LauraCatoe.com

How is Christmas less than a month away? Was there a memo?

I’ve lucked out a bit. I had saved my personal days at work in the hopes that Kris’ parents would take a trip to the beach in the fall and invite us. They did not take such a trip and so I still have those personal days. This will give me time for some Christmas shopping.

For the cookie swap this weekend, I have made a practice batch of gingerbread and discovered the secret to making it into men. (Refrigerate the dough overnight.) However, a perfect Ginger Man is like every one out of four cookies, so instead I will be making Ginger Stars.

I put Ben in his Christmas onesie (it’s got a reindeer on it) because it’s December. Sure, I bought it like a month ago, but I have holiday standards! I have yet to order the photo cards.

Another of my holiday standards is making a Christmas mix cd on even years. I have about a dozen songs collected but no time to arrange them artfully and design a snazzy cover.

We have been thwarted every-which-way when it comes to a single candle light for the round window in Ben’s “big boy room.” All you can find these days are battery-operated ones and let me tell you, they suck.

When I was a kid, I always wanted colored Christmas lights on the house. (The ones we got are LEDs, so dim but enviro-friendly.) My parents didn’t do much outside lighting, but they did put the phony candles in the windows (trios downstairs, singles up) and that’s why I wanted them this year. Apparently, they are outta style. Another memo I missed.

I expect there to be some sort of holiday inflatable in my yard next year, because as I explained during the Iron Bowl (I know ‘Bama won, though I didn’t see a lick of the game), I am dedicating my 30s to small children. Colored lights, easy-to-clean surfaces, toys and junk everywhere and a willingness to pull boogers from another person’s nose. (Hopefully, that won’t mean you, but if you’re in a pinch, I can probably help out. I got the mom gene now.)