Whew! We made it to Christmas break, y’all! And somehow, I managed to finish all my shopping and wrapping before the kids got out Friday. And I managed to do that without feeling like a chicken with my head cut off for the first time ever, maybe? It has been such a good feeling having the time to slow down just a bit and not have such a cluttered brain this Advent season. Truly.
Last week was a mix of fun stuff, productivity, and quiet moments, and today I’m recapping it all today, so grab a cup of hot cinnamon tea, or a peppermint mocha, or a festive cocktail and let’s get started!
Monday, December 15
Monday morning, Brian offered to take the kids to school so I could stay home and get stuff done after a busy few days, and I happily obliged because a) I had a ton to do, and b) it was 25 degrees Monday morning, and I had no desire whatsoever to get out in the cold.
While he was gone, I cleaned up the kitchen, unloaded the dishwasher, tidied a few things, gathered all the dirty towels, and loaded those into the washer before settling in at my desk to tackle my blog post for Tuesday. It was a long one, so it took most of the morning, but I took a break from it so Brian and I could lay out all the gifts for the kids to see if we had everything we needed, see if everything looked balanced-ish, etc.
Once that was done, I got it all put away, and I updated my gifts spreadsheet to make sure everything matched. Then B and I had lunch.
After lunch, I got back to working on my blog post for Tuesday, and I managed to get it done as well as start my blog post for Wednesday.
Mid-afternoon, I left to grab the kids from school, and I ended up having to take a different route because there was a major wreck/fire on the highway, and traffic was backed up for miles. I was grateful that I got the memo before I walked out the door because normally, I don’t check the traffic first, although, I probably need to start.
The kids and I headed home after school, and I finished the book I was reading while they both studied. Jacob had first semester finals last week, so he was on a crazy schedule, and he had lots to study for throughout the week.
I bundled up and got in a walk after that, and I ended up getting sweaty inside all my layers despite the cold, so I hopped in the shower when I got home.
When Brian got home, we turned on some Christmas music and made breakfast for dinner, and then after the four of us ate together, I made a meal plan and grocery list for the next couple of weeks while Brian cleaned the kitchen. There was a lot to plan for since we’ll be doing various Christmas celebrations!
After the kitchen was clean, Brian baked some of his famous candy cane cookies for Jacob’s American Sign Language class. For his final, he had to bring in a snack for everyone to share, and he had to describe it (in ASL) based on several metrics that their teacher gave. He wanted to take Brian’s candy cane cookies, and Brian was happy to oblige. I was happy, too, because they are one of my most favorite treats and I was stoked to have the leftovers at home. ;o)
While he did that, Jacob showered, and I watered all my plant babies, did my quiet time, and put the laundry away from the day. Olivia popped in my room at one point and asked me if she could wipe down all the surfaces in her bedroom with our beloved Mrs. Meyers Peppermint cleaner and I was like, “Who are you and what did you do with my child?!” Hahahaha.
She had always been the most untidy child ever, so the fact that she is now obsessed with keeping her room tidy and clean is sending me. I told her she is welcome to clean her room any time she wants and that she never has to ask permission to do that. Hahahaha.
Once everyone was showered and ready for bed, we settled in to rewatch the last episode of season one of Percy Jackson and the Olympians on to gear up for the new season. The kids wanted a refresher before we started the new season.
I made my to do list for Tuesday while we were watching because I’m not a huge fan of that show, and after the kids went to bed Brian and I watched part of another episode of The Morning Show. These days the kids go to bed later and we go to bed earlier, so we barely ever have time to watch a full episode of anything. Such is life with older kids! I wouldn’t change a thing, though! I am enjoying every single second of having a tween and a teen.
Tuesday, December 16
Tuesday, I had a ton of errands to run so I dropped the kids at school a little earlier than usual and hit the ground running. First up was Walmart and Publix for groceries, and then I dumped everything back at home with just enough time to put up all the cold stuff before leaving again for my appointment with my therapist.
After my appointment, I headed to Michael’s to pick up something, Target to drop a return and grab a couple of things, UPS to drop an Amazon return, and then the library to return a few books and pick up a couple new ones.
I got to the school to pick up Jacob at 11:30, and I had 15 minutes to spare until he got out, so I chatted with one of the other dads for a bit until the kids came out. Jacob said that both his finals he’d taken Tuesday were easy, so here’s hoping he gets good grades!
He wanted to go to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, so he and I had our lunch date, and it was nice to have the one-on-one time with him.
We headed home after that, and I squeezed in some blog work while Jacob studied for his biology final. I had to go back to the school to grab Olivia when she got out, and then when she and I got home both kids studied some more while I did my quiet time.
I got out for a mile-long walk and then I had to drive Olivia to dance, and then when I got home, Jacob and I squeezed in another 1/2 mile together before it got dark. It was freezing at that point again, though, so we didn’t make it far.
I headed downstairs to make spaghetti and meatballs + broccoli and Cheesecake Factory brown bread for dinner, and then when Brian got home with Olivia the four of us ate together.
Olivia had to shower after dinner, so I sat down with Jacob for a bit to listen to him play the piano, and then Brian helped Olivia study some more for her history test before we got both kids in bed.
