Happy Birthday Claire!

Mikey, more than two years younger than Ian, can push him around.

Getting back into the swing of things is taking no time at all -- thanks to everything happening all at once.

No sooner do I exhaust the gift-giving neurons of my brain than it was time to buy gifts again, for today is Claire's 31st birthday (but she's still young and perky!). I didn't have much time to shop Sunday or Monday with all the reunions, but I got Ian after school today and then popped over to Serramonte Mall. Despite being waylaid into Dairy Queen for ice cream and into Mervyns for the going-out-of business sale, Ian and I finally got into Macy's and got Claire a nice assortment of old-style games.

At the same time, my sister was on her way down from visiting my mom in Oregon with a friend of hers and her son Mikey (who turns three in January). They arrived in the late afternoon and Ian and Mike got along swimmingly. The kids are about the same size despite Ian having two years on his younger cousin. They took turns pushing each other around in Ian's trike.

Luckily, but disappointingly, I haven't gone back to work yet. Despite my reminding my "superiors" at Guardsmark regarding my return date, they hadn't yet put me back on the schedule. Not surprising that they dropped the ball, as this company doesn't yet have e-mail or direct deposit. So I have to essentially take a week of unpaid leave. Grrr. At least it's a holiday.

I haven't finalized the return of my iPhone left, but arrangements are still being made.

No real jet lag, although I have been going to bed a little later, which I might have done anyway had I not been working ...