Sure, hsmomof2!  I actually thought I had you added already, but I probably just remember thinking I should add you and then something interrupted before I could.  : P

We have been doing some reading, but our loose routine is out the window.  The boys did pretty much what they wanted yesterday -- I just made sure we had scripture reading, other reading, and quiet minutes at some point during the day.  And meals.  We went out in the evening looking at Christmas lights.

Today is supposed to be cookie day.  I'm going to be ambitious and try to make sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, ginger snaps, and peanut butter cookies.  Mmmmm, cookies.

I've been getting worried about Christmas gifts for the boys -- we really just had books to give them, and most of them were homeschool books.  (Not that there's anything wrong with them, I just thought they might be disappointed with having no toys to play with, especially after having three gift sessions between Christmas and Boxing Day last year.)  I went to the $0 holiday thread at MDC, and decided to try making beanbags.  I managed to find myself wide awake at 4 am today and went down to rummage through my scraps.  Of course, this would be the first day in a few weeks that S (he's 4) decided to wake in the middle of the night.  It took a long time for him to get back to sleep.  Then D woke up unusually early.  Ugh.  I think I will sew three sides of the bags with the kids down there -- they likely won't take much notice of me if they think I'm just practising (and they get to watch a movie).  Then I'll fill and finish them tonight.  I'm also going to make popcorn balls and fudge on Christmas Eve after they are in bed and put those in the stockings (along with the cookies they help me make today, lol).  I have decided to accept the fact that the floor in the kitchen and dining rooms likely won't get scrubbed before Christmas; neither will the upstairs carpets get vacuumed. 

Our washer started smoking Tuesday morning.  With all of the research that is out there on the effects that smoking has on your health, I'm surprised that it took up the habit.  I'm hoping a new belt will help it break the habit.