I’ve been doing an Advent study for my evening meditations, and it has been fabulous. Every night after the kids go to bed, I lay on my neck pillow that my upper cervical chiropractor had me purchase, and I just lay still and quiet while I listen to my Advent study or a meditation in my Calm app. It’s a great way to signal to my body and brain that it’s time to relax and it’s always one of my favorite times each day.
Brian and I ended the night with some more of another episode of The Morning Show and then we went to bed.
Wednesday, December 17
Wednesday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then drove over to the football field because it was Reindeer Run day! I was not in charge this year (as I’m trying to take a few things off my plate) so all I had to do was show up and help out where needed and IT WAS GLORIOUS.
In previous years, I had to be there at 6 AM to get everything ready out in the dark and cold and I was running around like a crazy person for the rest of the day, but this year, I didn’t have to worry about any of that and I was so grateful. I love to volunteer at the kids’ school – it has been one of my biggest blessings since quitting my corporate job – but for the last couple of years I took on too much, so it’s been nice to take a few things off my plate. It’s also one of the main reasons that this Advent / Christmas season has been so much less chaotic for me.
It was extremely cold Wednesday morning, so administration opted to have the run portion on the football field as usual, but they moved the hot chocolate bar, Santa, and face painting inside. While it didn’t exactly have the same vibe, it was so nice to be out of the cold.
I helped out where needed, and we had so many volunteers that I was able to do a little bit of socializing this year instead of working nonstop, so it was much more relaxed. And, of course, we had to get our annual Reindeer Run picture with Santa Clause who also happens to be my old religion teacher. Hahahaha. I had him sophomore year and senior year of high school and he’s still there teaching religion… Jacob has him this year and he came over to tell me on Wednesday what a pleasure it is to have Jacob in his class. He went on to give several details as to why Jacob is such a joy and it just made me so happy. Cue all the proud momma tears!
I was done cleaning up around 11 AM, and then I drove around to the front parking lot and parked for the next 45 minutes because Jacob got out at 11:45. Our resource officer saw me when he was doing his rounds, so he stopped by to chat for a bit. 45 minutes didn’t give me time to run any errands, but it was also a long time to have to sit in the parking lot, so it was nice to have that to help pass the time.
When Jacob and I got home, we ate lunch together and then he had some screen time while I finished my blog post for the next day and then started on this blog post that you’re reading now.
Jacob came with me to pick up Olivia because we had to go straight to music lessons after school since Jacob had a makeup lesson. Olivia and I sat in with him and then after his lesson we headed home. And Olivia shared her Demogorgon with us that she'd made in art class for her teacher.
While Brian was out getting Olivia, Jacob showered and I got a couple of things done, but then I lay in the bed and read my book instead of pushing myself too much.
When Olivia got home, she got showered, and then we got the kids in bed and Brian and I ended the day with hot toddies because Brian felt a little off, too.
Thursday, December 18
Thursday morning, Brian and I both woke up feeling fine – so weird, but we were oh so grateful! – and I’m wondering if all the weird weather changes we had last week were to blame. It was freezing for much of the week, but then it rained and was warm towards the end. I tend to feel yucky when the heater comes on a lot, so I’m thinking maybe that was the problem. We’re not used to freezing cold temps for days on end here.
I got the kids to school Thursday morning, and then I headed home to try to do ALL THE THINGS before they got out. There was so much to do on my list, so I started whittling away at everything right away. I got this blog post as caught up as I could, I caught up on a few things in my planner, I responded to my backlog of blog comments, I wrapped every single Christmas present – AMEN, I updated my gifts spreadsheet, and I sent a few Christmas cards. The good thing was that even though there was a lot on my list, I knew I had enough time to do it all, so I didn’t feel frazzled and I was able to be intentional about every task. That, my friends, has made all the difference for me this Christmas season.
Brian was off work Thursday, so he picked up Jacob since he got out early from finals… that way I didn’t have to stop what I was doing. And when they got home, we all ate lunch together.
After lunch, the boys finished watching the third Transformers movie that they’d started the week before, and I finished up working in my office. I grabbed Olivia from school at three, and then she and I went to music lessons. Brian dropped Jacob off at music lessons, too, so he didn’t have to sit in the car line with me.
Jacob continued working on his piano pieces, and since recitals are over, Olivia started a new song. She ended up settling on the acoustic version of The Fate of Ophelia. Mr. Steve wrote the chords for the first verse and the chorus down for her, so she’ll have something to practice over the break. It’s another finger picking song (which she prefers… she doesn’t like using a pick), and this one is a little more intricate, so it’ll take some good practice to master.
When we got home, I did my quiet time and then I made meatballs for our girls’ Christmas dinner and ornament exchange. Brian and the kids had plans to go to Culver’s and hang out all evening, and I headed to Jessica’s house for the evening.
Unfortunately, three of our friends couldn’t make it, so we had a small group of four for the night. But Jessica’s sister (who is also my friend) walked over from next door to join, too, which was great!
