Beware: Frenzied Shoppers on the loose!

Well, I was all set to take some pictures of our Thanksgiving holiday, when lo and behold, my camera battery dies. Needless to say, I was bummed. Much to my delight and surprise, my wonderful cousin, Wendi, volunteers to take some family photos for us. She hasn't emailed them to me yet, but I'll try to post some when she gets them to me. This year was a particularly special holiday, but not because of any specific reason. It was just that we had a really great time with my extended family and it was so stress-free (for the most part). With the one exception of my Aunt Rhonda missing a step and falling on the concrete (got a huge, swollen gash above her eye), it was relatively easygoing and calm.

I wish more of my cousins could've come, but with everyone so spread out and so many families to share with, it is a rare holiday when we can all make it. This was the first time in a long time in which we were able to spend Thanksgiving with this side of my family. We all came with big appetites and couldn't wait to eat. Everyone gathered around the table as my grandmother said the blessing. It was loud and boisterous (as ususal) until everyone was served, and then the only noise you could hear was silverware clanging and chewing. We were all so consumed with the business of eating. It's about the only time that side of my family is THAT quiet. =) Anyhow, we filled ourselves to the gills, visited, and played our annual game of Balderdash. This is quite a family affair as most of us get really into it and have a blast doing it. I lost by one point to my Aunt Cheryl and she was quite delighted. My natural father LOVED hanging out with my kids and K managed to get him to play horsie (even with his bad back). That is the perfect example of her charm working its magic. Later on, she even convinced my Uncle Dale to play horsie as well, something he rarely would consent to. All in all, it was truly a fantastic holiday.

On our way home (the drive takes an hour), we passed by the big outlet mall. There were already cars filling the parking lot at 9:00 at night for Black Friday sales! There were even signs posted along the road telling people not to park on the freeway. The insanity had already begun. With the recent reports of shootouts and stampedes over holiday shopping, I just don't get people sometimes.

Strangely enough, my son and I got up about 4:00 on Friday morning to go shopping ourselves. Hubby and K were going to tag along initially, but DH opted to sleep in instead (not to say I don't blame him). Anyhow, N and I headed to Fred Meyer first. They fed us mini doughnuts and apple cider as we perused the store. They definitely know how to keep customers coming back. We shopped for about 2 hours there (I am a slow shopper when I'm not sure what to get). Then we headed over to another shopping area. First, we went into Old Navy, only to walk right back out as I realized I didn't know what to get there. Then we went over to Target. Found a couple of things there and finished up pretty quickly. Next, we decided to head over to Barnes & Noble, which was in the same parking lot as the other stores. Since they weren't set to open for another 25 minutes, I figured it was time to take a break in the adjoining Starbucks. I got us vente hot chocolate and a butter croissant to split. That was the best part of the day, just sitting there with N and enjoying the day together. We lucked out and managed to avoid the craziness that comes with this day, outside of longer checkout lines.

When the bookstore finally opened, we went straight to the kid's section where N parked it on the floor with a book to read. It's scary how much he's like me at that age. I tried to get a little shopping done for him while he was preoccupied. I succeeded and he was none the wiser. That's probably the only drawback to taking him along with me, I can't really get stuff for him as he is quite observant. The older he gets, the smarter he becomes about the process, though he still believes in Santa. I am happy about that. He was named (in part) after jolly 'ol St. Nicholas (also after Nicolei Romanov) so he loves to tell people that. Anyway, we finished up there and headed over to Costco to finish up. Just as I thought we were done, I realized I needed to return a couple of items to Fred Meyer, so that was the last thing on our to do list. We were gone for probably 6-7 hours. Whew.

When we got home, I was beat. We ate a quick lunch and relaxed for a bit. If you can believe it, I still had the shopping bug, so I took K along for two more quick errands. She loved getting to go and we had a good time together too. What can I say? I love Christmas shopping, even if it is just the act of browsing. As long as the stores aren't insanely crowded, I can deal with the frenzy that comes with the season. Last year, when Kohl's had a line of people for checkout that wrapped around the entire store, I had to leave. That was too much even for me. This is only the second year in a row that I've braved Black Friday in the wee hours. What's really sad is that I still have many more people to buy for as I only made a minor dent in our list. I am trying to be very frugal and careful as money is tight (as seems to the case for everyone we know). Gifts won't be elaborate, but a lot of thought and heart is going into each and every one.

Today I am heading back out to exchange something for my daughter. I hesitated on getting her the one thing she really wanted, but decided to go ahead and get it for her. She and her brother often make do and are always grateful for what they get, so I really wanted part of their wish lists to come true this year. My son asked for an item that we didn't think even existed. Thankfully, I actually found one brand new on ebay (it had been discontinued)!

I have to agree with some of the naysayers out there that Christmas has become way to commercial, and that is why we have scaled back a lot. For me, presents are an added bonus to a wonderful celebration of family, friends, and beloved traditions. I love the hunt for the perfect gift and the reactions on the faces when people open up a present. Though I am realistic in that I don't take it personally when someone doesn't like something and exchanges it. No biggie. Now if I handmade something, that might be another story...;)

With Thanksgiving behind us, I can't wait for Christmas now!