag my infant in and out of the car? Ick.

I also really have to finish that quilt (the strips are all cut, just waiting for me to sit down at the sewing machine), and start mentally preparing myself for my 30th birthday, which is coming up in, oh, 23 days or so.

I should take advantage of the time I have while Daughter is happily playing with her toys and get some work done around here. I hope you all enjoy your first back-to-normal day!