Pictures in the Park pics are below.... As a whole, they weren't as good as usual. We weren't thrilled with the setting and more than anything it was the time of day. It was 1 pm and the sun was up. Cloudy days are so much better for photos than sun. We still got enough good ones for a good Christmas card, but our family photo has Mark & me in the background. The other group shots are horrible--shadows on our faces and the lighting is awful. But it's 20 minute session for $55, and we don't get to see the pics on his camera. So it's not a big deal. The pictures of the kids are what really count, and we got some good ones.
I'm like a lot of people right now--trying to keep my head above water this time of year. I can't help it. I am nowhere close to enjoying myself. We haven't even put up the Christmas tree or any decorations. Haven't had a free weekend yet. This coming weekend we should have time, in between seeing a play on Friday night (neither of the kids is in it but we support their acting studio and their friends even when they aren't in a show) and Sophie is getting together with her friends in the show again on Saturday night.
I have barely done any Christmas shopping, although I did get the kids (and Mark & me) each a Kindle Fire 6 when they were on sale on Thanksgiving day. It's our first tablets (if you don't count iPods or iPhones). Very excited for those. So I have a lot to do on that front. Thankfully we don't buy for grown ups or extended family--it's just my kids I have to buy for.
And we aren't doing a big holiday meal this year with anyone. Not even my mom. I'm not sure if we are doing any holiday anything with anyone other than going to church on Christmas eve. I think my mom is coming down to go to church with us, and we might go to dinner before hand, but that's still up in the air. Since Mark's sister moved out of town, Christmas on his side of the family has been nonexistent. But usually my mom does something. She just decided this year not to. So that simplifies things.
I have the whole week of Christmas off. We have the 24th, 25th, & 26th as paid holidays, and I'm taking 22nd & 23rd as vacation days. I'm very excited and can't wait. I'm working the week after; I'm off on the 31st at 4pm, off on the 1st, working that Saturday from 10-2. The kids are off school for two weeks. They'll either stay by themselves or Mark will be home with them some the week after Christmas.
Sophie had her one year check up with the surgeon on 12/1. Our original date was postponed because we had snow back in November, although on 12/1 I drove through 90 minutes of freezing rain in Illinois. The surgeon said the fusion looks great--it's 90% fused (which is different than what he said 6 months ago... he said it would only be at 60% or something at this point, but I'll take 90%). She basically can do whatever she wants except full bends and twists at the waist and heavy overhead pulling or high impact sports (which she doesn't do anyway). But if she played soccer, she could be playing full games at this point. So all in all she's doing great.
Luke is still playing his ukulele. He's learning to play Yellow Submarine, which is a tough piece. He does better when he's challenged so it's a good one for him; he doesn't practice when he's bored. His acting & voice classes (and all the other acting, dance, and voice classes) are putting on a holiday show the weekend after next. I can't wait to see him perform on stage with his class. He can be stage shy I hope he does well out there.
We have all (knock wood) stayed relatively healthy so far this winter, so as long as we can keep up that streak, I think I can handle this madness.
I had another appointment with my therapist last week. I needed it! She's brilliant. Which is good and bad. I couldn't get another appointment until early February! But that's OK. I usually see her exactly when I need her.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas.
4 comments:
Um...who is that boy in the first picture?? I KNOW that isn't Luke because Luke is only 2 years old!! :)
I think the family pictures are great! Really beautiful setting.
So glad you are doing well and YAY for vacation time!! You need it for sure.
Have a wonderful Christmas - I think you'll find this simplified Christmas will be the best one you've had in a long time.
xoxo
Mark was happy with the family pic b/c he's put on a little weight, so he liked being hidden. we got a Christmas card from some friends of ours with little kids, and they are in the background completely blurred out--you can barely make out their facial features. It's a beautiful, arty picture, but very different and unexpected. So I felt OK about having us be minor characters in our Christmas card this year. Maybe it's the "new" thing. Whatever. It's what we are going with. And yes, the setting is definitely the star.
I am all for simpler. So very glad your holidays are able to just focus on your immediate family. How nice it just worked out that way without you having to ruffle any feathers.
Pictures are still very cute. But I remember how they were other years. So I know what you mean.
I schedule my therapist for a year at a time. I actually schedule dentist out a year or year and a half too. If yours is that booked, I suggest scheduling more and then staying way ahead. You can always cancel. My therapist and I have talked about hoing to once a month. But between the two of us, one of us ends up canceling sometimes. Every other week turns into once a month or even once every six weeks.
Back from two days on middle's campus (so she could finish semester) and we are both really tired. Nothing else scheduled until Monday. So we are resting as much as possible.
BUT She has to take one pill exactly every six hours (my husband very wisely said midnight, 6 am, noon, 6 pm so we would not be confused). She and I both have alarms set so it is never full night's sleep. But as soon as she takes it, we both go right back to sleep. She does not have to get out of bed. I do to be sure alarm went off, she took it.
Her boy comes in on Friday just for the weekend. He has finals next week (she is done). Oldest comes in on Saturday, he is done. So full house. Which is a mess right now . . .
It is FEBRUARY for goodness sakes. How goes things?
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