So here it is, Merry Christmas....

Just like last year, I'm tracking Santa's progress on NORADSanta.org - he's currently in *checks* Bratislavia, Slovakia!

Didn't get to do any of my Christmas shopping till Friday, for financial reasons. So as soon as I'd dropped the little one off for his last day of school before the New Year, I headed into town and got stuck into it. I don't mind the crowds too much anymore, after the Christmas shopping trip I took with my friend Graham; he taught me to just relax and get on with it, and it's never bothered me since.

Didn't manage to get everything I wanted on Friday, so I ended up heading out to the Bay (though sadly the opposite side from Torchwood) on Sunday for the last few bits. That was a day and a half as the buses were absolutely crazy. Took me an hour and a half to get there, and just as long to get back. I was there for the entire afternoon, working my way through Toys R Us, then stopping in Morrisons for something to eat before working my way down the retail park looking for a specific gift in ASDA and JJB Sports, before finally finding it in Argos. Plus it was a real pea-souper; you couldn't see more than a couple of meters ahead of you in the fog, and it didn't ease off at all. It was just as foggy at five o'clock in the evening as it was at eleven thirty that morning.

I think I got all the pressies I needed to get, and I got royally fleeced at the card shop - bloody things! I have no objections to cards if there's no reason/way to get someone a present, but I do begrudge having to buy cards for people that I've also bought presents for. I hate cards in general really, though naturally I'm hypocritical enough to enjoy receiving them from friends.

Rowan and I went to the cinema this afternoon, as is becoming our tradition. This year we saw 'Alvin & The Chipmunks', which was very cool :-) I always loved the tv show as a kid.

We hadn't long gotten home when Mam called to ask if we wanted to join them when they went visiting my sister-in-law and the kids (my brother was at work), so I had to quickly wrap up Katie and Aaron's presents before we left. We didn't stay long, as they wanted to get back home to watch that Joseph/Maria special *snorts* We ended up stopping off at Miss Millies for some takeout, so they didn't get back before it started, but I don't think they missed much. Didn't see Katie, as she was taking a bath with her grandmother, but we did see Aaron. He's such a bonny little thing, and was telling my Dad stories for ages *grins*

Right...I really should get on with the wrapping, now that Rowan finally seems to be asleep.... This has taken me so long Santa's been and gone from Europe and is now in the Azores! It's kinda a shame that I'm recognising repeat Santa-Cams from last year - that bloody Jonathan Ross one for a start! *scowls* You get people claiming to be military officers with NORAD all through the videos right until you get to London and you get 'Wossy' *sigh* Plus this year he's stopped off at Dundee in Scotland, Londonderry in Northern Ireland and Shannon in Eire, but not Wales? What's up with that?

Before I forget!

'Cause I did when dealing with the computer lagging on me....

THANK YOU to:
vespurrs for my lovely snowglobe on my User page *is touched, and not just in the head ;-)*
yellowseptember - I got a package on Saturday, and then again this morning *eyes you* Naughty girl! But thank you! *smooches* We watched the first one on Sunday - I'd been wanting to show Rowan 'The Christmas Invasion' since it aired two years ago, but I wasn't sure he'd take well to the killer christmas trees and santas *giggles* He loved it though!

TO EVERYONE ELSE:
Nadolig Llawen, pawb, ac Blwyddyn Newydd Dda! Merry Christmas, everyone, and Happy New Year!

Well, they say Christmas isn't Christmas till someone cries...

...and that person was my mother. *rolls eyes, sighing*

For obvious reasons, my Nan has been rather uncertain about her plans for today. She decided on the weekend to drop our presents of at my parents' place on Sunday, and that she would spend the day away from the house, with members of her family. We had been hoping to go see her after lunch, but she said she would be at her older brother's house since it's become something of a tradition in recent years and 'he's come to depend on it'. Seeing as my Uncle Elfed is somewhere in his seventies, it's not unreasonable. And besides, Nan's entitled to get through today in any way she chooses. When Mam called her this morning to wish her Merry Christmas, she initially didn't answer the phone and Mam had to call my Uncle's mobile to see if she was home or not. After that, Nan answered the phone, but was apparently not in a good way and didn't want to talk. She hung up on Mam, who chose to take it personally and got upset. *rolls eyes some more*

Then later Mam was trying to save some pictures off her Yahoo email account onto the computer, and was being completely blond and, as a result, very embarrassed and grumpy. For a woman who works on computers all day at work, she doesn't show any sign of technological skill at all when she's at home. This is equally frustrating for me and Dad as we know she's not stupid, and she should be able to do this stuff without even thinking. So she ended up sniffling in a corner for a good fifteen minutes because of that too. *sigh* I really wish I could spend Christmas elsewhere.

Anyway...Rowan's gotten himself a good haul, as expected; Doctor Who figures, various construction toys, plus a farm set my Grampy bought for him before he passed away. Grampy was so enthusiastic about that farm set, hoping that Rowan would remember him for it. Rowan also got a digital camera - a real one, this time, as the kiddy one we got him was useless and broke within a month when he dropped it on holiday. This one's sturdier and can take a memory card, so it won't be constantly draining the batteries trying to keep the pictures in its memory, like his old one did. :-p

I also got a new camera - chosen specifically by my Dad, 'cause my old camera started to break down on Bonfire Night. It looks good, and it's got all kinds of settings for the various situations you might take pictures, such as at parties, the beach, in the snow or at firework displays (seriously!). It even has a special setting for taking photos of babies, so you don't upset the little one with noises or a flash! Not an awful lot else of note, though my Nan did find me a teddy bear with my maiden name! *grins* And my brother's eldest boys and their sister gave me a tub of anti-wrinkle night cream....

Wonder if their mother's trying to tell me something, there?

I think, aside from my shiny new camera, the best present I've had so far came from yellowseptember, who got me the first two volumes of Doctor Who Season two on DVD! *snugs her* I do love getting DVDs and CDs as presents. Thankfully I was also given a fairly respectable amount of money, so I can get a few of the things I wanted for myself.

Sekrit message for phoebesmum from Rowan: Thank you for my modeling clay! It's great and I played with it after breakfast this morning.

Ah well, that's Christmas pretty much wrapped up now. Rowan's visiting with his Dad's family tomorrow, and I will no doubt be trying to avoid visiting with my mother's family....

Hope everyone else had the kind of day they wanted!