The # of gifts this year is pretty small for all of us, but mac is the only one we need to worry about on that front. I think we have the right balance, not so few that he gets mad, not so many that he gets overwhelmed.

I'm not sure UPS wants me to have the main present from my parents. If I get it at all, it will be Christmas eve.

I'm having getting started issues today.

I have to go to target for diapers and groceries. But I don't feel inspired. Granted, I have an hour before they open.

Also, the final gift for Noah is allegedly coming from Canada. I fear it will never arrive. I ordered it over 10 days ago! Canada is thwarting me!

The only present I bought for Kalee this year is a Little People farm, and I think I'll save it for February when we're stuck inside because of the cold/snow and she's bored.

Otherwise, I'm just letting her grandmother and aunts do all the shopping. I R LAZY MUTTER.

We just got back from getting the girl a flu booster and running into TJs for salads for tomorrow's airport adventure.

Sparky, I join you in lazy; I'm guessing we also share the "youngest girlbaby in the family/already gets too many presents from other relatives" syndrome? So far I've gotten Matilda a Toy Story 3 DVD and a book of Raggedy Ann and Andy stories she fell in love with at a used bookstore a few weeks ago, and I want to try to find a stuffed German shepherd for her from Santa, and that's really kind of it. But she'll be getting tons of stuff from other relatives.

{{{Suela}}} for family and mom issues. I had no idea how bad and stressful things have been for all of you. I'm so sorry.

In half an hour I walk up the hill to the elevator to work for my last day ever in that dysfunctional office. I'm torn between giddy with relief and preemptively shell-shocked at the huge amount of work yet to be done.

Christ am I tired of limping around. This is going on two weeks of being hobbled by my recurring and varied joint problems (started with the knee; now it's my bunion on the same limb that's doinng a number on me). This plus having a nasty chest cold last week has thrown a major wrench in my Xmas shopping plans. I hate not being able to get around easily.

Sorry, just needed to get that rant out. Things seem to be on the mend, and the cold's been gone since last weekend, but I'm running out of time and REALLY need to be able to get around. Thank the lord my family doesn't have our Xmas celebration until the weekend after the real thing.

German industrial baby dancing

As one YouTube commenter points out, this video evidences "extreme disconnect between the endearingly bubbly tots and the menacingly nihilistic, anomie-filled lyrics. Unless the viewer is beyond repair with misanthropy, each of those frenetic sock-wearing footsies set to DAF's toe-tapping beats breathes (metaphorically) laughing gas into the lungs of the soul of the lyrics, mired as its words are in the hopelessly impossible task of revaluing all values relying only on semantics and a sophomoric sense of rebellion."

Alles ist Lüge, indeed.

DH & Dylan are off to BounceU for a few hours, leaving me alone with nothing but my nesting hormones. So far I have CLEANED ALL THE STOVE and set the oven to clean itself (dear Other Things, why can't you be more like the oven?).

Perhaps next I shall tackle Sorting All The Diaper Covers. I would Dye All The Hair, but I don't really want to answer the door for the grocery delivery guy in a bathrobe and shower cap.

I also seem to have misplaced a pair of pants. This is both irritating and confusing.

Jessica, would you guys have any use for Fuzzi Bunz, size M? They were Ellie's and are mostly pastel colors. My mom re-did all the elastic, but they are five years old. I have the liners, too.

Eta: they still work great; they are just the original style.