Yesterday wasn’t snowy or all that cold. It did get dark early (of course) but now every day the light will last longer.

It was both a normal and abnormal day, as many seem to be right now. For some reason I kept thinking it was Wednesday. My 14-year-old often comes home on the bus on Wednesdays. He did yesterday (Tuesday) because all extracurriculars at his high school have been canceled for the week due to Covid issues (sigh). So I was just merrily working away after he came in, assuming that my 12-year-old had also gotten off the bus a little later (as he also would on a Wednesday). I didn’t hear him but he often disappears to go play on the downstairs gaming computer before I can intercept him and ask about such un-fun things as homework. I heard the elementary school aged kids come in.

Then, at 4:25, I got a text from the 12-year-old asking “Are you here?” Again, thinking it was Wednesday, I answered “yes” meaning yes, I was at home if he needed something. Then it suddenly dawned on me that no, it was Tuesday, and he’d stayed after school for an activity he always does on Tuesdays, and the kids have to be picked up by 4:30. My husband, nanny, and I divvy up driving, and this pick-up was on my list and…I had completely forgotten.

Fortunately, there’s an activity bus he was able to get on and it got him home by 4:40, which was exactly the time we likely would have gotten home if I had remembered to get him but…wow.

Anyway, he was fairly chill about the whole thing (my daughter’s reaction: “Can you please not forget about me too? Thanks.”). He accepted the explanation that I forgot about the pick-up, and not that I had forgotten about him. Indeed, I had spent some time that day purchasing Christmas presents for him at Target that he had specifically asked for, so there was solid evidence in that category.

That Target trip was epic but the shopping is officially done. I am done. I do not like spending money and while theoretically it is easier to do in situations where I am expected to spend money (present shopping) I still do not like it. Here’s hoping everyone likes what they got. And here’s hoping Santa brings good stuff too — I bought the dog a stocking yesterday, not because the dog cares, but because the consensus from people who answered my question on Instagram is that other household members would expect Santa to remember Max the poodle (even if Mom can’t remember to pick up all the kids…). So he now has a stocking with a paw print on it…

As I mentioned last week, I was having some real trouble figuring out what to buy the 12-year-old. I didn’t want to get him only video games.

I went to the “better” Target yesterday (slightly farther from the house, but more merchandise) thinking I would mostly round out what I’d gotten the 6-year-old. But, while there, I realized that the genius minds at toy and game and general consumer product companies don’t want to write off the 12-year-old boy market either. There were all kinds of options! I wound up getting a number of non-screen things I’m quite happy about and that I think he’ll love.

(Sorry for the vagueness for those looking for ideas…my kids sometimes read the blog!)

Anyway, it was a reminder to me of the trade-offs of in-person and online shopping. I love online shopping. That is how I will do most of my holiday purchasing. It is so efficient to choose presents while, say, nursing a toddler. Driving all the way to the not-closest Target took a fair amount of time. Even maneuvering the cart was kind of a challenge since little kid toys are often quite big (and big kid toys are small…go figure!) On the other hand, it feels harder, online, to discover things you didn’t know you were looking for. I think there is a similar trade off with reading news online vs. reading a “real” newspaper. I read the New York Times online and we get the Wall Street Journal delivered. I definitely read more random stuff in the WSJ. Then again, there are a great many days when I don’t read the WSJ because there was never a good time to sit down with the print newspaper. I almost always glance at the online headlines.

So it’s probably good to get a balance of both. But I will be trying not to go to physical stores on the Friday after Thanksgiving. That day always just seems crazy….

Photo: Many packages. Though I’m pretty sure this Amazon delivery is a pair of immediately-needed kid shoes, and not a Christmas present.