Holiday shopping

So, I really am an idiot. Or, the weather just really messed things up for me last week, in regards to my scheduling. Pick which you will.

Monkey and I ventured out after her nap yesterday afternoon. I had a last minute gift to pick up at TJMaxx. Man, I love that store. I could meander through the home goods for hours. Alas, we got there at 3:30PM on the Friday before Christmas. Hello? Jodi? Did you leave your brain at home?? No meandering. Find gift, wait in a moderately long line (it wasn't as bad as I expected by looking at the parking lot!), quickly pay and run to the end of the parking lot to hurriedly get Monkey back into the car and out of the biting cold. All in all, it took 20 minutes, thanks to the lovely lady whom let me ahead of her and her full cart in the checkout line because I only had one item and "stores are difficult enough with a little one." (I did question her reason for saying it because Monkey wasn't being an issue. She was standing there, quietly holding my hand and looking at the things they line the checkout line with to try to suck you in to spend more money.)

I then took Monkey on her first trip to Toys R Us. Now I know my brain REALLY isn't working because the Toys R Us in Bangor is in the mall area. We're now talking 4:00 PM on the Friday before Christmas. I spent 45 minutes there, really to just let Monkey play a little. I also spent a bit more money than I was planning, but I wanted Monkey to have a few fun things to open on Christmas morning (we bought a portable DVD player for "her" for the car for our long trips up north - yes, it's really for us and our sanity as she gets more impatient with the ride).

Now I'm 100% finished shopping. All I need to do to finish is wrap. I hate wrapping. Rest assured, I'll probably be finishing at midnight on Christmas Eve (OK - no, I won't. T will badger me into it by then).

I am very much looking forward to Christmas morning, even if we're forced to stay home this year because of T's work schedule (he's on call for Christmas Eve until 7:00 AM on December 26). I'm sad we won't be spending Christmas with the rest of our family. Monkey's enthusiasm will make up for it, I'm sure.