Week in Review ~12/11

This week seemed to slow to a crawl! By Thursday I told a fellow teacher that if time moved any slower it would go backwards, and I was very afraid I'd wakeup and it would be Wednesday again. I hate to wish my time away, especially at the holidays, but the 3rd grade can be a bit trying with holiday in the air.

Time certainly didn't move slowly due to lack of things to do. I've already written about our wonderful trip to see Santa on Sunday. We had conferences Tuesday, then I rushed home so that Ned could get to city council. On Wednesday, Avery and I rode to pick up our Christmas cards. It's a long trip from school to the photographer's to home, but Avery did well on the ride. The cards turned out beautifully, and I worked on addressing them that night.

Avery and I were a little late getting home again on Thursday, which I hated because it was the third day in a row. I quickly changed, laid out Avery's things for bed, packed her bag for Friday night, and fixed her dinner. Mimi came to stay with her while Ned and I met with our architect to draw our house plans. We have no idea whether we'll use the plans in 3 months or 3 years, but we want to have everything ready when the time is right. We were both very pleased at his work and got to see plans he had done for people we knew. We were also pleased to hear that we had picked a cost-effective house to build! I'm excited to go back in a few weeks and see the plans in a little more detail than was given in the plan book. We made it home just in time to put Avery to bed, then Ned picked up a Cheesy Bites pizza for us.

Lolli picked Avery up Friday because she was spending the night with them. I had a hair appointment then got crab legs and shrimp to take home for dinner. Ned and I hadn't had crab legs since before Avery was born, because both crab legs and Avery require a lot of hands. We enjoyed our yummy dinner then rode to look at Christmas lights. While riding in Ned's parents' neighborhood, his mom stopped us because his grandparents had a kitchen fire. Ned's grandfather had been able to put it out, but Ned went in to check everything out. Even though Mimi had said the house had been filled with smoke, I was surprised at the places that you could see smoke on the walls and soot laying around. Ned's grandfather and his wife were very lucky that the fire was contained to the stove and range hood, especially since they apparently had no smoke detectors or fire extinguisher. I think firefighter Ned is going to need to remedy that. House fires are one of my biggest fear, and I may be a tad paranoid in that department.

Ned got up Saturday and went hunting, and somehow I managed to be awake before 7 am on my morning off. I may have Felix to thank for that. I refused to get up though, and enjoyed the bed to myself in a quiet house. Once I did get up I got busy with laundry and straightening things up. By the time I got ready to go to Walmart, it was raining. I always seem to need the most in bad weather, and 25 lbs of litter, rolls of wrapping paper, etc. are zero fun in a cold rain. Our little elf arrived home a little after 4 and seemed happy to see us. I fixed an enchilada ring for Avery and I because Ned was going to a friend's to eat oysters. Avery and I passed on that invitation, and then Avery passed on the enchilada ring. She spent the majority of dinner transfering her meal around her bowls, utensils, and tray. Lolli and Poppa must have worn Avery out, because she went to bed early. Ned is still gone, and I'm enjoying the end of Christmas Vacation and waiting for Frosty and It's a Wonderful Life. I am LOVING all these Christmas movies and being home in our cozy house. Perhaps I'll find some motivation to do some wrapping also.

This should be a fun week at school as long as the students don't drive me totally crazy. It will also be busy with either Ned or I gone each night of the week. Friday is a half day at school (4 1/2 day week!) and Avery has her Christmas party at Jen-Jen's that afternoon. Saturday I'll finally set foot in a mall, more for a break with my mom than to do actual shopping. If there's ever a time that I wish time could speed up and slow down it certainly is now.