Author: dee

Have I mentioned how much I hate Christmas shopping?  It’s not really that I hate the shopping.  It’s that I hate the crowds and all of the insane people that seem to inhabit the stores that I need to go to during the Christmas shopping season.  I just don’t get why people act so crazy.

I decided to make a quick trip to Kohl’s over lunch today to look for some boots (yes, I’m still on a quest for the perfect pair of brown boots).  When I got there I could already tell it was going to be hell because the only parking spots left were in the row in the very, very, far end of the lot.  I got lucky and just happened to turn my car down the aisle just as someone else was pulling out of a closer spot. 

When I walked in the door, the first thing I noticed were all the 50% off signs hanging all over the place.  The second thing I noticed was the line of probably 30-40 people waiting to check out.  I almost turned around and walked out, but the 50% off signs lured the bargain shopper part of my brain in.  So, I went in to look for my boots.  I need a pair of knee high brown boots to wear with a skirt that I really want to wear at my friend’s graduation but I haven’t been able to find any that are the right style and that fit.  Why is it that shoe makers don’t make boots to fit people whose calves are thicker than the standard size 6 woman?  Even some skinny women (not that I’m one of them) have muscular legs you know.

Anyway, I didn’t find the boots I wanted but I did find another pair of more casual brown boots that were so comfy I couldn’t resist them.  They’ll be fine to wear to work and much better to wear in the ice and snow than my old Doc Martens with no tread left on the bottom (plus, they were 50% off!).  The only problem is I still need boots to wear with my skirt.  If I can’t find any then I’ve got to scrounge through my closet again and try to find a different outfit to wear for the graduation.  My work clothes are a little too casual and my dressy clothes (the ones that fit) are a little too dressy.  I need something in between.  I don’t think I’ll wear the new boots until I’m sure that I can’t find the ones I actually want just in case I decide to take them back. 

I would have liked to have done some more shopping (50% off signs everywhere!), but I figured I better get to checking out before my lunch hour was over.  By the time I fought my way through the crowd, explained the difference between Juniors and Misses sizes to a nice but confused man, and picked up one or two other things, the line had died down and I didn’t have to wait long to check out.  Since I didn’t have to wait I was feeling generous and even picked up a collector’s edition copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas for Zach (okay so maybe it was more for me but he’ll enjoy it in a couple years).

I still need to make one trip to the mall to get a couple of Christmas gifts that I can’t get elsewhere and possibly a trip to Old Navy, but other than that I think I’ll be doing the rest of my Christmas shopping online.  It is so much easier that way!

MyPicture, originally uploaded by deew27.

Because I can’t seem to come up with anything to write today, I was looking through some of my posts from this time last year. I can’t believe how tiny Zach looks in his Santa picture from last December. This was uploaded exactly one year ago today. A year flies by so fast.

dec_06 037, originally uploaded by deew27.

Well, we didn’t get as much snow as we expected. The reports are that we got about 8 inches in my area. Hubby just finished shoveling our steep driveway so we can get the car out of the garage. We both stayed home from work today. There’s not much point in him working today with the kind of job he has and it just wasn’t worth the struggle to get out of the driveway for me to go in this morning.

While Hubby was shoveling, I bundled Zach up and took him outside to play in the snow. It was his first real snow experience and I don’t think he really enjoyed it all that much. I think it was more frustration than anything because he was having a really hard time walking. I suppose when the snow is up around your knees it would be a little hard to walk in. Eventually he played around a little and then he wanted to help Daddy shovel.

I hear the roads aren’t too bad today which is good because I didn’t think to stock up on milk before the storm hit and we’re almost out. We won’t go out today unless we absolutely need to. Hopefully by tomorrow the ice on the roads will be melted away and we will be able to get a little Christmas shopping done.

Zach and I stayed home today due to the ice and snow that has finally begun to fall.  The roads were pretty bad out this morning from what I saw on the news, then cleared up a little bit, then got bad again.  Hubby had to go out for a couple of hours, but he is now back home safe and sound.  I probably could have gone to work today, but it was nice to stay home.  I expect I’ll probably be here again tomorrow as well.

For the first time since we have lived in this house (3 years now), we finally lit a fire in our fireplace.  That’s how cold it is in here.  Even with the heat cranked up, there are still drafts of cold air coming in around the windows and doors.  The fire is nice and toasty warm and of course I enjoyed taking pictures of it.

The cats really enjoyed sitting in front of the fire too.

This is one of my favorite shots of the fire.  Doesn’t it just scream for marshmallows and graham crackers?

Zach woke up from his nap just in time to catch the beginning of the snow fall.  I took him to the window to have a look and he was quite amazed.  When I told him it was snow, he repeated me.  It is so cool that he can listen and actually repeat the words I say most of the time.  Well, until he decides to repeat the wrong word anyway.  Hubby went outside and brought in a handful of snow for him so he could touch it.  He was very interested until he figured out that it was cold.  Then he tried to shake it off of his hand.

Zach touching the snow

I imagine I’ll have lots more pictures tomorrow.  For some reason I just love taking pictures of the snow.