I can't believe how fast Christmas is sneaking up on us! So, we have been busy, busy and on the go for the entire month. It's been a super fun-filled month, for sure. But, it's also had its share of stressful moments. I tend to get so anxious and overwhelmed about everything that has to be done before Christmas. Every year I tell myself to slow down and enjoy the season and really reflect on and celebrate the birth of our Lord. For me, it's so easy to say, yet so hard to actually do! I love writing Christmas cards and giving gifts, but I don't think I'm a very creative or a very smart shopper (and we don't quite earn enough money to spend a ton!), so that just makes my decisions and purchases all the more challenging... gosh, I feel like I sound so dramatic writing this... Anyhow, what I would love to do is just spend time with my dear friends and family, maybe bake some cookies and do a small gift swap, and 'adopt a family' next Christmas! That sounds lovely to me.
So this past week has been jam packed with activity. On Monday, Jack and I met up with Alli and Baby Paul at the Blue Manatee Bookstore for story time. What a fabulous bookstore. It was very whimsical and kind of enchanting for kids, with lots of murals on the walls, pretend tree houses, and little nooks all over the store for reading books, putting together puzzles, cuddling stuffed animals, etc. Jack had a blast, racing around the store! It was nice, too, b/c sweet, little Paul was content in Alli's arms, so they were able to follow Jack around with us. After Jack semi-wore himself out, we took a break, sat down in their organic-friendly :) cafe and drank some hot cocoa and chatted for a while longer. Ahh, it was a delightful morning! Later that afternoon, Jack and I met up with my mom and Kathy at Kenwood Mall to do some shopping and eat dinner. We all love to go to Kenwood around Christmas time, even though it is a zoo. My mom and Grandma used to make it a shopping tradition and now that my grandma has passed, my mom likes to keep the tradition going with Kathy and me. Even though it's kind of hectic, there is something really fun (most of the time) to be a part of the holiday mall shuffle. Last year, I remember being out a lot with Jack, and having him sleep so peacefully in my arms or a sling, even when there were crowds everywhere and people hustling all over the place. I thought that was such a precious sight! I love ending the shopping trip with my mom and Kathy (and Jack, too) at LaRosa's for dinner. It's nice to wind down with some good pizza and to talk about memories from years past and to talk about what we hope for in years ahead.
So, Tuesday was another mega-packed day. It started off with me being on-call for central intake from 7am-11am. The morning started off slowly, but it picked up around 10 and I didn't actually end my shift until noon! It was good experience for me, though, b/c since I started working on-call, in October, I haven't had too many pages. Jeff was off all day and he played Mr. Mom big-time. After my shift was over, I headed up to the Kenwood area for the second day in a row to get a facial! Last year, for Christmas, Jeff gave me a gift card for a salon, and I had not used it yet. It was incredible, b/c I also got a mini-massage! What a way to be pampered for an hour or so! That evening was our MOPS Christmas party. It was really nice. We had a little ornament swap, sang some Christmas carols, and hung out with one another. I'm so thankful for this group! Even though I was home in the morning, I was on call, and then I was home for about an hour in between Kenwood and MOPS, so Jeff took care of Jack all day. They had such a fun day together. Jeff took all kinds of videos of the funny things Jack does during a typical day, they played a lot, and even took a little trip to the mall.
On Wednesday, Jack and I met up with my mom for a cocoa and muffin breakfast at Riverside Coffee Mill, our new favorite coffee shop in Batavia. The owners are so friendly and know us and Jack, so that makes our trips extra special! Unfortunately, Jack was a little cranky and not too cooperative during what could have been a very relaxing and enjoyable breakfast. That's life with a toddler, though! When Jeff got home from work on Wednesday, I began telling him how stressed I felt about Christmas coming so quickly, so he offered to do some shopping. What a great husband I have! That was such a relief to me. He did it with such ease, too - no fretting over gifts or second guessing his purchases. He was so quick, efficient, and got some great gifts! Before Jeff went out shopping, my parents stopped by to see our tree and visit for a few minutes. I have never had a live Christmas tree and was so thrilled to get one this year.
On Thursday, Jack and I had a little dinner at my parent's house, and then Mom, Jack, and I went to the Comboni Missionaries Center for their animated nativity scene. We used to go there every year when we were little and it was really special to bring Jack this year. They have re-created the town of Bethlehem and then they have a narrator tell the story of the birth of Jesus, along with really beautiful Christmas hymns. Jack was so still and calm during the experience, which was neat.
Jeff had the day off on Friday, so we planned a family day downtown. It was such a blast! We parked in one of the city's parking lots and walked to the Duke energy center, where they had their annual train display. It was quite a holiday sight! Lots of families with children, all clamoring to get a good look at the display. The trains were traveling through snow-covered towns and mountains and Jack was pretty entertained, although he thought that the free cookie was the best part! He even got to say hello to Santa. We decided to eat lunch downtown and, lo and behold, Jeff spotted a Jimmy John's sub shop! I had only eaten at Jimmy John's in Chicago and had not eaten there since before I was pregnant (I tried to avoid all cold cuts while I was pregnant), and there have been many times when I have just craved one of their sandwiches! Even though I eat the plainest sub around, there is something so tasty about theirs - yummmm. So, I picked up a sandwich and then we walked on down to the Tower Place Mall so that Jack and Jeff could eat something in the food court. There was a little Santa's workshop at the Mall, which we walked around for a bit. Jack was amused by the big bear band! After eating lunch, we walked around downtown for a while, by all the decorated store-fronts and fountain square. It reminded Jeff and me of Chicago a little bit. We used to really enjoy walking around the city and just taking in everything. Jack loved people watching and seeing all the funny things you only see in the city, such as window washers of sky-scrapers!
I worked for a few hours today (Saturday), while my mom watched Jack. She and Jack headed over to my grandparent's house to visit and Mom said that they had a fun time, with Jack being the entertainer. Overall, she said that Jack had a really great day. Her house is so decorated for Christmas, with lights and decorations all over, so Jack is in holiday heaven there. We and my parents have those plug-in window candles, which Jack finds so cool! He loves to ask you to turn one on and then proceed to all the others, asking to turn on each of them, and then he always says "Oooo" after each one is lit up. It's so amazing to see his excitement for such a simple joy! Work was not too busy, but most of the patients I met with had some major stuff going on, so it took me a while to finish up all of my assessments. The census was pretty low today, so there was time to talk with some of my co-workers more than usual, and that was wonderful. Jeff also worked today, but got off pretty early, so we were all able to eat dinner together. We invited my mom over, too, since my dad is in Alabama for the Bowl game. He hardly ever travels anywhere without my mom, whereas my mom travels a lot for work and takes an annual trip with her girlfriends, so this weekend the roles are reversed. My aunt and uncle had extra tickets to the game and they invited my dad. He was really looking forward to it, especially since UC was playing, and UC ended up winning - yay! After we put Jack to bed, Jeff and I did some Christmas baking, while listening to Christmas music. Jeff is such a good sport. We made lots of sweet treats and had fun in the kitchen together.
Tomorrow, we're planning to go to Mass, and then Jack and I are really hoping to travel up to Columbus for a Malone reunion with some of my closest friends! Unfortunately, Jack has come down with a little cold, and he's not looking too good or sounding too great... poor baby. So, we're going to have to wait and see how he's doing tomorrow - fingers crossed for a healthier little guy.
Christmas is just three days! I'm definitely feeling less stressed about the holiday "stuff" and just more and more thankful for the time that I get to spend with my friends and family and joyful about celebrating the birthday of Jesus!
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