Hey, guess what? Only six weeks left until Christmas. The panicking all at once may commence now. But not for me! I have got my Christmas gifts spreadsheet all up to date and am working on gift ideas and things, organized my calendar, and am hoping to sit down and write up a December meal plan so I don’t have to think about food next month. Yay! Feel free to hate me (or email me and I’ll send you copies of my spreadsheet, calendar, and meal plan once I get them finished off).

Every year at this time, my card group buddies and I head off to the beach for a weekend of Dutch Blitz, Christmas (or otherwise) shopping at the Outlet Mall down there, and general hanging around with no non-nursing children or Hubbies, who get to stay home and watch assorted children. I love coming home and hearing how their weekend has gone. George does such a good job with them.

We’ve gone I think four years in a row now and I have yet to make it without being either pregnant or bringing a baby. Oh well. Henry’s pretty nice, so he should be fine except for the whole getting teeth in and being extra fussy lately. Oh the joy!

The girls and I have been playing Dutch Blitz for six years or so now, I think. So nice to have a group of women over every other week to eat lots of junk food with, listen to Beatles music or Abba if somehow my SIL Masha manages to get control over the CD player, and yell at other people when they win. Nice stress reliever.

Hey, you know that would make a good stocking stuffer or present. Hang on while I go put that on my spreadsheet for Trinity (my kids better not be surreptitiously reading this). Here’s a picture of it on Amazon (wonder of the modern world) and a link to it:

The game is a speed game sort of like multi-player solitare. I grew up playing double sol with my parents and always rather liked that. Think that’s about it around here. Been busy thinking about Christmas prep and doing things like chopping up and freezing bell peppers (18 of them!), pressure canning soup and chili, and jarring up dry ingredients for pancakes, baked oatmeal, bran pan, corn bread, and other breakfasty stuff. I’ve been feeling rather productive lately, I must say. Might as well make good use of that before it goes away.

Rachel

Ooooo… thanks for reminding me to pack my Abba CDs!

Well now isn’t that nice! I think you should send me your spreadsheet. I have one as well but its needing some revamping. I’m always up for new menu ideas - I found a dozen or so new ones I added to the list to try this week. We’ll see how it goes.

Actually this is our fifth time going. I hope it’ll be easier since we are closer to the mall this time.

Erica, do you want the gift spreadsheet, the calendar, or the meal plan (which I’m hoping to make up this afternoon or tomorrow) or some combination of those?

Masha, aaaack! Why did I say that. I wasn’t trying to remind you….

Kathy, has it really been five years? Lets see, that means I was pregnant with Kyra the first time. Wow, that’s a long time. How long have we been playing cards? It seems like it was at least two years before we started going to the beach. Was I pregnant? If so, that would be with Anika, which would be….. seven years ago. Wait, how old is Ani? She’s six. She’ll be seven in January. OH MY GOSH!! How did that happen?? Stupid time.