There is a plethora of unpleasantness threatening my calm (ha!), so in an effort to distract myself, I’m going to do a rundown of we’ve got in the way of gifts for the kiddos.  I’m not going to detail what I got Kile, since there remains the possibility that he could read this post.  It all must be a surprise, after all!

Santa Gifts: Harry is getting Rockband Special Edition for the Wii.  Liam and Evie are getting a play kitchen.  Both were acquired on Black Friday at a steep, steep discount.  They are also getting some goodies in their stocking such as candy (a teether or two for Evie).

From us: Harry is getting his first cell phone.  Free, with the contract.  And the phone is going to be severely locked down.  He won’t be allowed to take it to school or text on it or anything.  We’re also giving him two pairs of pants that I got on clearance at Old Navy.  The phone will be in the pocket of one of the pants and after all the presents are opened and he’s trying them on, we’re going to call it so it rings.  Genius!  I also got him Eyeclops Bioni-cam from Amazon for a STEAL the other night and was able to use a giftcard I earned on MyPoints to get it.  I got “The Dark Knight” on DVD from Columbia House for him as well.  Kile picked up a previously viewed copy of “Ironman” at Blockbuster using a free coupon he got.  I think we’ve spent a total of $150 on him this year, including the Santa gift.  More than some people spend, but less than others and less than we probably spent last year too.  It was all about finding the deals this year.

Liam is getting a few toys, including some hot wheels (I think those are going in his stocking), a Batmobile toy, and Wall-E on DVD that (wait for it) Kile has a coupon to get it free.  I can’t think of what else we got him, but I know we didn’t spend a lot.

Evie is getting an outfit and a baby doll and a diaper.

All three kids have pajamas to open up on Christmas Eve and wear that night.  They don’t all exactly match, but whatever works.  And, again, they were on a maginificant sale.

Kile and I set a budget for one another to not spend over $100.  I got all of his gifts on Black Friday special so I was able to save a bundle of money and get him some really nice stuff for under budget.  I think he’ll be happy.  I hope he will be, at least.

I don’t know if we’ve spent less this year than in previous years but I know we haven’t spent more.  I don’t know if that’ll always be true, seeing as how as Evie and Liam get older their desires will get more expensive.  I’m tired of having to watch each and every dollar, but in this economy?  It’s a neccessity.  Maybe the answer in the future is to scale back dramatically.  As this is probably the last “Santa” year for Harry, we may be able to get away with that next year.  I’m so tired of the materialism, sometimes.

There.  That took my mind off the bazillion pressing and depressing issues that are caving in on me this fine Friday afternoon (FYI: there was sarcasm in that there sentence).  And now that I’ve written everything down, I have a better idea of what we’ll have under the tree come Christmas morning.  You know, provided I actually get this stuff WRAPPED by then.

I’m just a fountain of possitivity these days, aren’t I?  BUT DUDE.  Last night was atrocious.  AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL.  Part of this was mother nature’s fault.  Living on the eastern edge of the Sierra’s can suck sometimes and it sucks the most when two weather systems have a little fight over who gets to claim turf here (I have to ask WHO WOULD WANT IT?).  One system wants to stay, the other wants in and they don’t fight fair.  THEY USE WIND.  And more wind.  And more wind.  And more wind.  And we lose yet another chunk of fence.  And perhaps some valuable shreds of my sanity in the process.

So yeah, it’s rather hard to sleep when you’re expecting your roof to peel off any moment.

(ALSO:  it is advised that one does NOT watch “Storm Chasers” on Discovery just before going to bed on just such a windy night.)

The other fault lies with Evie and Kile.  Kile, because he went into her room when we were going to bed to check on her and had the audacity to try to cover her up with a blanket.  She in turn woke up and demanded restitution.  It didn’t matter that I was exhausted at this point and really looking forward to some good, deep, dark sleep.  There was nothing for it at this point other than to bring her into bed with us.  Which normally might not have been so awful except that she felt that she should be nursing ALL NIGHT LONG.  Anytime I would try to set her in the center of the bed and roll over and ignore the howling and creaking and moaning of the wind, she wake up and voice her disapproval.  UGH.  So, pretty much, I nursed her all dang night long.  I don’t know why I was surprised to wake up this morning and find she was soaked.  This is what happens when you provide an endless supply of liquid to an little pea-sized bladder.   Goofball.

And all that snow we were supposed to get last night?  NOPE.  The weather system that was already in place here (otherwise known as The Cold) won the pissing contest with The Snow so The Snow kept moving east and it is now pounding Elko.  And I’m a little resentful because, DUDE, THEY’RE GETTING MY SNOW.

I feel like crappola this morning.  My head hurts, my stomach hurts, I HURT.  As I told Kile this morning, I’m starting the day “in the hole”.  I generally lose the will to live around 4 or 5 pm, like yesterday.  But starting the day “in the hole”, I’m likely to lose the will to live around 9 or 10.  BOO!  Way to let me down, Friday.

So how is YOUR morning?  Better, I hope?