Preparing for the Holidays

Thanksgiving was a much needed break. We spent the weekend before just doing household chores (including building a second fortified chicken coop for our newly adopted 8 chickens) and visiting with Aunt Nancy, fresh in from Vermont.  We told the world we were out of town that weekend so we could buy ourselves that time. If you're one of the people we lied to, sorry. 

Then we went to North Carolina for the whole week, staying at Jeremiah's parents cabin in the mountains.  It was awesome. His dad gets up as early as the kids do so he took care of them until one of us would struggle out of bed around 7:30 (which is sleeping in. if you don't have kids yet, you have no idea how unending this early morning horror is. and I'm the morning person of the family!).

Then all day long we'd take turns eating, reading, and napping.  We'd hike at least a portion of the mountain as a family and we hit the town for dinner once. We took the kids to the awesome playground down in the valley. But mostly the kids played with their grandparents and we took turns tuning in and out.

At night Jeremiah and his family would hang out and veg. I worked on my essay questions and exam papers for my Itsy Bitsy Yoga certification. I plan to finish before Christmas and turn it in before my January 1st deadline. Then it takes several weeks to process and then I'm fully certified! I was told to just start teaching once the training's over bc there was no one in the class that didn't seem capable. I've got my first real classes starting in January! So far no one's officially registered, but I have a lot of interested people. I doubt anyone can think beyond Christmas at this point so I won't worry until January starts. 

We got home from NC late last Friday night and took the whole weekend to get back on track. We managed a quick visit with Jessie and her family, who were in from Canada. It feels like a dream bc it was so fast. I must have a vacation hang over. I've sort of lost my focus since I got back. So much to do. Where to begin?

Best Moment of the Day: We are making up Christmas traditions as we go this year. We've never done too much because first it was just me and Jeremiah, then it was just us and a baby. Now at 3, Jillian's full of outside influence, questions, and the ability to form lasting memories. So we need to step up our game this year but we don't have a plan.  I'm really enjoying sharing the magic of the holiday season with the kids though.  Their excitement makes me excited. 

Here's what we have so far:

1) we set up a light-up snowman out front. The kids treat him like Elvis (or Hannah Montana. no, thankfully they don't know about her yet. They treat him like Elmo.). They go crazy for people's christmas lights.

2) we started an elaborate advent calendar game which works like Blues Clues and ends with chocolate. It's the best idea I've had in a long time. Very popular.

3) we bought stockings! and wrapped the stairway banister with garland and hung them with care. It makes me feel traditional and motherly and old to see 4 stockings hung in a row. Those are for a family of four. We're a family of four! And I'm the mom of that family! whoah.

4) we have two snowman figurines that I set out on the Holiday tablecloth. The kids adopted them like baby dolls immediately and I've been hot glueing stick arms and carrot noses back on ever since.

5) I bought the dvd of Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas. We've watched it twice now. I think we'll be watching it a whole lot more bc it's only 26 min long and so far I can stand it more than I could stand watching that "Big Book About Us" episode of Blues Clues for the 100th time.

So there we go. Christmas is in full swing. And I have 4 library books on the roots of Christmas traditions and Christmas traditions from around the world. This will not be about Santa and his presents if I can help it! 

Worst Moment of the Day: I had to work today. Lots of problems left to solve before I go to part-time on January 1st. I can not wait.

Thoughts of the Day: I think I'm done Christmas shopping. That's not to say that I bought everything for everyone on my list. But that I've done my amazon order, scouted the consignment shops and craft stores, and hit up Target. That's all the shopping I can handle and I don't want to expose my kids to the excess at the malls during the holiday rush (not that I've taken them to a mall in months...). So I'm considering closing the door and declaring that everyone else on the list will get a gift card that I can purchase next time I'm at the grocery store. My holiday spirit is not expressed through shopping.  You're all getting hugs instead.