Where have I been, you ask?  I've been Christmassing my little butt off, that's where.  I think I'm actually done now, though.  I have a nagging suspicion that there is something that I am forgetting, but whatever it is can't be that important, right?  I have wrapped and hidden everything, school is done with for now, I have no travel plans, Leila and I will make cookies on Thursday (because the one thing I need more than anything else is more sugar) and I think that's it!  This morning we got out of bed and went straight to Trader Joes and bought everything that looked delicious.  I should be sated for about three days.

So let me tell you about my dryer.  You know, that useless empty box above my washing machine.  I had the vents cleaned, again, by a reputable company with a vacuum-in-a-van, and not a lot came out, but what did come out was compacted and wet, so clearly it needed to come out.  I was so happy that it was finally done, that I did a load of laundry right away and put it in the dryer.  Yay!  Except, no.  In seven minutes the entire back of my house was steamed up and the smoke detector was going off.  This is not normal, and it will also rust the little metal ring that is ruining all my clothes.  I called Sears.  They're sending a senior technician this time (thanks for the rookies, Sears) and he'll be here... in a week.  So right before Leila's class party, I went to the laundry mat and dried two loads of clothes.  Now my neighbors are out of town and have given me permission to dry stuff at their house, so we all have clean undies and towels and stuff.  Its been so long since I could do a simple load of laundry from start to finish in my own home, I'm kind of getting used to this.  I've taken putting off doing laundry to new heights.  You know those underpants in the back of the drawer that you keep for an emergency?  Now is their time to shine!

I'm kind of in denial of the fact that my washer is making a funny noise.  And not ha ha funny...  Maybe 2011 will be the year we get all new appliances?  Santa?  Are you listening?

Its weird how I love Christmas, but the month before the actual holiday I am irritable and moody and impatient.  Leila wrote this thing in school about how she wants me to get a diary because "sometimes she's annoyed so I want her to write down her feelings."  I'm trying to be a little less "annoyed."  So on Sunday we had a pajama day and I let her watch TV for seven hours.  Who's the mother of the year?  Right here, baby! 

She's out with my dad right now, and I'm going to lay on my sofa and read my book and eat peppermint salt water taffy, because its Christmas, and I'm tired and irritable, and that's what I want to do.  So there.


(merry christmas!)