Because I am STUPID I shopped all day.

It wasn't supposed to take that long. But, now, here's a funny story (not really)...

My sister-in-law told us a while ago what we could get her kids for Christmas: Accessories for a baby doll, and targets for a bb gun. Granted, she told us this a while ago, but I have not had a chance to shop because of zero cash flow and a limited supply of sitters. But, anyway...

I call them when I get to Toys 'R Us because I'm not seeing the type of baby doll she says my niece has. My brother-in-law answers and tells me Santa has already purchased those items, but Santa has been looking for a few other items. Seems simple? Not a couple days before Christmas. The items were a cotton candy maker and an Aquadoodle. My SIL gets on the phone and says she had a cotton candy maker in her hand last night at Wal-Mart, but left it because it was the only thing she was going to buy and the lines were long (uh-duh. Again, like TWO days before Christmas.) So I proceed to go from Toys 'R Us to Target, then to K-Mart, then to the Wal-Mart in Pontiac, the KB Toys in Great Lakes Crossing, and the Wal-Mart in White Lake. She WOULD have to pick two of the hottest toys of the year, wouldn't she? I am just a little cheesed that she would tell me something to buy, and then go buy it herself without warning us. Sigh.

Hours later, I ended up with a McFlurry Maker and one of those controllers that plugs into your t.v. with a "Color with Blue" game on it. My nephew opens the McFlurry Maker and says, "But it's not a cotton candy maker!" Sigh. He's only four, I understand. We have to coach Logan to respond politely in similar situations, and he's got two years on the kid.

The situation doesn't bode well with me because I didn't sleep well last night. My nephews spent the night and didn't sleep until about 11 p.m. because they were too busy wrestling (despite my threats). I heard the noise begin again at--no lie--4 a.m. I was *this* close to walking the boys over to their house. Logan was a big part of the problem, there's no doubt in my mind..... I have told Logan they will not be coming over if they will not obey me, and he is obviously not mature enough to obey me when they are over. I am the mom I tried to avoid when I was that age, but c'mon! Hunter is teething and not sleeping that well, and the wrestling woke him up repeatedly. And one of the kids left a cup of water on the bathroom counter despite several repetition of my instruction not to (my cats are too curious), and I got to wipe up water from the counter and floor. It's just that little stuff that was adding up--though I don't think waking up at 4 a.m. because "we're bored" is "little stuff."

Oh well. Now I'm behind on my work because my boss got it to me today instead of last night, and I spent all day trying to track down toys I should've known I'd never find. And now I'm blogging because I'm procrastinating. I'm thinking seriously about what I can eat to waste more time. Hmmmm.....

The one good thing that happened today is that I got to go to lunch with my friend Alicia at (yum!) Ruby Tuesday's. I love that place, and usually don't have a problem; but when you order an endless bowl of soup, isn't it a given that you should come back to ask a person if they want a refill? The waitress brought out one bowl WITH Alicia's meal, and never came back. Huh? Did I really pay $7 for that? I should've made a deal, but Alicia was late going back to work, and I was on a toy-hunting time schedule of my own.

All in all, I'm glad the In-laws Christmas party is done. I am not really comfortable with all of them, and it just intensifies with my not-so-great frame of mind. I'm much more comfortable with Billy's dad & step-mom.... Joan and I connect on a level somewhere, and I never feel like she is smiling at me and then talking behind my back when I am gone.

So, about that food I was going to try to find....... =)