St Nicholas Day

Today is St Nicholas day, St Nicholas being another of Santa's names.
When I was growing up in Germany, he used to come into the school, accompanied by -as I remember them, blacked up helpers carrying birch sticks to chase and hit naughty kids! They were a bit like minstrels on crack- surely they can't still have them, in these politically correct times.They used to scare the hell out of us at the time, now tell me Germans aren't weird.
We leave 2 weeks on Saturday, it has been a busy time, getting the kids presents and stuff. I have 2 xmas nights out to go on, the first this Saturday, and then again next Friday.We also have an xmas lunch on the 19th-all with work.
I have to take the kids to a Filipino 'gathering' on the 17th.I took them to a christening the other Sunday-2 and a half hours in church followed by a Chinese buffet!Teosdee works on Sundays, so I have to go to these things alone, and no one drinks!
Joseph is a shepherd in the nativity, I don't think I'll make it this year, I did it last year-alone, and parents evening last month. Got to get my flexi up before the 3 weeks holiday.
Just had my first evening on e-bay.Great fun, but instead of putting in a maximum bid for £1.50 I put it for £150-for a kids book!!! Luckily it only went up to £6, a very scary lesson was learnt.
A lot of the boys' presents have come from Amazon this year, which has saved me from shopping with the nutters in Birkenhead. I gotta get out o this place if it's....