Let me sum up...

You know that line from The Princess Bride? The one where Inigo says, "Let me explain...no...there is too much. Let me sum up?" Well, I'm about to sum up.

The last two weeks of November are a blur.

Friday the 21st I went to see Twilight, with Brynn and her oldest son and my oldest son Killian. Cleverly, Brynn and I had both of our kids three months apart so they're very close in age. Apart from the super annoying fan grrrrrrrls in the audience, we had a great time.

Saturday the 22nd I went to see The Boy in the Striped Pajamas with Killian and many other kids from his former eighth grade class and his former teacher. She read the book to them at the end of last year and then Killian brought it home for me to read...because apparently he's a sadist. It's an excellent book, but it's gut wrenching and heartrending. Think children during the Holocaust. The movie is probably the best book to film adaptation I've ever seen and yes...I sobbed my freaking eyes out.

Also Saturday the 22nd my Mom and I drove up to my sister's college to take her out to supper and to see her in one of the seven One Act plays that were being performed. The theatre program at her college is excellent and the majority of the performances were great. Do I think Cait was the best? Absofreakinglutely. She played Betty in Sure Thing and her good friend Josh played Bill. It's a hilarious show anyway and their performances were perfect - the crowd (which was sold out for the second night in a row) ate it up and we were proud, proud, proud.

Sunday the 23rd I was trapped at the baby shower from hell for almost four hours. Okay...honestly, I've probably been to worse, but I'm not a shower person unless it's the bridal shower Brynn and I threw for Jen Armintrout which involved a bizarre cake made out of Twinkies and that weird moldable frosting and a psychic...but this, unfortunately, was not that shower. This one had annoying shower games, the slowest present opening in the history of mankind and disturbing little sandwiches cut out in the shape of children and the bread was dyed bright screaming blue and yellow. I felt vaguely cannibalistic eating them...

Monday the 24th - Wednesday the 26th I only have vague memories of running to the grocery store constantly, doing laundry and trying to get far enough ahead on my day job so I could leave town for a few days.

Tursday the 27th - I made two green bean casseroles (the only dish I'm allowed to bring to family functions - Yes, my cooking is just that bad) in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner at my brother's house. Killian and Corwin and I hopped a ride with my Mom and Cait (hubby - had to work - stupid international company) and we drove three hours to Detroit...crammed in a Saturn Ion.

It was still fun. Cait insisted that all car trips must begin with ABBA (that girl can do some mighty fine seat dancing while driving) and continued with our family's annual listening of Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant (it's just not Thanksgiving in our family without it) followed by tons of songs from the 70s. Car trips in our family involve a lot of loud singing by me, Cait and Mom while Killian tries desperately to ignore us with his mp3 player. Good times...good times.

We had a great meal with about 20 other random family members - including a bunch of my sister-in-law's family, played another hilarious game of Apples to Apples which I almost won, listened to my niece complain that she was the "Princess Monster" and the rest of the kids weren't appreciating her destructive qualities.

Friday the 28th - I didn't go shopping - mostly because we were 3 hours from home and I LOATHE shopping and I really loathe shopping on Black Friday. We drove home, I snuggled with my honey and collapsed.

Saturday the 29th - We put up our Christmas tree which is always a production...mostly because I'm the Christmas tree nazi. I get cranky when ornaments are too close or if like ornaments aren't spaced evenly. Killian made up a little song about OCD Mama. It was pretty funny and pretty much mostly true - lol.

Sunday the 30th - Laundry and doing end of the month stuff for the day job.

Monday the 1st - the kids had a snow day and I went to Bynn's to make cards.

Tuesday the 2nd - the dumbest day in recent history - from 7am 'til 10:10am I drove three car loads of kids to school (one set had a two hour weather delay which is why it took so long) then went home for ten minutes to send an email, then went for a blood draw, then went grocery shopping and dropped off the food at home, then met my daycare kid and her mom at her school and followed them out to a high school they're considering (I think it's really sweet that they're involving me in their school decision) then back to the high school to pick up Killian and his friends then to Corwin's school, then to the orthodontist, then to the fabric store for Christmas present supplies...and then finally home.

Today I've mostly been a lump, catching up on the day job and working on writing...and Christmas presents. I can't believe Christmas is only 22 days away! Better get back to work!!!