The Things We Do for the Holidays

This is the third year that I have participated in the annual day after Thanksgiving sales. Three years ago I started shopping on the day after Thanksgiving because my assistant at the time talked about all the great deals that she got by going out. I decided to try it and it was actually easier to shop very early in the morning because I did not have to find a babysitter for my child. I could zip in and out of stores with my list and handful of ads. I came back with lots of things, especially clothes for my son.

Last year I was not going to go out and shop at 5:30am on Friday because I had a newborn at home that did not sleep through the night, but decided after looking at the ads to go anyway. I was glad that I did because my son was going to school with me last year and the time that I would have had to shop after school, he would have been with me. I got lucky at Toys R Us because I found what I wanted down the main aisles and just turned a corner and there was the line for the cash registers. I got some good deals last year even though I spent a lot of time trying to find a Radio Shack that did not have what I needed anyway!

This year, I set my alarm for 4:30am even though the stores opened at 4am. I thought did I really want to go out before 4am if I have to work from 11-5 and I cannot go home and take a nap because I have two children that need attention? The answer was no! Anyway, I missed my alarm and woke up at 5:15am. Usually, I go to JC Penney's last, but this year it was one of my first stops. I got my clothes that I needed from there and went to Michael's for picture frames. I ran into Julie and Becky there and they told me not to even try Toys R Us because the line inside was incredible and it was on 7:15am. Good thing for me that they did not have very much that I needed or wanted. Onto K Mart I went and thought why am I standing in line for things that are not on early bird special, and I am not even sure are priced for my benefit. I put my things back and left. I got home about 8:30am, my wallet a little bit lighter, but my stress level lower for finishing some of the people on my gift list.

Will I have time to run to Target after work? We'll see....

Will I do it again next year, you bet! Shopping without kids in tow is awesome!

CMOMRUN

I saw this title on a car license plate yesterday as I was driving around like a mad woman with two children. From start to finish it took me four hours to get my children dressed, to the portrait studio, home, and me back to the portrait studio to pick out and order pictures. The sad thing is that I do this sort of running everyday in some form, whether it is dropping the children off, picking them up, doing errands for my home and professional life, or just spending time with my children by taking them to the library or park.

Moms run all the time, juggling the daily lives of their children, the household, and their professional life. I run everyday of my life even when I am sick because I am always needed somewhere. Most of my friends say they do not know how I do it, and I think that I just do it because it is the life that I was thrown into and I have become accustomed to it. I think that it got to me yesterday because who thinks that four hours of your life are going to be spent taking pictures.

I love having my children's pictures taken professionallly because those pictures always capture something that I cannot quite get because they are mine. Next year I will probably go through the routine once again in order to capture the yearly milestone, but I will face the routine armed with the knowledge that I need to do it earlier in the fall and prepare for a long day!

Trick or Treat, smell my feet, give me something goody to eat!

My son came home from school on Halloween saying the title to this piece. He was very excited to put on his firefighter halloween costume and join his friends for trick or treat. So, we rushed home, ate our pizza, and dressed him up. He had to wear boots because "the firefighters will be mad at me if I wear shoes". I sent him outside with some of the neighbors while I got my daughter ready and when I got outside, he was already walking down the street with the neighbors trick or treating!

My daughter was the hunny pot from Winnie the Pooh. Daddy dressed up as Pooh for her this year and neither of them was too happy. We have the pictures for the memories, but not for posting! Unfortunately, trick or treat started at 6pm and my daughter usually takes her evening nap at 5pm. Needless to say her nap was short yesterday and dinner was early so she was a little out of sorts as I put her in the wagon to go and track her brother down.

We ended up doing most of the neighborhood houses which is more than we have done the past two years and had a great time with our neighborhood friends!