Christmas is coming

Non stop weekend. The children sang Christmas carols to the unsuspecting people of Freeport on Saturday, while I raced around the grocery store. Thank you good people of Freeport for basically babysitting my kids.

I picked up my new bike which is LOVELY. I got this one except that between one discount and another, plus a load of $10 gift cards we'd got for buying other bits and pieces, it ended up costing $250, and they gave us another $10 gift card for buying it.

Mark and I tested my new bike (it fits me better) and rode to the various Christmas fairs in Yarmouth. I especially love the fairs in North Yarmouth Academy and the Log Cabin. I learnt that no matter how sunny it looks, if it's 1C then a thin sweater and a cardy really aren't going to be enough.

Picked Ellie up from her party and we all went carol singing at the Yarmouth tree lighting. I'd dressed us all for very cold weather and it wasn't quite THAT cold. Mark was the only one really interested in singing, so we belted out a few carols together and bumped into a fair few lovely friends who we don't see enough of.

Then home for chilli that had been in the freezer since mum's visit in July, with baked spuds. And a lot of relaxing.

Today we sorted our body weight in laundry, and put together our shopping lists for the day. Item #1: shoes that fit Hannah (where do people buy ladies size 11 shoes?).

As is traditional this time of year we went to see The Nutcracker. As always I cried during the Pas de Deux by the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Cavalier. As always we stood in very long lines for the toilets, and as always we were still buying our half time snacks when the warning signs came to go back to our seats. It's good to know nothing changes.

It was 4.30 so we... er... headed to the Maine Mall where we shopped for various concert outfits, then ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday's. We also had a Facetime chat with Mike in England - he'd just spent a lovely day with the Darleys, then with Dave and Elissa and Freddy, then Tiff and Nic.

Afterwards I accidentally got sucked into Eddie Bauer and bought a $200 coat for $120. Hannah did her best to stop me, including threatening to ground me if I bought it.

Fabulous weekend.