We did a bunch of appetizers instead of a traditional dinner, and everything was so delicious. I brought meatballs, Jess did a beautiful charcuterie board and winter white cosmos, Jeannine brought kale and tortellini salad from Sam’s that is TO DIE FOR (seriously, if you have a Sam’s, run, don’t walk, and grab this. It is divine.), and Jenn brought soft, warm pretzel bites with cheese and chips and salsa. Yummyyyy.
I got home a little after eight, and Brian and the kids were watching Avatar in their pjs. I got in my pjs and got ready for bed, and then the kids got into bed a little early since Jacob had one more final on Friday morning.
Brian and I ended the day with part of another episode of The Morning Show and then it was bedtime.
Friday, December 19
Friday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then I walked over to the auditorium to help set up for the faculty and staff Christmas lunch. We set up tables, decorated, iced down the drinks, put out the games, gifts, and prizes, and I also made a welcome sign on the smart board at the entrance… the party was Grinch themed so that’s the story behind the verbiage. I snapped a picture of it and realized hours later after I was already home that I forgot to cross the T. Oooops. Haha.
She and I drove home, and she filled me in on her fun morning. They’d done crafts and played kickball on the football field and had an ugly sweater contest and enjoyed hot chocolate. This was the first year that I didn’t have to plan a class Christmas party, and while I missed it a bit, it was nice to have that off my plate this year.
When we got home, the four of us ate lunch together. Brian was off Friday, so he didn’t have to do anything for work, which was nice. And we had nowhere to be for the rest of the afternoon and evening, so there was a long stretch of time ahead to just do whatever we wanted to do. That coupled with knowing that we had 16.5 days off ahead of us was just the best feeling!
The kids settled in to build some more in their Minecraft world together and I kicked back in my office with my electric blanket to catch up on two weeks of blog reading.
After that was done, I got out for a chilly walk, and then I showered and got into pjs when I got home. Brian went out to pick up dinner from our favorite local BBQ restaurant early in the evening, and after dinner, we all settled in to watch A Very Jonas Christmas Movie. It was a little cheesy, but it was really funny and we all enjoyed it.
The kids went to bed around 10 and Brian and I finished watching the game.
Saturday, December 20
Saturday morning, I made homemade waffles and then Brian and I sat on the couch and watched ESPN College GameDay all morning. I did some scrolling and got some things cleaned out on my phone while we watched and it was just the most deliciously lazy morning.
After that was over, it was time to get up and get a few things done. We had a warm snap Saturday, so Brian pulled my ferns out of the garage so they could get some sunshine and I got them watered. I’m really hoping that they’ll survive winter, but again, this is the first time I’ve ever tried to keep them all winter so we’ll see how it goes.
After that, I got our bedding washed and did a couple of things in my office. And all the while, the kids got their beds stripped and washed their bedding, did their laundry, and cleaned their bathroom. It was nice to have all that out of the way so Christmas week could be spent spending time together, watching movies, doing puzzles, playing games, and just relaxing.
We all ate lunch together and Brian and I also watched the Texas A&M / Miami game while we did other things. I spent a few more minutes in my office catching up on some random bottom-of-the-list tasks that had been on my list for months, and then I got out for a walk because it was gorgeous outside.
It was 63 degrees and sunny and it was so nice to let the sun warm my bones… it was warm enough to wear a tank top, so I got some good Vitamin D! ;o) I had just enough time to get in two miles and I even did some spurts of running in there which felt great.
After Mass, we went to eat dinner at our favorite local Mexican restaurant, and my parents, my Aunt Joy and Uncle Greg, and Mama Cass all joined us. Aunt Joy’s birthday was a few days prior, so she got the full sombrero and fried ice cream birthday treatment and then we all headed home.
Sunday, December 21
Sunday morning, we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then I got to work sorting laundry, starting on the six large loads I wanted to get done, watching my sermon, transferring pictures from my phone to my computer, and getting them all organized.
My mother-in-law stopped by mid-morning to bring a couple of things over, and then after she left, we all got back to getting a few things done. After lunch, Brian and the kids went to pick up my father-in-law, and the four of them went to see Avatar: Fire and Ash in 3D. I opted out because a) I can’t handle 3D stuff on a regular day so I definitely can’t handle it with this dizziness I’ve been having, and b) I don’t like the Avatar movies. Haha. I saw the first one in the theater with Brian and I don’t remember a single thing about it.
Before they left, I had to grab a picture of the kids with their Ikrans that they’d gotten at Disney World. They took them to the movie with them. I just love that they haven’t grown out of doing stuff like that yet. I’m a big kid at heart and I love all festive things and I hope that they never outgrow those things either. <3
I was already a bit ahead on the blog having completed my post for Christmas Eve, but I still needed to knock out this post that you’re reading today + Friday’s blog post + my end-of-the-year blog post (that’s always soooo long), so I had a lot to do.
While they were gone, I caught completely up on this blog post, I started on my post for Friday, and I tackled a good chunk of my end-of-the-year blog post. I also got in a walk and got showered and dressed so I could be totally ready to walk out the door when they got home.
We went out to dinner, we drove around and looked at Christmas lights, and we watched the rest of Home Alone 2.
Happy Christmas Eve Eve Eve, y’all!
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