You guys are having so much fun without me. I've been stuck with up to 3 sick kids since last Wednesday. We had a ton of ice (and still had school) but were about 30 miles north of 6+ inches of snow. Sunday no one was sick and we had a birthday party, complete with homemade, insanely large, racetrack cake that included a layer of track and a layer of trophy. My son (who is at the age where he can not be impressed) was totally impressed because he thought he was just getting a chocolate cake. Then the two oldest got sick, the middle child is on his 3rd day out of school. I've been driving grandparents around, because they still need to go places in bad weather and I'm the only one home during the day. My tree actually has lots of presents under it even though I'm only about half way done shopping. We have our first Christmas party this weekend, not one of my favorites, but I don't really like any of them. I know, I'm a bit of a scrouge, but I like to do Christmas on my terms, giving where and when it's needed not just because I have to to someone who doesn't need anything and could care less about the thought, time, money, and energy spent trying to make them happy.
Does anyone else ever get tired of buying for impossible people whose name you get stuck with and they don't like anything, and they, or their spouse, can't seem to give you any ideas on what they might actually like and not make any comments about? I was told to buy someone work pants. No place, brand, or size, just work pants. To be honest, this is the worst thing about being married into a huge family. We aren't made of money and no matter how much we save, I always feel like we are getting shorted, of money and energy, trying to get descent gifts for people who could care less. In my family, gifting is optional and we don't have to get together every available day prior to Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas. I like the lights and decorations, the cooking and cards, the music and time off with my kids, but I hate hemmoraging money and spending every spare second racing from party to party with a bunch of kids that would like to be able to do the fun stuff in town but can't because the family needs to smother each other. I also hate getting gifts that people want to give me not that they put any thought into buying. One year I got insence, which I'm totally allergic to and another year I got nothing but ($30 worth) of antibacterial lotions and soaps. Seriously, I'm not a dirty person but it made me think I was somehow giving off that impression. I don't mind gift cards, they are better than stuff you are stuck with, but no one seems to want to give them to me. If only I could draw my own name at these parties, I would be set. I kind of feel Christmas is for kids anyway and that forced giving to adults is almost silly, but some people just can't let go. Sorry for the rant, I've been stuck home with lots of sick and it's wearing me down very fast.

[ 12-06-2006, 03:31 PM: Message edited by: ScottMom#1 ]

LUV - I went to a school fun fair and the bake sale table had grocery store bakery cookies in baggies selling three cookies for $1!!!! You know, the kind you can buy at Kroger for $2/dozen?!?!?! If they can get away with that then frozen cookie dough is allowed.

Oooo, fudge. That's my son's favorite. The only reason I go to the Chicago Auto Show is because Ryba's Mackinac Island Fudge has a booth there!

Yippee!!! Dish Network's Channel #6002 has started their 24/7 playing of Christmas music! Time to break out the cookies and cocoa.

My weakness is fudge. I will eat it until I'm sick and even then I still want more.

d, you reminded me of how long it's been since my hubby and I have had a weekend away. Too many kids' activities. It would be nice even to just ship them off to the grandparents for a weekend. Will have to do that sometime soon.

I need to get busy after work tonight. I have Christmas cards to do and cookies to bake for a cookie exchange. Wonder if they'd care if they were frozen cookie dough?

hey d - (the one and only original d!) - Glad to hear you and hubby had a great weekend! Good for you!!! It's nice to get a glimpse of the person you married before you became parents. Oh, being a parent is great but eventually the kids move out and you have to hope the spouse doesn't follow shortly behind them!

Got this fun email today. It definitely sums up my holiday diet plan!

Holiday Eating Tips*


1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pou r it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat
other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the centre of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

[ 12-06-2006, 01:07 PM: Message edited by: CrewChief ]

I'm back, I'm back what a lovely weekend. It is so nice to realize that when the children are gone my hubby and I are going to have so much fun just being together. We giggled and cracked jokes and went to irish pubs and held hands...all the stuff we used to do and had just as much fun as we did 20 years ago. And now we don't fight so much [img]smile.gif[/img] . Don't want to waste any time.
CC--scrolled through here quickly and I think your timeline for mailing is right on. Should get there right at Christmas...
Tomorrow night is our holiday craft night. Our Christmas shoppe opened last night and sold 2000 dollars worth of stuff. Not sure what the profit is on that but thank goodness for my Christmas shop lady [img]smile.gif[/img] . It was fun to see the kids and the parents were so thankful they weren't at a mall ...
We opened up our Christmas Night to home business owners that wanted to set up shop. We have around 10 tables coming and they have to donate a 30 dollar basket toward our Basket Bingo. That is a cool thing. Also so many folks was to have us in to do a 10 percent fund raiser so it just makes sense...you know?

Okay--wanted to say hi!!! hugs to everyone. Hubby leaves for Germany on Sunday for a week. That means lots of German goodies for Christmas!!!
Woo Hoo...
d (hey someone else is signing d on their posts...just so we all know it isn't the original)

ppss - LTC Martin told me they have arrived safe and sound and are looking out for the bad guys.

If you take one of those roller coolers in with you, I'll bet you could pack in a lot of snowballs! My team did away with December meetings two years ago because NOBODY shows up for them. We also cut out February because weather was a problem. We bridged the gap with a mid January meeting so it was just 1 1/2 months between meetings.

YEAH for you - no traffic school!

The village is up, the tree is up (but not decorated), 1/2 of my shopping is done (yippee for online shopping) and we're making sugar cookies tomorrow night. I love December.

Hubby goes to the doctor at 9:45am tomorrow. I hope he gets a clean bill of health and the OK to go back to work if he wants to. He's getting stir crazy. Maybe just half days for the rest of this week though....