The other Mrs W and Mike came over last night with just a huge amount of gifts for me and the children, I didn’t know what to say as they piled them all under the tree, people are so nice. All I got them was a gift card for the Olive Garden, but they seemed really happy with this, insisting it was one of their favorite places to eat. I also got an Olive Garden card for Marj and Dale. Dale is the courageous man who helped me drive when I really didn’t even understand what the pedals did. He was so patient and nice. I know they are a frugal pair so hope they will like a night out.

presents under the tree!

I’d planned to make mince pies this morning but realized I didn’t have any butter so made these cookies instead. It’s funny – I always liked these cookies in the past, but they tasted really mediocre today, even Number 2 seemed to think so. I wonder if I could’ve left something out. After Mr L (my favourite person from TTR) arrived I whizzed off to do the remainder of my Christmas food shopping, I’d done a partial last week getting in the sprouts, gravy, big foil pan. Co worker Brenda gave me a turkey. Today I got a chocolate creme pie, a lemon cake, sprite, cranberry sauce and bacon (to add to the stuffing with onions). When I got back, Miss W had arrived home from her sleepover and was over the moon with excitement and I had a chat with Susan. We talked about Morocco, she is going in the spring, I told her I was there as a teen, we talked about Greece and Spain. “You’ll get back again someday,” she said. I hope so. Foreign travel seems like a distant dream these days. Then we talked about the trip to the Denver Dumb Friends League – Susan is on the board of directors and introduced Miss W to the director (who was very taken with Miss W) yesterday, apparently not everyone is allowed into the kitten room. There was a picture of Miss W looking absolutely blissful on Susan’s phone. And next year, Miss W should have the job of her dreams – a volunteer position at Denver Dumb Friends League, with the youth program. She is so thrilled!

After she’d left, I opened the card Susan had left for me. It contained $125 in Target gift cards! I will have some $$ to spend next month when Lara visits. How incredibly generous and lovely of her.

So that was it for today, although also had long chat with Mum and heard about the crippling weather conditions in England at the moment – 4 inches of snow. The entire country has ground to a halt and Mum is afraid to venture out for fear of breaking her wrist again

What happens when you don't leave enough space between cookies

Number 2 was difficult today – whiny and kept taking off his clothes, so am keeping my fingers crossed that he gets back into nice mode this week.

getting ready to go out