One Week Til Christmas

1) You can buy one hundred thousand toys in Target, a million in Toys R Us, but it's really hard to find a simple set of jacks for a seven year-old daughter who saw some and asked for them for Christmas. She had spotted them weeks and weeks ago in Aaron Brothers of all places, but I've checked two of their locations in the last two days and they're gone.

2) People with their houses already covered in lights are still adding more even one week before Christmas. Funny to me.

3) Do I invite my Jewish neighbor over on Christmas to hang out? We're having ham. I'm thinking no.

4) A Minnesota Timberwolves Kevin Love jersey costs nearly $300.00.

5) Next week at this time will feel tremendously different from tonight. And the build-up isn't over yet.

6) There is a time and a place to turn the volume high on even the sappy Christmas songs - and that time and place is mid-morning in my mini van when I'm all alone and shopping for my kids.

7) Had a peppermint mocha frap at Starbucks today, compliments of a CCD student who gave me a ten-dollar gift certificate. And Joe had a decaf eggnog latte. It was pretty fun.

8) Made a visit to downtown Vegas tonight. In one 15-minute stroll down Fremont, we saw the following: an overhead zipline; Elvis; Frankenstein; Tweety Bird; Sylvester; two human statues; a guy with a poster that said, "God Doesn't Want You To Go To Hell;" four girls dressed up as showgirls; and a woman/man (?) wearing next to nothing (you would think the gender would be obvious - but I had to avert my eyes).

9) You can buy a Holy Family nutcracker at Target.

10)  Even with the silly stresses and economic trials and extended family challenges and crowds - I still agree with one of those sappy songs I sang along with this morning - it's the most wonderful time of the year!