December was a busy, fun, and festive month! I enjoyed a lot of time off from work and all of the holiday festivities. Here's how our month looked.
Books Read
- Jingle All the Way by Debbie Macomber
- Twelve Slays of Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
What I Watched
Ummm…. what didn’t I watch? LOL. I was home from work for two weeks, and I LOVE watching Christmas stuff, so do not judge.
Shows:
- Holiday Baking Championship: I love this show. I watch every iteration of it, with Halloween being my favorite.
- Holiday Wars: I like this one a lot, though Baking Championship is better. Halloween Wars is the best!
- The Great Christmas Light Fight: I am obsessed with this show.
- Biggest Little Christmas Showdown: This was a fun new competition show where people made miniature Christmas houses, as in… dollhouses!
- Buddy vs. Christmas: Only watched two episodes because it was boring.
- Christmas Cookie Challenge: Only watched two. Boring again.
Movies:
I watched 11 Hallmark Christmas movies this month. I watched eight in November. Bahahaha.
- One Royal Holiday
- USS Christmas
- Christmas Tree Lane
- Christmas With the Darlings
- A Nashville Christmas Carol
- A Christmas Tree Grows in Colorado
- Holly and Ivy
- Swept Up by Christmas
- Good Morning Christmas
- Christmas by Starlight
- Love, Lights, Hanukkah!
Happenings and Tidbits
- Jerry unofficially started working in the grounds department several weeks ago, as I’ve mentioned. He’d been cross training for about a year, but now he’s fully in that department and even changed his schedule. In December, he had his official interview(s), and now he’s just waiting to be officially “hired” in that department. I’m very proud of him and excited, because I remember when he got hired at the college in 2013, he said his goal was to work in grounds one day.
- We made our first gingerbread house as a family! It was kinda stressful to be honest, because it kept toppling over, but it was fun and the kids immediately started eating the candy once it had fallen.
- I had my first ever teammate enroll under me in Pink Zebra! It was a huge but pleasant surprise! I didn’t know her, but she said she found me by doing some research. I actually have never had an interest in “growing my team” or recruiting anyone, because I am too busy, but this was still exciting for me and I hope to help her as much as I can! She does live locally, so I look forward to one day meeting her!
- My colleague and former office roomie retired (yes, it was COVID related) and it was / is very sad for me. We were close because we shared an office for years and I already miss her.
- Holden ate his entire chocolate advent calendar in a matter of days. I guess two is a little too young to grasp the concept! Hahaha.
- We went to our annual Santa and Rudolph dinner! We’ve gone every year since Caleb was a baby, and they did it this year with Santa behind plexiglass. The kids were pretty good, they each got a little stuffed animal from Santa, and we saw my cousin Marky as we do every year. They have Rudolph heads on sticks that tap on the windows outside for the kids, and my cousin is one of the Rudolphs. It’s hilarious.
- I had a two week staycation from work (minus one day where I had to work a half day) for Christmas week and New Year’s week. We were open some of the days, and closed some for the holidays, so I did have to use some vacation time, but it was worth it. I usually don’t get approved for holiday time off, but I finally have a little bit of seniority (after TEN YEARS!). It was a fun, relaxing, and somewhat productive time. I was just glad to be home with my family during the holidays because Jerry always has two weeks off PAID, and not even vacation time, just paid holiday time. My kids are still young and excited during the holidays, so I want to be around for them and not at work all day during such a fun time.
- We celebrated Christmas Eve at my parent’s house with them and my brother’s family. The boys had fun with their cousins, and we enjoyed lots of appetizers and sweets. They all changed into their Christmas pajamas, and my dad got an amazing picture of the five boys in his studio (it’s attached to their house).
- Christmas morning was a lot of fun because Caleb is at the perfect age! Holden had fun opening his presents too, but is too young to understand it. Their main gift was the mini indoor trampoline! We went over to my parent’s for breakfast and gifts with my brother’s family again, then we went home. That night, we went back for Christmas dinner. This is usually spent with extended family, but not this year because COVID. My brother’s family ended up staying home, so it was a quiet but nice dinner.
- New Year’s Eve, we were back to my parent’s house with my brother’s family for our yearly NYE celebration. Every year we have chicken french, twice baked potatoes, a special dessert, and the boys eat seafood (I hate it). It was fun, but as always, the boys were wild and fighting. Sigh.
- Caleb says:
Caleb: Oh! My goodness, Mommy!
Me: what?
Caleb: It snowed!
Mom: Oh, yes it did.
Caleb: When I woke up, this happened. On December two, it snowed. It’s so bright. I need to take a picture to remember this happened.
Caleb: Can we go get ice cream at Abbott’s?
Me: it’s too cold!
Caleb: we got coats, Mommy.
Coming Up in January
- My birthday
- Caleb’s birthday
- Jerry’s birthday
- A couple of three day weekends, for MLK Jr. day and Caleb’s birthday!
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