2007 Christmas Lessons - and it's only Christmas Eve!

1. If you are going to buy something for your child from eBay, do so one month in advance. Otherwise, you won't get it by Christmas and you'll end up buying the best thing you can find, which will be a piece of junk. Little Tikes toys DO sell out.

2. If you are going to buy something inflatable for your child from Santa, do a test run a few nights beforehand in case there is a hole and the entire thing deflates within 20 minutes of inflating. (One of us is going to have to run downstairs to blow it back up while we change his diaper as soon as he wakes up in the a.m. - photo of deflated ball pit to come.)

3. Before you buy all of the ingredients for Christmas goodies make sure of two things - a. that you have the tools to make them (no spritz cookies this year because I think I threw out my cookie press, but do I have a lot of cream cheese in my fridge!) and b. that you don't have the ingredients already (I do NOT need to buy sprinkles for the next five years).

4. No matter how good the photo looks, do not offer to make a risotto of any kind for Christmas dinner at your in-laws. I don't care who wrote the recipe, it does not take only 25 minutes for arborio rice to absorb 7 cups of broth. It's been 25 minutes and I am only on cup four. (Notice the hour of this post. My six week old is actually sleeping and I am not because of this dish!!)

5. Remember to wash the Christmas outfits for the kids.

6. Do not talk on the phone while making a dish for the first time. Mom's sausage balls do NOT work with flour. You must use Bisquick.