Where's My Wife!?

This has been the refrain heard through our house in the mornings.

See, I have a confession to make.

I've been doing loads and loads and loads of laundry for days now and have been putting all the folded clothing away.

I know. I'm shocked also.

Poor Bob doesn't know where to look for his clothes. He normally paws through baskets of clean clothes to find what her needs.

This ain't so bad.

Alone.

But my new thing is freaking me and Bob out.

I'm hand (and by hand I mean there is not a machine in sight) stitching Christmas gift bags.

And not just easy peasy lemon breezy kind of bags where you fold and stitch up two sides.

Oh, hell no.

I'm creating linings so when you gather the bag at the top, another pretty fabric shows inside.



Who am I!?

What worse, is I can't stop thinking about the next fabric combo! I even have fake fur so I can make a two men's bags for my dad and Bob!!

Bob got up this morning and I was sewing away.

He was all 'lookit you sewing and making things'

And I was all 'call someone, I think I'm broken!'

Get this, I had run out of gifts to make gift bags for and didn't know what to do with myself.

Tonight we went and basically finished our shopping for everyone else. (Bob and my mom are still on my list)

All I could think about were the bags I was going to sew.



Seriously, I'm scaring myself.

What happens when I finally have to put that needle down?

Oh wait, I'm multi-tasking! I'm putting on Dateline or 48 Hour Mysteries while I'm sewing so I get to 'watch' TV and make a gift bag.

How sick is that!

*deep breath in and out*

Here's hoping it will lead to me reading in the New Year. At this rate, I may actually have free time coming at me.

Next time I post pics of our Living Room with the new fireplace my hubby has built. Let's not talk about the painting I've been doing (trim) or the fact that I'm cleaning like I think the plague has visited our home.

And no.

I'm not thinking about sewing smaller bags with the left over its and bits for smaller items.

Dammit!

You know I am.

Curses!

*in a tiny whisper voice*

And I want to buy more fabric.

Okay, that's it. No more confessions!

I'm ruining my lazy reputation and I won't have it.

Move along. Nothing to see here.

Git!

edited: The pictures are sideways. I don't know. My camera has been doing weird things lately. I should reset it to it's original format and see if it works again.

Yay!!!

After an hour of fuming I've decided to let Bob live.

Luckily it's 1am and he's sound asleep so when I discovered some mail under stacks of crap and came across a package that looked like a book, I didn't holler or scream.

I'm a great wife!

I have no clue when it showed up but I'm betting Bob's response will be 'I told you!'

Lately Bob has been telling me things either as I'm going to bed, at noon if he comes home (seriously, I wake up hours later and wonder if I dreamed it) or as I'm waking up.

Things don't compute during those times people!

All the same, I swear he said not a word cause I would have torn that package open and danced with glee.

Instead I wiggled with glee because I was still working on not pounding up the stairs and giving Bob a good shove off the bed.

Like I said. I'm a great wife.

So HUGE THANK YOU TO NATH!!!!

I had no idea it was a trade size book so I lucked out huge!

Also, I haven't seen a copy of it at either of the local bookstores cause I might have bought it if I had and another contest would have ensued.

But I'm lucky.

Phew!

I'm very excited to read the Singh short story but I think I'll wait until Monday.

This weekend is busy. Bob's family having dinner at their place on Saturday and then my best bud is coming for dinner on Sunday.

So Monday sounds perfect!

Merry Christmas My Friends!

It's 2:05am Christmas morning and NORAD has just tracked Santa into Alberta Canada! I'm sure I'll hear some jolly laughter and hearty clip-clops on my roof if I just stay up a few more hours.

Nah. I know better. You have to be sleeping and since he's heading this way soon I'm settling in for a short winter's nap (trust me, it ain't no Cindy Slumber)

The stockings are filled and Secret Santa was a success - too successful as the one Bob got (a hot dog cooker) was another version of the one I bought him for Christmas. I just about passed out and I knew no one would steal it from him. Tonight when we got home I told him he had to open one gift from me. I took a picture of him as he unwrapped another hot dog cooker. Great minds and all that. From what I can tell, no one is owning up to who the 'secret Santa' was that came up with that winner. Probably because they know I'd have to smite them. Grrrr. I think they all enjoy my reactions when Bob gets yet another gift that makes me want to cry for the tackiness of it all. They will be really shocked tomorrow when they see the pictures of Bob with his second one!

So I need to get ready for bed. Wake up call is 9:30am and that's coming at me like a bolt of lightning.

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas full of love, laughter and fun!

Happy Holidays!

Postcards from the Wrapping Pile

We're still wrapping gifts.

Bob suggested the other day that wrapping presents was the best part of gift giving for me.

Yeah, what a card.

Dinner on Saturday turned out great and the Godkids enjoyed their gifts. The oldest had to call his best friends and tell them what he got - that's the best reaction yet. Meanwhile Josh was beyond happy when he opened his tangerine Furberry (yep, it's even scented). Since I do gifts in threes the first present they opened were the reindeer webkinz just before dinner. They tried to quietly ask their mother if there were any more gifts under the tree.

After dinner I made them open their jammies next and each had an oversized T-shirt with a saying that fit their personality. The eldest had 'If you aren't completely impressed you haven't been watching me' while the youngest had 'I'm not trying to be difficult, it just comes naturally' (that ain't no lie!) They both changed immediately. That's the fun thing with kids, they are even thrilled when they get clothes! They then got their fun gifts which were the furberry (ordered from the States but just recently spotted in Zellers up here) and skate board.

Happy times.

It was a really nice night and the kids weren't crazy silly (which can happen around this time of year).

