10 on Tuesday.

1. I've almost got all my Christmas shopping done. This is quite the accomplishment for me. Usually I'm  dashing around last minute. Well....there's still time,  people. And still a few more gifts to buy.
2. I had to return one item to Amazon. I can't believe I was totally swindled. Usually I'm pretty good at online shopping and I trust Amazon. I've learned though...Not all Amazon sellers are created equal. I guess it was really my fault though. I didn't realize the Lego guy I bought was actually a collectable. I bought this Hero Factory Lego guy for $30. THIRTY DOLLARS. What was I thinking?! I was thinking that I've seen these things at Target and the bigger they get, the higher the price...so that had to be the case on Amazon too, right? Wrong! I got this thing in the mail at it was SO SMALL. Only 16 pieces!  and in a tiny box. WHAT?! Then I looked it up online. I guess the one I bought is a collectable. But they've remade this character and I can get him for EIGHT BUCKS. Yeah, I promptly returned it.
3. We finally got our Christmas tree. Pete and Jake were gone hunting all weekend and promised to bring me back a tree. They did! It's huge and I'm not exactly sure how it will fit in the house. It's a total Griswald tree...cut down from Pete's friends property. So it's a real bonafide Christmas tree ;-)
4. I'm not looking forward to January. I don't know why, but I've been thinking about it a lot earlier this year. I just really don't like January. Cold and rain and fires and sweaters and boots are all fine up until Christmas. After that....I'm totally over it.
5. We have some brand new outlet stores near us. They are super high-end designer names stores like Juicy Couture, Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade etc....  My friend and I went out there Saturday just to check them out. They were all really good and really, even for the designer names, I felt like most of the prices were pretty reasonable if not down right steals. I was surprised.
6. I was also shocked and surprised when we walked into the Prada outlet.  Talk about a fish out of water.  First of all....there was an armed guard in a tuxedo at the front door. O_o  I'd never seen anything like it....especially at an outlet mall. Then we walk in and....it was completely dark in there except for the handbags that were backlit against the mirrored walls. Not a single price tag on anything in the store. Not one sales person looked at us except to watch our children like hawks. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. Except less slutty.
7. We pretty much turned right around and high-tailed it out of there.
8. We overheard that there was a 4 and a half hour wait at the Kate Spade store. o_O I didn't even go in to look.
9. I'm wanting to do a little reorganization with our homeschool next semester. But I need some new things like certain office supplies and.... I just don't want to spend the money to do it. Torn.
10. Looking forward to decorating the tree tonight! It's required that we watch Christmas Vacation as we decorate. My favorite Christmas movie of all time.
11. This kid. My friend warned me about the changes between the ages of 9 and 10. Honestly I wasn't sure what she meant except that I did notice that her son had become more emotional. I haven't seen that really in Jake. But this kid is beginning to show me a level of maturity that I just didn't expect to see at  age 9.  He is growing up. I love it and hate it all at once.