Just About Perfect

After all the talk about getting up early to hit the stores, I'm sorry to report it just didn't happen.

Something about a cross between Food Coma and Turkey Hangover.

We stayed shamelessly in our pajamas till 9 (a.m.--give us some credit) watching the beautiful snow and perusing the newspaper ads for bargains.


Our stomachs still hadn't recovered from the Turkey Bonanza, but the kids were begging for jell-o salad along with their waffles.


And then Brad (BRAD!) suggested that we shower up and do the traditional Holiday Mall Cruise. You know, not looking for anything in particular, but taking in all the sights, throngs of people, and just waiting for many somethings to catch out eyes.


Here are my tips for shopping success (and you know by "shopping" I mean being at a mall, not necessarily buying things...unless they speak directly to you and ask you to by them which frequently happens to me at Gap.)


1. Get a Starbucks. Immediately. Today Peppermint Mocha did me right.


2. Lose the time schedule. This is the ideal time to wander through stores in which you have no business buying anything.


3. Charge cell phones. (Or start regretting not having charged them earlier.)


4. Let your kids find small spaces to hide in every store, then get in a panic because you can't find them, but all the store employees are gathered together, laughing, pointing and wondering whose parents would let them loose like that?!


Ahem...our model, Lilly:

The final element to Totally Rockin' Christmas Shopping is the meal. After fighting crowds, people watching, spilling hot cocoa, breaking un-bought ornaments and generally wearing ourselves out, it was time to eat.

This is not the time for food courts when you must juggle transporting dinner from the counter to the table along with sluggish kiddos and ten jazillion random parcels you've acquired. It can only result in failure.

The beacon at California Pizza Kitchen, the traditional post-shopping HQ called our names. I will never get over the warm welcome CPK gives me with the high thermostat setting, cozy fire, and stellar food. For me, it just doesn't get old. Thank goodness, Brad and the kids are on board.

It was phenomenal to have SOMEONE ELSE fix dinner, clean up, and do all the other dirty work, while we relaxed, played tic-tac-toe and colored by number.

The babes chillin' by the fire:

And in case you haven't noticed: They are TWINS! Separated by 19 months!