If It's Ramadan, Why Am I Getting Ready for Christmas?

I leave for almost 4 weeks of vacation (well deserved in my humble opinion) at o-dark-thirty on Friday and I have yet to pack. I've been out every night this week and the pile of work on my desk is growing instead of decreasing. Yet, I blog. Why? HRHSamboose guilted me into updating my site in her most recent blog. So I write for the 3 of you that occasionally check out this page. Anyway, it's only the beginning of October, and yet I have finished much of my holiday shopping. In part because I am anal & obsessive, and in part because I am a professional shopper*. I've taken care of the gifts for all 5 of my godchildren and the other little kids whose company I enjoy. They are all in the same age group so I tend to buy gifts in bulk or according to a theme (last year they all got a certain type of book and this year it's a game), but I put a lot of thought into finding something both fun and educational, so it's not like I'm copping out by not personalizing each gift. For the first few years of their lives, I bought a separate gift for each one, but it got so stressful around birthdays and holidays when I had to remember what I bought and for whom. I've selected, but not ordered, my mother's gift. Although the odds of her reading this are extremely slim, I still won't reveal the gift lest someone spill the beans. Let it suffice, that I indulge one of her vices and have created a monster. Likewise, I've picked out my sister's gift. Lately I've been giving her jewelry because I think she needs it. She often looses it, but I've moved beyond that. I give her something I want her to have and something I think she deserves and I've learned not to care whether she wears or misplaces it. I'm most excited about the gifts that I have identified for my friends here. I came across something silly, but that I think they will appreciate. I spent a lot of time picking the right one for each person, and it's gonna kill me to keep my mouth shut for the next 2 and 1/2 months. All the items are sitting in my shopping cart on Amazon, and I'm trying to balance ordering them in time for December 25 with having the items around my house goading me to distribute them early. Yes, presents, like chocolate, talk to me. I still haven't selected gifts for my niece (23 yrs, working on her master's) and the man in my life. Any suggestions? *On professional shopping, I've often thought that for my next career, I would be a professional shopper. But I don't think I would handle well a client that disagrees with my purchases. So, I'll just shop for myself and think what it would be like to spend someone else's money.