could it have been any more fun??

I do not think so....we went to bed after midnight....then at three o'clock, we got dressed and went out the door....it was dark and chilly as Abigail, 23, Mirielle, 20, Joseph, 19, Samuel, 15, Margaret, almost 14, and I arrived at Target. We usually go the Walmart Superstore first which is open 24 hours, but at Target we had to wait in a long long line in the rain....but it moved quickly. I sent a few of the kids to get the thing I wanted most, I picked up a few other things, and we got into line. (a lady came along and got in front of us with TONS of stuff. She had her daughter get in line as soon as they got in the store, then she joined her with all her stuff....she thought she was pretty clever....I was not as impressed, but hey, at least she was pleasant and kind, and she did let me go ahead of her...)

Then to Kmart....Kmart doesn't separate the specials like Walmart does, so it is hard to tell which things are actually the things to buy....I bought something that came up more than three times what I thought it was, so had to return it.

Walmart was next....they still had some of the things I wanted there. We were in the check-out line at six thirty a.m.!!!

We also went to a sporting goods store.....Abigail went in with Sam to get the air-soft gun of his dreams...he is pitching in for it for his Christmas present....the one that was advertised was sold out, so he called from Abigail's phone in the store and asked if he could spend ten more dollars for a different one....I said he could, then apparently the guy in front of them in line gave them a coupon for ten dollars off!

We got coffee and some $1 breakfast items from McDonalds, then headed to The Christmas Tree Shop....we were there in time to get a coupon for 20% off our purchase, so we got a few things. Then to the dollar store, where just Abigail and I went in and got a few things....then, to BurgerKing for free coffee. We didn't get anything else, just five free coffees. (Ab didn't want any). It was for some reason the most hilarious thing of the morning. Then...home. Abigail was falling asleep on the way, but The Narrator (Sam) was still in fine form. Mali didn't go with us because she had a fever last night, and Aaron had to work at the grocery store in town today.

I took a nap for a few hours when I got home, but I am still a ZOMBIE. But I am a ZOMBIE with most of my Christmas shopping done!

Sam is so excited about the ultimate air soft gun. He tried for a while to convince me to let him have it early, but I put my foot down and told him not to ask me anymore. He needs to wait, or he won't have anything to look forward to.

So for all the stores we went to today, I did not see any pushing or shoving, or hear any rudeness or fighting. There is a lot of criticism for us crazy Black Friday shoppers, but we are helping the economy!

I cannot write this right now....it is too crazy in here.... good-crazy, nice-crazy, but distracting-crazy....Camille says she wants to go someplace, Jon wants me to check again for that elusive piece of train track online. Paul is taking some of the kids outside, and Sam wants to make plans for tomorrow.....and of course I haven't done a stinkin' thing around this house yet today.....