sleep, soba, shopping, sleep, sushi and sleep again

Long Day.
Got a not so early morning phone call from FIL (at 9:45am) suggesting that we do the shopping for K's Xmas present today (rather than Wed when they come over for Xmas lunch). I agreed it would be a good idea, but would have to wake J and ask him first too. (Yes, *some* people get sleepins, it seems....) An altercation later (apparently *I* didn't want to go today so was making things difficult by not writing down the address in Japanese for the Toys'R'Us store close to PIL house, sigh) and we left to pick PIL up(an hour away), drop by a soba joint for lunch, swing by Toys'R'Us (along with every other Tom, Dick and Hanako) to get a suitable present for K from PIL (anpanman kids computer thingy - I suggested a cash register and also a dolls house, but since they didn't make the grade this time, we will save them for her birthday in April), drive back via a home centre as K had fallen asleep in the car, keep going to the popular sushi joint where we lined up for about 45mins, maybe longer, IN THE COLD to get a seat for 3- (there are 5 of us!!) then when a seat for 2 came available, PIL went there to eat, so we didn't even end up sitting together for dinner that THEY paid for, before heading back to PIL house for cake (I refrained, gotta pretend to be doing something to slow down the weight gain for next docs check) and then getting home just after 9pm, and K asking J to put her to bed. Where he still is, obviously sound asleep too. again.

Long Day.

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I have wrapped most of the presents tonight now - cleverly using a mix of wrapping paper, butcher's paper and チラシ (as I have a slight eco streak in me, and figure K is only gonna rip the paper to pieces anyway, not like in our house in Aus where everyone has to open the presents carefully as the wrapping paper gets recycled for about 10years in a row.)

I am the master wrapper, btw. The (self-appointed) "official" wrapper-up-er-er in the household in Oz, and have been for a few years now. Usually up late on Xmas eve wrapping, so am giving myself a pat on the back for having things wrapped a week before Xmas! The tree is starting to look good with all the presents underneath it. Actually, the tree is starting to be dwarfed by all the presents underneath it (we so should have bought the next size up, lol
(yikes! on it's side AGAIN - it was the right way round in my photo album on the comp....although the original photo was たて. who knows?! not me thats for sure)
I decided to hang the Xmas cards ON the tree this year too, since we don't have enough to string along the wall, but too many to just sit on the shelves behind the tree. And that santa figure at the front is also a hand-me-down(?) from MIL tonight. I remembered that we have some small Xmas decorations in a box in the loft, so am gonna get J to bring that down tomorrow, and might even add more stuff to our Xmas "corner".

Oh, and this is the cute bowl K's pudding came in tonight, together with a nice little candle holder MIL gave us as we were leaving. cute, hey!