Today we went to Bob's mom's for lunch and we had the best Swiss Chalet I've had in probably a year! Quarter white with fries - yummmm. We got a bunch of flack for never coming down on Christmas day and I floated the idea of the family coming out our way next year. Paul (the one who cooks the dinner and hosts for everyone) said he would love it but knew the minute we left everyone else would go bug eyed crazy and rant about how they weren't going no where on their Christmas. Hell, it started while we were there.

One brother said to Bob, 'it's not a long drive for you, just do it!' To which Bob replied 'Exactly, just do it.' (This brother has only ever been out to our house once - he's probably like me in the anxiety department). Then the other brother piped up (there are 7 boys) and said that next year the girls (his daughters) would have to go to their mom's after noon. I said, no problem, come for dinner!

Went over like a lead balloon.

I feel bad for Paul because it means he will never get a break from doing the dinner and such but it's good to know that we offered and that they really can't be giving us the gears if they don't want to travel either.

So my guilt is slightly lessened.

We started home because my best bud was coming and we got here just as she arrived thus, no nap for Cindy. I only bought a gift for 'the boy' and was shocked when there were gifts for Bob and I considering 'we' had agreed that the only gift would be for the kid. Colour me embarrassed!

She left at around 8pm and I was zonked. Actually I was tired all day. Then an hour ago I felt like I had finally woke up. Stupid brain.

So I'm just going to do some blog hopping and then try and unwind before hitting the sack.

Three more days and life can get back to semi-normal!

Feliz Navidad!

Hark Upon Yonder!

I read a review of *bloody hell, which book was it* Halfway to the Grave over at Kristie's and Katiebabs Ramblings on Romance and well, I went out and bought the book tonight!

Okay, I know, but the fact that I even showed any interest in buying a book means I might be coming back.

Merry Christmas to ME!

Also, I think buying my last gift (Bob is going to have to take up some of the slack - he's so it!) tonight took a huge weight off my shoulders. I don't know about you guys but after a while I just can't think straight and I'm completely off my game. We have something like 40 major gifts we have to buy and then there are all the little odds and sods - Bob likes to do stockings and we introduced that to my family last year which means even more little stuff for people! Not only do I get anxious about what gift to buy, I then get anxious about the 'Secret Santa' gift exchange we do where you try and steal gifts from each other (it's supposed to be fun but I stress over it!). For my family it's like a challenge to see who can buy the most sought after gift. Or maybe it's me. So I never really buy myself something I want (like you are supposed to), I end up searching hi and lo for something everyone would want.

Anyways, I found something and I'm over it. I'm just glad I found something a little different and if I end up with it then I'm a happy camper also.

So we're heading into Friday the 21st and today is more like a free day. I have cleaning and wrapping to do but I don't need to get out there and tussle so it's all good.

On Saturday we're having my best friend's family (Godkids and all) over for a 'friends' Christmas with turkey dinner. Yum. Sunday we go back to Bob's mom's house, Sunday afternoon my best bud comes up and then on Christmas Eve we do nothing until we have to go to my parents for dinner. Sah-wheat!!

Don't tell anyone about Christmas Eve.

I just know if someone finds out we're not hiking all over Kingdom Come we'll get called upon.

AND, this year, we're doing New Year's Eve all by ourselves!!

I'm such an anti-social twit but a nice dinner planned and Bob and I can stay in our jammies for two whole days!?

Heaven.

Ahhhhh, The Train!!

Bob's picture taking skills are horrid but we laughed ourselves silly over this one.

Ahhhhh, The Train!!

I look terrified.

The best picture turned out to be one of Bob and my mom but we're protecting the innocent.

My mom.

Bob gleefully got up on the step of the engine waving frantically. Great shot. I guess those around us thought that was great and suddenly those steps were covered so I couldn't get my picture taken there.


This is us hot footing it to the front of the train. (That's Bob facing the camera and my mother's back) It says Canadian Pacific Holiday and then another car says Train but let's face it, it was the engine we were driving for.

Remember I said something about it being lame. It was but in a fun sort of 'we've never done this before' kind of way and the crowd was really nothing.

We brought two bags of canned food for the food drive and dropped them off and then Bob bought two tiny things of hot chocolate for him and my mom and gave them 4 bucks. So we ended up helping people and getting to see a really old train. I would have liked to go in the train but the line-up was huge and as you can tell it was chilly. Brrrr.

Still it was fun to get out of the house, get some exercise and when I'm dressed properly I do well. The only problem I had (and I'm used to it) is that my thighs tend to freeze. I'm pretty sure they get close to frost bitten at times but last night they only burned for about a 1/2 hour afterwards so it was fine.

So if the train is heading through your town or city you should give it a go just for fun.

Tonight is D-night. I'm thinking I should crack a coke later today for one last hoorah. I cooked prime rib and made mashed potatoes during the night so that I had dinner at about 5am. Yum. I've also eaten about all the chocolate I can stomach for a bit so I guess I'm as good as ready.

On another note, Bob is taking the rest of the week off. YAY!!! We're both excited to actually spend some time together and to go fun shopping. He's only had a week off this year and the other week was a bereavement week when his father passed. So we're looking forward to hitting a few of our favourite places but then, some of those places have food.

*sigh*

I guess I'll be counting those points! I'm hoping you can still save points up for the weekends. And I better check to see that I have enough popcorn in the house. Not to mention some snacky vegetables.

I haven't read anything BUT, I did up our Christmas cards. I was lazy this year and decided if 12 people live in one house then they only get one card. Also, the nieces and nephews are old enough that getting mail isn't a big deal anymore. So the task was relatively painless. Except for those odd ones where you don't have the address and 411 is completely clueless. I have three cards that I need to track addresses down for. Hopefully I can finish them tonight and get it done.

First Christmas duty - Check!!