The Hustle and Bustle

I wish this day had been mostly hustle...I'd feel pretty baller, then, not absolutely shattered. Our agenda for the day stood thus:

1. E's baby group Christmas party 11:00-13:00
2. Quick lunch @ home 13:00-13:30
3. Last spat of Christmas shopping 13:30-14:30
4. Call V for hair/make-up advice 14:30-15:00
5. Chillax until the Husband called for a run

You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men, don't you? Well, suffice to say it goes something like this:

1. 11:00-11:30 Start going to Christmas party in rain; realize it's a father walk than anticipated; realize we've lost a shoe; retrace the whole route home; find said shoe in the bedroom; cuss quietly so the baby doesn't repeat me; change wet jeans, replace shoe, & go to Christmas party late in the car.
2. 11:30-13:00 Enjoy the Christmas party; watch E eat rather than decorate his gingerbread man; take pictures of him squirming to run away from Father Christmas and trying to return his present to Father Christmas...unwrapped.
3. 13:00-13:45 Eat a quick lunch; watch some Small Potatoes; vacuum the unholy mess E made out a pumpkin muffin earlier; change his nappy & shirt (this is what happens when you give a 13-month-old a squeezable juice box...); head out to the shops
4. 13:45-14:45 Pick up 70% of family gift circle gifts; try to keep E from breaking a glass vase in TK Maxx; try to keep him from shoplifting gift boxes at Claire's; realize why parents hate Christmas shopping. (Hint: it's not the shopping...)
5. 14:45-15:15 Call V to give hair/make-up advice.

I'm now in the chillaxing phase of the day, and man do I feel like I've earned it! It makes me shudder to think that our Christmas shopping still isn't finished. I need to get one more component to a multi-piece gift for friends, the 4 presents for another family gift circle, and a set of little girl Duplo for the larger of the two family gift circles. When it was just me, or E was small enough to be in the Moby, I didn't mind. Right now I could stress-eat my way through a few boxes of Oreos. 

Let's unwind with cute pictures from the Christmas party! (And let's also take back that line about relaxing: I forgot I have to make dinner for a friend who just got out of hospital! No rest for the wicked...)

removing our paper crowns didn't take long.

Santa has presents? Nope. Still don't want to see him.

It's a book! (We're still working on those unwrapping skills)

Right before he squeezed his juice box all over himself!

  

Not sure how she feels about photos, but at least there's food.

Looking a bit suspicious of his food.