Our Week - The One with a Sick Kid, a UCC Appointment, Our North Pole Breakfast Redo, and Lots of Cozy Time at Home

We had a slow, relaxing week last week which is pretty much unheard of this time of year.  I have to say it was quite wonderful, especially since the weather was cold and gloomy all week.  It made our indoor time extra cozy. 

Monday, December 1

Monday, we kept Olivia home from school since she wasn’t fever-free for 24 hours quite yet.  Thankfully, she slept almost 12 hours without waking, and when she got up, she was fever-free and remained fever-free for the rest of the day!  Woo hoo!

Even though she was able to sleep in Monday, she was still up early with us, partially because she’d gone to bed so early Sunday evening, and partially because she was so excited to open her Advent calendar.  Haha.

She was thrilled with her hand cream for day one, and she has been cracking me up every morning since then because she gets so excited over every single little thing.  I love it. 

Jacob also opened day one of his Advent calendar, and then I drove him to school.  Brian and I were supposed to have gone on a day date Monday since it was our anniversary, but we had to postpone it since Olivia was sick.  Brian stayed home with her, and I dropped Jacob and then grabbed groceries from Walmart and Publix before heading home. 

When I got home, I unloaded and put away all of the cold items, and then I made breakfast for Olivia since she wasn’t hungry before I left.

She had some screen time after that, and I went to my office to work for a while since it was time to get back in the swing of things after taking the whole Thanksgiving break off (other than Sunday).  I worked on Wednesday’s blog post all morning and I also got the towels washed, also checking on Olivia frequently.

Late in the morning, I headed downstairs to put the rest of the groceries away and clean some things out of the pantry, and I also loaded up our basket with goodies to set out for the delivery drivers since we had so many packages coming from Black Friday shopping.

We ate lunch after that, and then Olivia and I played three long games of Mantis.  That game is usually short, but you can make it longer depending on how many points you want to play to, and she wanted to play to 25 and then 35 instead of the usual 10.

After our game session, I headed back to my office and finished typing my post for Wednesday (it was a long one), and then I went out for a walk since I didn’t have to get in the car line.  Jacob had e-sports after school and Brian picked him up at five for that, and since Olivia was already home, that meant – no car line for me!  Woo hoo!

It was freeeezing and dreary outside Monday, so I kept my walk to one mile, and then I headed back home to have a snack and warm up with some hot tea while I did some Cyber Monday shopping.

Olivia started on schoolwork while I tidied the kitchen, and then I got started on dinner while Brian headed to pick up Jacob.  After a week of eating a lot of junk – and just a lot in general – I made a good detox meal Monday evening of sheet pan turkey sausage and veggies.  I cut up sweet potatoes, yellow potatoes, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, and zucchini along with the sausage and then I tossed everything in olive oil, garlic, onion powder, salt, and pepper and roasted them for 45 minutes.  So yummy and so healthy!

When the boys got home, we sat down and ate, and then after dinner, we cleaned the kitchen.  Olivia was dancing all around the house by that point, so we knew we’d be able to send her back to school on Tuesday, thank goodness.

While the kids showered, I placed an order for some oils that I needed and then I did some more Cyber Monday browsing.  The kids did their laundry, too, because we’d dropped the ball on that over the weekend. 

Since I’d only been able to walk one mile, I did a 20-minute stair stepper workout for a little bit of extra movement, and then I folded and put away the towels I’d washed earlier.  While I was doing my workout, Olivia came in to show me the graph paper design she’d done of the girls from K Pop Demon Hunters.  I absolutely LOVE that she is doing these graph paper drawings because I did the same thing when I was her age, but hers are much better than mine ever were!

While I was getting ready for bed, I checked the local news, and I saw that the trial that I had almost been selected for during jury duty had finally wrapped up that afternoon.  The trial spanned nine days over three different weeks including most of Thanksgiving week, the jury had to listen to 40 witnesses on the stand and see and hear about so many heinous details from the case, and they ended up finding the defendant guilty of some terrible charges.  Again, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief that I hadn’t been selected and had to go through all that.  God bless all those jurors who had to give up time with their families during Thanksgiving break and sit through that.  And God bless the victim’s family.

