Hakuna Matata.

Remember the 'Friends' episode when Rachel takes Joey to a silent auction and he bids on the sailboat, thinking he was just guessing as to how much it costs?  In reality, he ended up, of course, with the highest bid, and perplexed as to how that happened, even though he fully knows that he wrote his name and bid down.  I'm feeling a bit like Joey, but on a much less dramatic (and costly!) scale.  (Oh, and Garrett, someday we'll watch old 'Friends' episodes together which will be the only way you understand this reference.)

Anyway, so Garrett and I went to the FeZtival of Trees on Saturday and along with the raffles and craft fair, was also a silent auction.  Some big ticket items like gorgeous hand-carved birdhouses and a stunning rocking horse quickly drew bids into the triple digits.  The one set of items that caught the eye of my very observant two year old was a beautiful, lush, oh-so-soft-and-cozy blanket featuring the impish Simba and his pal Nala from The Lion King, a giant coloring book also featuring said lions, a box of 24 Crayola colored pencils, and an adorable lion from the Build-a-Bear workshop. So sure, I put my name (and bid!!!!!!) down, never thinking I'd win. Ok, win is the wrong word.

Yep. I got a call telling me mine was the highest (!!!) and honestly, my first thought was channeled back to Joey-what? I actually have to pay for it? I thought I was just writing down my name and a number. A guess. Ha! Not really, I knew what I was doing, and it's really sounding a lot more dramatic than it actually was.  And it IS a nice haul, having picked it up today on my lunch hour.  How convenient for me to work but a two minute drive from the Kora Shrine.  Why couldn't I have won one of the raffled trees?! But seriously, the blanket is beautiful, soft, and will no doubt keep our tot comfy and cozy during the long winter, while occupied with the pencils and massive coloring book.

Oh well, that's 4 insta-gifts that will not need to be worried about until wrapping commences on the 24th of December. Speaking of wrapping, and putting things together on Christmas eve, listen up, Garrett--I'm so excited about one of your gifts this year, that on Sunday, I couldn't help but open the box it arrived in, (while you were napping of course) just to make sure that all the parts were accounted for (they were!). Of course it was all I could do not to assemble it then and have it waiting for you when you woke up.  I restrained myself, but that doesn't make me any less excited for Christmas morning. No, no...not giving anything away here.  Let's just say that I hope this provides you much entertainment on the snowy days of winter ahead. The countdown begins...