I can’t believe it’s November!

Again! November always sneaks up on me.

Do you know it’s only 52 days until Christmas?

I’m thinking that it’s about time to get my Christmas shopping and planning out of the way. I already finished shopping for the girls’ stockings- gooo me!

This afternoon I asked the kids what they will be asking Santa for this year. They presented me with a cardboard graph including all three of their lists. How convenient. And again, their lists are fairly manageable. I know sooner or later they’ll be asking for things we can’t easily afford, so I am rejoicing it won’t be this year.

Michael wants a new gameboy. His is toast. And a bunch of boktugan (sp?) and yu gi oh stuff. Lillie wants gift cards to Borders and a random assortment of dolls and things. Liana wants more stuffed animals. Both girls asked for Gameboys for their birthdays, which fall the week before and the week after Christmas. I’m thinking Rockband and a Ping Pong Table for family gifts. And a buncha new games for the gameboys and PS2.

I actually considered buying a new game system for a few days there, but soon realized that ours still works. So. Until it dies, it’ll have to do.

I even know what I want this year. I usually struggle to think of something I want besides a gift card to TJ Maxx or something. But this year I know I want a digital video camera. The last few years I’ve been using the kind that records to mini DV and it’s a real PITA to upload to the computer. Which is why you never see my videos. I saw a neat one for $180 the other day. Perfect for what I need it for. Hint hint. Oh and it would rock if Joey and I got a portable gps car navigator system.

I think I’m going to go ahead and get all my shopping done when I get paid this week. That will take a load off, so I’m not as stressed as I was last year at Christmas time. And I learned my lesson, I’ll be buying things in the stores this year. Last year I did all my shopping online and 80% of my purchases arrived broken. It was so nerve wracking for me to get things replaced last minute, and so disappointing for the kids when they opened their long-awaited gifts and they didn’t work. Forget all that.

So yeah, are you thinking of Christmas already too?