Bah Humbug

Each year I seem to dread this season more and more, and I really don't have a particular reason but I am already beginning to crack.



First there's the shopping, that eternal fight at the shops trying to find the perfect gifts. I went out last Saturday early in the morning telling myself I had a bucket load of patience but it soon began to wane. Shop after shop I looked at isles of gift wrapped rubbish trying to get me to buy it until I could take it no more. The one item I actually had on my list, a wii (shhh it's a secret) is completely impossible to find. After asking at one particular store a store clerk spoke out of the side of her mouth the fact that they were expecting some on Sunday, ready to sell at 6 a.m. I had to wonder how many others she had given heads up to. I didn't get up early to go that Sunday and did stop by to ask how many they had got. I was told they had 21 in but by 10pm the previous evening at least 18 people were already in line. Luckily, Ayden has made the comment that he would be happy to take an IOU and it looks like he will get it. Other than that I bought the usual stress chosen gift which no doubt will be wrong but I am now passed caring.



Then there's the decorating, that pointless operation that results in glittery clutter that gets on my nerves within 2 days. We are just about the only house in the neighborhood without lights up outside and frankly, I don't care. I asked Mark if we should put some up and he gave a shrug of the shoulders so I went with that. Inside, we decided not to put up our fake tree. We have had it for many years and it is a pain to put together. It's about 8 foot and each branch is individually placed in ever decreasing circles while following a complicated color coded pattern. Of course the paint has rubbed off on a few, or the makers of the tree were having a laugh, so each year it's like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with a couple too many edges. So we decided to get a real one, problem.....it's been raining just about everyday so as we don't want to put a wet tree up in the living room so we still don't have one. We may get it tonight and see if we can find a dry one, I am already dreading the foraging into the lights to find a string that works and of my cat's reaction which I am guessing will be glee.



With only two of my stresses mentioned I will post again later as the thought of it all is making my hyperventilate!

Halloween

Tomorrow is Halloween. A day that celebrates candy. We still have left over candy in the drawer from last year, the same stuff that usually gets left that noone wants except Ayden who could support the candy makers of the world single handed if only I would let him.

The halloween costume was a tough to find this year. I remember when he was little and I got to choose the adorable pumpkin, the dragon and the pirate. Even when he chose to be a vampire and Darth Maul it was still fun as I got to paint his face, although the panic over whether his face would be permanantly red was not so fun. This year he just couldn't decide, it just had to be something gross.

After what seemed like hours in the costume shop with Ayden delighting in all that was creepy while I cringed and tried to not look too close, (partly from fear of the icky, partly from shock at how much they charge for a little bit of plastic and nylon) he finally settled on a mask that had blood pouring down when you squeezed something and a large axe. When paired with the black cloak from last year he will be set to scare all the little kids in the neighborhood.

Last year he graduated from the little cute bucket to collect candy to the biggest pillow case he can find in the linen closet, he's not dumb! Hopefully he won't get a hernia as he carries his booty home.

I suppose I am glad he still wants to take part, Amy decided years ago that she was too old to dress up and would rather pass out the candy instead. Mind you, she will be quick to look at Ayden's takings.

I still need to get the candy for tomorrow to pass out. The dilema is whether to get stuff I like, in case we are left with any, or to go for stuff I don't so I won't be tempted with it. One year I the neighbor and I ate so much before the first door bell ring that we felt sick.

So I'm almost ready, bring on the sugar rush.

In the beginning

Blogging, how with it am I!