This Week

I over did it this week with work and holiday parties and I’m over stimulated and exhausted. A good exhausted, but I feel like I’m half asleep.


:: The start of winter break!
:: Bunco and “a rob your neighbor” ornament exchange.
:: Celebrating Will’s, my father-in-law’s, and my nephew’s birthdays at my brother-in-law’s house.
:: The melt-in-your-mouth pheasant at cousin Holly’s Christmas party.
:: After Holly’s, and despite six inches of snow and nearly getting snowed in at Holly’s, we headed to our friend’s annual holiday bash to laugh with friends. My favorite line of the night was when I told my friend Jim, a neat and tidy businessman who’s idea of being crazy is not closing all the blinds in their house on schedule when his wife is out, that our kids were both at sleepovers. His quick reply was, “You could be home, dusting. Naked.”
:: The boys sledding and having snowball fights with their cousins.
:: My school’s staff holiday party and getting a basket of goodies from my Secret Snowflake (yes, because I teach in a public school, and we practice what we preach about inclusion, Secret Santa is OUT and Secret Snowflake is IN.)
:: My friends Girl’s Night Out Christmas party with pomegranate martinis and catching up on all the latest gossip.
:: Finally mailing my Christmas cards. I usually have a summer vacation picture of the boys, and an annual ritual for me has always been to put on some holiday music Thanksgiving weekend and get them written. Unfortunately, this year I couldn’t find a photo with both of them I liked, and I procrastinated on taking a substitute. Sunday I took a photo of them, a diversion they were not happy to accommodate, and had to go to two stores to get the photos printed because their machines crashed. Lesson learned.
:: A pajama party with my class on Wednesday because they’re so wonder-full. I have two boys whose families can’t afford pj’s and I was able to find Under Armor style shirts and pajama bottoms for them at Wally- World. Their smiles were so big I cried. My class always gives way more to me than I can ever give to them.
:: My mom taking my two boys for a day and a half since their school let out earlier than mine. When I came home the kitchen sparkled and there was bread baking in the oven. It doesn’t get any better.
:: Christmas cards from friends from high school and college friends that I haven’t seen in years, but whose story we share, and a package (I’m waiting to open) from my best friend, and former bridesmaid, from grad school. She now lives two thousand miles away, but not a day goes by that I don’t miss her.
:: Yankee Mistletoe and Christmas Eve scented candles (they mix perfectly when burned at the same time)
:: Aveda had lotion (a gift from a Secret Santa party last week). For the firt time in my life I have dry skin.
:: Listening to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas from Meet Me in St. Louis, James Taylor's Christmas, Ertha Kitt's Santa Baby, and Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You.
:: Reading blogs in stolen moments including this, this and reading the end of one of this woman's journies into creating a better place in one corner of the world, while I wonder where life will take her next.
:: Crumbling into bed last night with a new book, The Photograph, by Penelope Lively.