After everyone was ready for bed, we watched some of the Disney Christmas special on TV and then the kids got into bed.  Brian and I did some more Cyber Monday shopping and then we went to bed right behind the kids.  I was tired after getting up early for the first time in over a week!                    

 

Tuesday, December 2

Tuesday morning was rainy and cold.  I got the kids to school and then I finished editing all my pictures for Wednesday’s blog post. 

I had an appointment with my therapist at 9:15, so I headed out into the yucky weather for that, and while I was out, I swung by Target to return some items and pick up an order, and then I went to Michael’s to pick up an online order only to be told that they’d canceled it because they didn’t have stock.  Boooo.

I headed back home after that and I finished my blog post for Wednesday, I paid a couple of bills, I cleaned out my email inboxes, I ordered a couple of gifts, I updated my Christmas gift spreadsheet, and I tidied the kitchen before heading back out to run a few more errands – UPS to drop some returns, the library to drop and pick up a book, and the gas station to fill my car.

I read while I was waiting in the car line, and then the kids and I headed home once they were out.  We only had about 20 minutes to spend at home because Jacob had a makeup piano lesson, so that gave Olivia just enough time to change for dance and have her snack, and it gave me just enough time to do my quiet time minus a Bible study.

Olivia and I both sat in on Jacob’s piano lesson, and then Jacob and I dropped Olivia off at dance before heading home.  Brian got home right after we did, and then I headed out for another freeeezing walk.  I was only able to squeeze in a mile before I got so cold that I couldn’t take it anymore.  Haha.

When I got back home, I got dinner going – parmesan chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed broccoli – and then I did a short mixed cardio workout while it all baked/simmered.

Olivia’s last dance class was canceled on Tuesday, so Brian picked her up 45 minutes early, which was nice, because we were able to eat dinner earlier than usual for a Tuesday.

After dinner, Jacob got in the shower and Olivia had to work on homework and studying since she hadn’t had the time to do it before dance.  I got some things prepped for Wednesday, and then we all ended the evening with some more of the Disney Christmas special.  Once the kids were in bed, Brian watched Stranger Things and I read my book and tuned it out.  Hahahaha.

Tuesday would have been Maui’s 16th birthday, so I missed her even more than usual, and I was so happy to see this memory from the previous year pop up in my Timehop at the end of the day.  I miss her terribly every single day.

Wednesday, December 3

Wednesday was another cold, dreary day starting out, so I dropped the kids at school and then snuggled up at my desk with my electric blanket and hot tea, ready to work.  I knocked out my entire blog post for Friday and my entire blog post for Monday, I got this blog post as up to date as possible, and I started my blog post for Wednesday.  I also washed and dried my new Christmas quilt (AND I AM OBSESSED!!!!) and I caught up on blog reading.  It was a very productive day!

Olivia had to stay after school to make up a test, and since Jacob is in high school now, he’s free to hang out on campus without getting checked in to the after school program, so I didn’t have to be in the car line.  Instead, I rolled up to the school just after the car line finished and Jacob came to the car and we waited a few more minutes for Olivia to finish.  Olivia’s best friend’s mom rolled up next to us, and she and I chatted while we waited.

We got home around four, and we had the whole entire evening ahead of us with no place to be because all of Olivia’s dance classes were canceled Wednesday night.  I read my book for a bit and then did my quiet time, and then I got a couple more loads of bedding washed and dried. 

I’m trying to get out as much as possible to walk in the month of December since it’s so good for my vestibular system, and that’s much-needed right now since I’m still experiencing some weird vestibular symptoms after my withdrawals from my vertigo meds.  It was freezing Wednesday afternoon, but I bundled up and got in a mile before heading home.  Better than nothing, right?

The kids were just finishing up with homework when I got back home, and then they hung out together the rest of the afternoon.  They were both full of energy Wednesday, but I didn’t have the heart to send them out into the cold, especially since Olivia was just getting over her sickness, so I listened to them run around the house filming videos.  Haha.

I got my new Christmas bedding on the bed and watered all the indoor plants, and when Brian got home from work, he and I made breakfast for dinner.  Look at this quilt, y’all… I am obsessed!!

