Gifted

          So this year, we are trying to have a different sort of Christmas.  And so far, to my surprise, I think we are managing it.  Money's tight.  (If you have a disabled kid and aren't actually a robber baron, money is always tight.)  And not just for us. It seems tight everywhere this year.  And I for one, am sick to death of rich greedy people trying to equate spending our money with patriotism or caring.   Especially since it only seems to be about those things when flowing into their coffers. Jacob Marley, where are you when we need you?  Anywhoo, all those stores being open and making their employees miss Thanksgiving is kinda the impetus I needed to opt OUT of the annual feeding frenzy/hunger games of shopping.  So me and Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim  (HP and FP) are making as many of the gifts as we can this year.

        We usually try to make some of them.  Usually with results straight out of some wacky sit-com.    There were the fudge pops that were supposed to melt into your coffee but melted at room temperature.  Candles that smelled like rotting crayons.  (Is zombie a yuletide scent or is it more autumnal?)  Body oils that smelled like flowers and feet.  (My friend Celtic Pants took to calling me the mad alchemist that year.)  The six dozen peppermint and vanilla candy cane shaped cookies that took FOREVER to make and actually came out great- until my dog ate them.  The earrings with posts that were actually not made out of sterling silver as promised by the craft store clerk and gave the wearers a rash.  Really, other families have carols and hymns, we have a laugh track and slide whistle noises.

         But, so far so good.  Two of our projects have been successes.  We have high hopes for the third and fourth ones.  The gremlins must have gotten a little lost.  We're about 3/4 done with our gift list and not had to scrap anything and start over or call 911. I am calling it a success.  Eff perfection. God and the Universe are gonna have to grade me on a curve.  If they wanted perfect, they wouldn't have given me children AND adhd.  Besides Fiesty Pants is in love with cooking (amazing for kid who doesn't even really eat normally) and some of what we are doing is mix of cooking and chemistry.  So if I blow up the kitchen, I'm just gonna tell people we were trying to provide brain stim instead of shopping.  And if it works, I will never tell a soul that I simply learned to type EASY in big capital letters when I googled diy and homemade gifts.  Shhhh... it'll be our little secret.