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!
