Christmas is really over, isn't it?
The Christmas tree is languishing neglected on the back porch, the house looks sort of barren without all of the Christmas decor, and outside, gah, it's so dark outside at night. I miss the Christmas lights. Luckily, the Griswoldian neighbors across the street still have their lights up. Maybe they are still out of town, or they are waiting till Epiphany? Or maybe they just can't be bothered.
Today is my last day of vacation. Tomorrow the kids go back to school, and I go back to work. And truly, based on the raised voices I'm hearing right now ("Get off me, you clumsy dork!") the kids really need to get back into a routine. And while I'm sure my own students' parents are thinking the same, I would like another couple of days off please.
Would you like to hear that I spent my last day of vacation in a quality, Facebook-post worthy fashion? Mani/pedi, healthy luncheon, journaling the kids' favorite memories of Christmas? Me, too. Unfortunately, today was not a day of Living Graciously. Having spent the last few nights staying up really late binge watching TV, Husband and I panicked when we realized that the kids (and us, frankly) were going to have a horrible time going back to sleep on a schedule. So last night was all "Go to bed, we've got one night to get our bodies back on our Circadian Rhythms!" Younger Son padded into the living room not once, not twice, but three times to complain that he couldn't sleep. I feel ya, kiddo. Mama's not sleeping either at the twilight hour of 10 pm.
So, not falling asleep till late meant we all woke up kind of late today (so does NOT bode well for tomorrow). I exercised, Day 3 of Squat Challenge - yay me! And then the rest of the day was the most bizarre errands. I took a mouse to the vet. For real. Monsieur Mouse if fine, by the way. And then I didn't think I could take the mouse on the rest of the errands, and I was worried that I couldn't leave him in the car, so back home and then out again to the grocery store. And then the fabric store because yesterday before church I discovered that a button was about to fall off Younger Son's shirt, so I put it aside to fix later. But I forgot about it because Younger and I had a Science Project meeting. And when I got home I found that my husband had been helpful and washed the shirt. The button is gone, gone to wherever lost buttons go. So now I'm at the fabric store trying to match buttons. Nautica makes their own buttons especial, so I coudn't find an exact match. Tonight I'll be moving a button up from the bottom and sewing the generic button at the bottom and insisting the shirt be tucked in. That's 2 buttons to sew, for those who are keeping count. I'm keeping count.
Final errand: the post office. I received Christmas presents from Vim ages ago, ages, I tell you. By the way, Lemony Snicket's The Lump of Coal is precious and adorable - thank you, Vim. You have given us a new Christmas tradition. And I cannot put off mailing your gift because if I do, you may never get it. Gentle Readers, you won't believe this, but I literally waltzed up to the Post Office employee! NO LINE!!! I tried taking a selfie to post here, but Tuasha demurred. Maybe it's illegal to photograph post office employees? Anyway, SUCCESS! You will receive your Christmas gift by Thursday, dearest Vim. I hope you like it. But if you don't, well, what's one less-than-superb gift in a lifetime of pretty great ones?
That last errand totally improved my mood. I came home, fixed a cup of hot tea and contemplated the 21 Day Fix diet. It comes with cute, color-coded containers, which speaks to my organizing whims. My boys are playing video games for all they are worth because come tomorrow they will be reading and studying, if not for all they are worth, then for what I'm worth. Come tomorrow I will greet my co-workers with a big smile and exchange holiday stories (I'm sure Monsieur Mouse's continuing good health will be welcomed news) and then I will welcome my students with big hugs and pray my boys' teachers are smiling warmly at them.
I hope your Christmas and holidays have been merry. Here's to our fresh beginnings!
