"Fra-gee-lay. Must be Italian."

I went grocery shopping at 6 this morning, while there was still a parking spot to be had – my mother-in-law called yesterday to ask me to bring a green salad to Christmas Eve dinner. So I am going the tossed-green-salad-with-some-antipasto-fixings route, to culinarily/ethnically match the Hellacious Spread of Seven Fish-Flavored Slops.

I’m also making that chocolate-wafer-and-whipped-cream dessert thing, although personally I would be happy slopping the cream right on the wafers and popping them right into my mouth. But some people apparently have more finesse than I.

I have realized that if I have half an hour or so to empty the dishwasher, start the laundry, straighten up, all before the boys get up, I am much more pleasant to be around. Of course this morning I had the benefit of caffeine too – thank God the Starbucks was open. Merry Christmas Eve, and a grande non-fat peppermint mocha, no whip, to all!

I also did some last-minute Christmas shopping at the store – Hubster is receiving the following thrilling gifts (but I can guarantee he will like all of them, however weird they may sound):

- A 4-pack of the pens he keeps stealing from me, in black
- Three little photo holder stick-like thingeys for his office gallery of the boys (driving over the bridge to his office, you can tell which office window is his because it is lined and layered with frames)
- A DVD from Target of “Flash Gordon” episodes
- A Su Do Ku book of puzzles
- A Penguins T-shirt (because he needs another T-shirt like I need a hole in my head)

And I bought Segundo the Winnie the Pooh bear he saw and wistfully admired while grocery shopping last week. Hubster and I were discussing the possible present inequity last night – I spent the same on both and they have roughly the same number of gifts to open, but Primo got a “big” gift – the electric guitar – and Segundo did not. We decided they’d cope – but I have also decided to gift Segundo with the baby stroller I picked up for Mimi at the thrift shop last week. Actually it will be tagged for Mimi…I mean, how could I not get the ugliest doll in the universe a Christmas present? Poor little thing, no hair and all…

*****************

These are my favorite pens. And I bought the pack with all the pretty colors. Merry Christmas, me!



How I manage to get through the holidays...note the artistic juxtaposition of the Bacardi-and-Coke with the pacifier...




The magic trunk of gifts, inside and out. The boys have no clue this is where all the loot is – and unless Primo starts reading this over my shoulder, my secret should be safe for a while.



I made this for my friend Celeste THREE Christmases ago and have yet to staple it to its frame and give it to her. See why you should be glad I only had to contend with virtual gifts for you all?



And, it may be Christmas but the laundry never stops. It’s like the Christmas miracle —or actually more like the Hanukkah miracle, I suppose.