Creeping Along To Christmas and Food Sunday

Lights are shedding a glow from the mantel, the Christmas tree is decorated and standing in a corner and the sofa table has it's own light show in place. I'm done! I'm done with the decorating stuff and now for the wrapping of the presents that are spread across the bed in the spare bedroom.

I want to get started on this before Carrie returns from her visit to her Dad's house. I hesitate to mention this, but Carrie is more of a hindrance then a help on this. The other day I was untangling some lights and she wanted to help so I let her hold the end of the light string. At the exact time I got the last light sorted out, she grabbed the string and began rubbing them between her hands and slinging them up and down and trailing around with them clutched in her tiny little paws. I was none too nice. She pouted for a while but then rejoined me later to help once again. I tried to get as much done as possible before she recovered from her pout.

I'll leave some things out for her to wrap but I'll get most of it done before she gets back.

The mini stockings are hung below the mantel and as is the tradition here, Santa stops by nightly to check the little stockings to see if the person whose name appears on the stockings have stopped by to retrieve his offerings from the night before. Carrie checks her stocking to find a small wrapped chocolate one morning, the next morning might hold a dollar bill for her, a quarter, or a small toy while the older ones might find a 5.00 bill or a 20.00 bill or a dollar bill and sometimes just a chocolate treat. You must stop by and check your stocking; Santa doesn't visit the stocking unless the last gift has been retrieved. Sometimes they visit and are almost to their car when they realize they haven't checked their stocking. Amid squeals and screams they race back into the house to check their stocking. They know Santa's rules.

The Saints play today. Sixteen and Zero. There are three teams with this record this season. Now the games become butt clenching, sit on the edge of your chair viewing. The husband will be wearing his Saints shirt and glued to the TV today. I might watch the game with him and munch on some Buffalo wings. I have the chicken simmering in a large pot on the stove for the chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight. I just discovered that hubby doesn't want noodles but the drop dumplings. That's even easier then making the noodles so that's what it will be and for that I'm grateful.

I'm off to the bedroom to do some gift wrapping. I'm mostly done with the shopping and for this I'm grateful. Two gratefuls in one post; a record?