I finished my book while the kids got showered and ready for bed, and then we watched part of the Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller Center before the kids went to bed.

Brian and I ended the evening with part of an episode of The Morning Show, and then we headed to bed, too.  I was excited to start a new book!

 

Thursday, December 4

Thursday morning, I dropped the kids at school and then headed home to hole up all day as it was another dreary and freezing day.  I absolutely LOVE a good dreary day this time of year because it just makes everything so extra cozy and warm inside!

I had another productive day Thursday knocking out another load of laundry, finishing my blog post for the following Wednesday, getting this post up to date, starting and finishing my blog post for the following Friday, starting my blog post for Monday, 12/15, and responding to aaaallll the backlog of blog comments I had from the last couple of weeks.  I got way ahead on everything, and it was awesome!  I also got another picture of our new Christmas bedding in the daytime light since the other pictures were taken too close to dark.

I jumped in the car line and read for a bit and then I got the kids to their music lessons.  I sat in with Olivia since I’d just sat in with Jacob on Tuesday, and she practiced for her guitar recital some more. 

When we got home, I did my quiet time and a Bible study while Jacob did homework and Olivia showered.  She wanted to shower and be done with it so she could get in her pjs and be cozy for the rest of the night… my kind of girl! 

Once she got out, both kids settled in for a few minutes of screen time and then I forced myself to go out and walk again even though it was freezing and wet since it had been raining nonstop all day.  I bundled up and got 1.22 miles in before calling it quits.  Walking every day truly makes me feel better in so many ways, so I’m going to try and get out almost every day as much as I can going forward.  I used to have the mentality that if I couldn’t get my full route in, or if I couldn’t walk as fast as I normally do then it wouldn’t be worth it, but even 15 minutes at a slower than normal pace is good for my vestibular system, my energy level, and my mental health.  Some is always better than nothing!

When I got home, I brought in the trash and recycling bins and turned on all the outdoor Christmas lights because Brian had to work late and wasn’t supposed to be home until bedtime (or later).  I also replenished the snack basket for our delivery drivers, and I reminded Olivia to get her bedding in the washing machine since she had been sick earlier in the week.

After that, it was time for dinner.  Since Brian wasn’t going to be home, I wasn’t planning to cook anything elaborate, so I asked the kids what they wanted, and naturally, they said Kraft macaroni and cheese and hot dogs.  Lol.  I added some steamed broccoli and orange slices to our plates so the meal wasn’t completely unhealthy and then we all sat down to eat.

Brian ended up getting off way earlier than expected, so he got home as we were finishing up, and then I worked on our Christmas cards while Jacob got showered.  Brian ended up having to work for most of the rest of the night in his office, so the kids and I finished watching the Rockefeller Christmas tree lighting and then they went to bed. 

Brian finished up with his work just in time to say goodnight to the kids, and then he and I finished watching the episode of The Morning Show that we’d started the night before and then we headed to bed.

 

Friday, December 5

Friday, Brian was off, and he offered to take the kids to school so I didn’t have to.  I wasn’t going to turn that down!  After they left, I finished eating my breakfast and getting the dishwasher unloaded, and then I popped a load of laundry in the washing machine before heading to my office to do a couple of things before Brian got home.

I had an appointment with my upper cervical chiropractor in the morning, so when Brian got home from dropping the kids, he and I headed out.  It’s not anywhere close by, so we had to make the drive in the rain and bitter cold again. 

When I got there, the place was more packed than we’d ever seen it, but they never run behind there, and they called me back right after we sat down in the lobby.  Based on my neck scan, my doctor said that he thought that my atlas had just recently come slightly out of place, and my leg check and a physical exam showed that it had, indeed, come out of alignment a little bit.  My doctor also told me that all the muscles in my back were stiff as a board, and he made a couple of adjustments near my SI joints and all the way up my spine.  He then did six gentle taps behind my right ear to get the atlas back in place, and I was ready to roll. 

