getting ready for Christmas

The wind is BLOWING so hard today.
I had to pump gas today after prenatals and was cussing and moaning to myself about this Wizard of Oz wind. I could barely open the car door to get back inside. It's about 30 degrees today, but with 45 mph winds, it feels like 18 degrees or so.
My poor husband is working out in this stuff all day. His face will be so red and wind-burned by the time he gets home.
Sigh.

I'm making one of chickens; roasting it whole. I don't like chicken off the bone, but it will be good. It took 3 days to defrost in the fridge because the damn thing weighs 10 pounds. Was supposed to have it yesterday for dinner but it was still fairly solid.

My MIL spent the weekend with us. Had a yummy dinner Saturday at Tower Inn. I forget that place even exists, but it is good. Sunday we went shopping with little E. Bought some Christmas and birthday stuff.

The kids big ticket items this year will be new Leapsters. S received one from my MIL last Easter, but little E left it outside in a terrible rainstorm this summer and it no longer works. S didn't play hers all that much, but E loves it. If I didn't get one for S, she'd be upset, even though it's not really her thing.
My MIL bought the Sunday paper yesterday so we could look at the toys in the ads.
So much of it is crap. It's always been crap. Usually I can find a small number of things that I think: Hey! The kids would love this!
This year, not so much.

I think they'll be getting the Leapsters, new books, some games and that's it.
All the toys for girls in S's age group are extreme crap. They totally promote the brain-mush twists of: Math is hard; I love bling; Look at me after my makeover! ETC