Sigh.

We are in the homestretch now.  My amazing children let my wife and I sleep in until 7:40 this morning.  I heard them creep downstairs at about 7:20, and then they went back up to the bedroom, and I heard my older daughter convince the younger one that the right thing to do was make their beds before waking up mommy and daddy.

That, my cyber-friends, is a kick-ass Christmas present.

So...the commercial mayhem is now complete.  I didn't do too bad:

It was a practical Christmas this year, for the most part.  The highlights are a new set of mathcing pyrex mixing bowls, a new Nikon Digital Camera(both of our gift), beard trimmer, plastic deer that my daughter spent her own money on, QuickClot Trauma Pak, a bunch of other first aid stuff, new oil lamp, and then a Gerber Gator Machete, and a new Gama Whisper Pellet gun.  I think the last one means that Santa went over the budget I gave her, but that's okay.

Highlights for the wife include a self-contained chargable car-jumping kit, a 16-quart pressure canner, a turtle pin, and lots of stuff from Vickie's Secret....ummm...well, and some new purse/bag she bought herself, and her new cell phone she just couldn't wait for.

Now, it's off to a friends house for dinner.  While I am not hosting, I still like cooking.  I have made batch of zuppa tuscana, some bread pudding, bourbon peacan sweet potatoes, and a batch of Brigid's Rosemary and Salt Rolls. 

I chose poorly on the last, by only making one batch.  It will be enough for dinner, but not enough to allow my wife and I to eat one as the cool on the counter.

The smell is driving us loco.  Talk about resisting the urge for instant gratification. 

Merry Christmas everyone!