I talked to him about my withdrawals from my vertigo meds and how they were still dragging on, although, not as bad, and he told me that I would benefit from a lymphatic massage as those can help with withdrawal symptoms since they clear excess fluid and toxins out of the tissue that the body has been holding onto.  Since my back muscles were so tight, he had already recommended the massage anyway, and the masseuse happened to be free, so I headed to the massage table after my adjustment. 

The doctor always goes in to tell the masseuse exactly what needs to be done based on where he finds the tension in my body, and I swear, it is the best thing ever.  It’s so much better than just going to some random masseuse who doesn’t know my medical history! 

Medical massage > regular massage

As always, it was the fastest 30 minutes of my life, and a lot of it was spent working on my neck, chest, and armpit area as that’s the main area to focus on for the lymphatic drainage massage.  I felt AMAZINGGGG after I was done and I was so grateful that I had decided to do the massage.

Usually within an hour after an atlas adjustment I feel exhausted, sapped of all energy, very unsteady, and super winded, but I felt fine after this one, so Brian and I decided to go check out the new Trader Joe’s that had opened down the road. 

We ended up coming home with a big bag of stuff – they finally have their Chips in a Pickle again!!!!  And of course, we had to get some Jingle Jangle since we’d never tried it.  I also needed chia seeds, we needed wine, Brian wanted some raspberries, and we grabbed a couple of other items that we didn’t technically need, like rolled wafers with peppermint crème and their vanilla bean scones – one of my favorite things everrrr.

It was freezing and still dreary out, but the little shopping center was super festive with all its Christmas lights and Christmas music playing, and it was just a nice little trip.  I sure wish we had a Trader Joe’s close to home, but I’m glad that we now have one closer than we did!

We headed back to town after that, and we swung by the post office on the way to drop Christmas cards that I had gotten done, to grab more stamps for the remaining Christmas cards, and to ship my old video camera that had just sold on eBay.  LOL.  Y’all.  OG video cameras are making a comeback, so we were able to sell that thing for $60!  Haha.  If you have an old one lying around, now is the time to list it because people are seriously buying them.  It’s so wild to me.

When Brian and I got home it was lunchtime, so we made our food and sat down to eat together… and we may have gotten through half a bag of Chips in a Pickle.  Haha.

After that, I flipped the laundry to the dryer, and then I settled in to work a little before I had to pick up the kids.

After school, we headed home, and the four of us dove into the Jingle Jangle from Trader Joe’s… it most definitely lives up to the hype!!

After that, the kids settled in for some screen time, and I read some of my book with a cup of hot tea. 

Jacob and his classmates have been doing the Advent challenge on the Hallow app, and my girlfriends have, too, so I decided that I wanted to start it, too, but I was a few days behind by then.  I did the first three days after that, and it. is. fabulous.  I think I have cried almost every single day doing it, but in a good way.  <3

Around five, Brian, Olivia, and I got out into the bitter cold rain to go to the funeral home because Olivia’s friend’s grandfather passed away, and his visitation was Friday evening.  He was an extremely well-loved human being, and it showed, because there was a line wrapped around the inside of the funeral home to get in to the visitation. 

Olivia spotted Maren shortly after we arrived, and they hugged forever and then ran off together while Brian and I waited in line to talk to the rest of the family and a few other friends who were also there.  When it was time for us to go, I had to grab Olivia out of the bathroom because she and Maren were hanging out and enjoying mints in the super fancy funeral home bathroom.  Haha. 

The three of us headed to Five Guys to pick up takeout on the way home, and we also stopped by Jack’s to get food for the kids because they like that better and it’s right on our way home. 

The four of us sat down to eat when we got home, and then we all got showered and into pajamas before spending the rest of the evening with popcorn in hand by the fire and the Christmas lights, watching The Santa Clause. 

After the kids went to bed, Brian and I watched part of an episode of The Morning Show, and then Brian watched the remaining 30 minutes left of Stranger Things.  He’s now all caught up and patiently awaiting the rest of the finale at the end of this month.

 

Saturday, December 6

Saturday morning was another cold, dreary, rainy morning and we had nowhere to be, so I was thrilled for the cozy, lazy day that stretched before us. 

