early

In order to save Dan's parents some money on shipping our Christmas presents out (wink, wink), we simply packed them in a few duffel bags and brought them back to MI with us on the plane.

We actually had a few hidden agendas. After we put the kids to bed, we gently slit the tape to take a peep at their presents so we could censor them. Only one loud and obnoxious toy that will be re gifted--they're getting better and better every year!

Another hidden agenda (for me) was that I wanted to wear my new watch. Dan's dad works for Swatch, and for Christmas this year he sent us the catalog and we each got to pick out a watch. I seriously must have labored over that catalog as well as the Internet site for 7+ hours. It was awful. I was making lists, I was comparing closeup views and angles, I was having lengthy discussions with (poor) Dan about the merits of one over another, I was getting mad at him when he made a negative comment about one I might have maybe possibly been considering but not so sure I really liked it, I was just in agony that I might pick the wrong watch.

It was pathetic. But after all the labor, I made my choice and was at peace with it--I literally didn't sleep one night because I hadn't chosen my watch. All night I stayed awake comparing them in my head trying to decide. The next night after finalizing my choice, cutting it out of the catalog (so the wrong one wasn't ordered--that would've really lost me a lot of sleep) and mailing the picture, product number, and description to Dan's dad who works at Swatch, I slept so hard I didn't hear the kids wake up in the night or Dan getting up to tuck them back into bed. That, my friends, never happens--that is a deep sleep.

And I love my new watch.