and so it begins again...

A winter tradition. Okay, a silly winter tradition. But still, when Max and I walked out to wait for the bus this morning, I could not help but smile when I saw the window on the van:

All winter long, Rich writes messages in the snow. And Max takes great delight in somehow transforming the message. As here, where he simply added "not":

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I am so. damn. excited. about this weekend. Chris, who is just as sweet and thoughtful and freakin' awesome as they come, emailed me about a month ago with this super fantabulous idea. He told me that it just made him so sad how stressed out I was last Christmas season. So he came up with the idea of a Christmas-a-thon, where we'd pick one weekend in November and spend the entire time working on Christmas stuff! Is that not brilliant?!! Not to mention ridiculously fun. :D And this is the weekend we settled on. I'm starting this afternoon--when Rich gets home from work, we're headed out to do a pile of Christmas shopping. Sans munchkins. And we're going to eat supper out, just the two of us. And then do more shopping. I have lists galore made, so hopefully I'll put a major dent in the shopping I have left to do. If I've any energy left when we get home tonight, I'll knit or crochet away on one of the bazillion gifts I'm hoping to get made. And tomorrow...well, I'll just wait and see what I'm in the mood for--wrapping? making Christmas cards? crafting? deciding on what I'll be baking this year? putting up some decorations? a little of each? Oh yes, the possibilities are endless... :D

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I haven't finished much in the way of gifts thus far this week, but I have been working away (mostly while watching Doctor Who episodes with the family and watching "school" videos with Gray).

I finished a Cthulhu (awesome free pattern found here...and still have two more left to make...

I also made a crocheted cowl for my Mom. But when I asked Annie to model it for me so I could take pictures, she fell in love with it. So I think I'm going to surprise her by giving it to her instead and making my Mom a different sort of scarf.

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I so hope you all have a lovely, lovely weekend!!!