We kicked off the morning with a makeup elf breakfast since Olivia had woken up so sick the previous Saturday when our elf, Cheek, showed up overnight.  I had saved all the things from the prior breakfast and put them out Saturday morning, and thankfully, everyone was well and the kids ate all the sugar.  ;o)  We also surprised the kids with another ornament each... a 6-7 ornament for Jacob, and an official Taylor Swift ornament from her site for Olivia (the famous purple Speak Now dress).

After breakfast, I cleaned up the kitchen, and Brian and I settled on the couch to watch ESPN College GameDay with a cup of hot tea in hand, and my electric blanket.  College GameDay was at our game Saturday, so it was fun to see them there.  Brian and I actually had the opportunity to go, but we decided to skip this one since we’ve lost every single Georgia vs. Alabama game we’ve been to.  Hahahaha. 

Late in the morning, I finally got off the couch to get some bedding washed, and I also gathered all the towels to be washed.  I added a few things to my planner for the upcoming month, and then I worked on this blog post a little before having lunch.

After lunch, the kids got started on their gingerbread houses… or Target shopping carts!  Haha.  We let them pick out gingerbread houses at Target a few weeks ago and they both wanted to do the Target shopping carts since they were so unique.  While those dried, they deep cleaned their bathroom, put away laundry, put clean sheets on their beds, and had some video game time.

Meanwhile, I started making a long list of all the stores B and I needed to hit up Monday along with all the items we needed to purchase, and then I nearly finished addressing our Christmas cards… I had several addresses I needed since family members had moved, so I sent texts to various people to get the new addresses.

After that, I bundled up and headed outside for a one-mile walk before the SEC Championship game started.  I got home just in time to see the players to run out on the field.  Since I’d only walked one mile, I did a short functional strength training workout while I watched the game and then I also ran upstairs on commercial breaks to get the clean sheets on our bed, get towels in the wash, and I also finished our Christmas cards while we watched.

I showered at halftime, and the kids finished decorating their gingerbread houses… well, gingerbread Target shopping carts.  Haha.

We had pizza delivered during the game, and then after dinner, we sat down on the couch and watched the rest of it + the trophy presentation.  The game was glorious and we beat Bama 28-7, which is the exact opposite of what usually happens.  Haha.  Brian and I have decided that we must be the jinx since the two times we didn’t go to the recent Georgia vs. Bama games, we won, and all five that we’ve been to since 2008, we’ve lost.  Guess we won’t be going to any more Georgia vs. Bama games.  You’re welcome, Georgia fans!  Haha. 

SEC champions back-to-back, baby!

After the game was over, the kids went to play Minecraft together, and I went in my office and did my quiet time and caught up on my Advent study, and then I joined Brian downstairs to watch the Ohio State vs. Indiana game.  The kids got into bed around ten, and Brian and I stayed up to watch the end of the game since it was so close… and we were shocked that Ohio State lost.

 

Sunday, December 7

Sunday morning, I was up at 8:30, and then I made homemade waffles for breakfast since it had been a while since I made them.  After that, I headed to my office to watch my Sunday morning sermon, get my planner ready for the week ahead, transfer my photos from my phone to my computer, pay a couple of bills, and organize my photos that I had transferred. 

I got showered and ready for the day after that, and we headed to my mother-in-law's and step-father-in-law's house for Sunday lunch and to celebrate our nephew’s birthday.  We hung out over there for a couple of hours, and then it was time to head home so the kids could shower and prep for Monday.

While they did that, I worked on a blog post while I watched The Holiday, and then I also thought about what to do for a Taylor Swift themed snack as Olivia was invited to a party for Taylor Swift’s birthday / the debut of her new Eras Tour documentary. 

I finished catching up on my Advent study after that, and then the four of us went to 5 PM Mass.  After Mass, we drove Mama Cass to my parents’ house for Sunday dinner, and we hung out over there for a couple of hours.  My Momma made an eggnog cake that was soooo delicious.  And after dinner, we took another round of Christmas pictures for my parents’ Christmas card before heading home. 

We got the kids in bed early Sunday night because we knew there were going to be lots of late nights in the week ahead, and then Brian and I finished the episode of The Morning Show that we were in the middle of, and we started the most recent episode of Saturday Night Live.

Happy Wednesday, y’all!