Tomorrow if I have been good enough Charlie comes back to our house for Christmas! That means Christmas is one month away!
He said
As I type right now Danielle and Emelia are downstairs having movie night with the stage version of The Sound Of Music on television over a shared bag of chips. In the same vein, I have all of the Christmas music in our iTunes collection on shuffle. And, this week the copy of Ray Charles The Spirit of Christmas on vinyl I ordered from Discogs arrived which features this gem. Some of the festive decorations are up and there’s plans to get more up this week. Suffice it to say TeeterPod3 is really starting to get pulled in to the spirit of the season!
Tonight marks the very last night in my Movember campaign which can’t come soon enough (as it is every year) as I am mighty tired of this lip critter I have grown for the cause. In the four years that I have participated, I have managed to raise $3130 for the cause. As of right now, I am adding $340¹ more to the campaign. I am very proud of being involved in this for five solid years and raising at least $3516 in that time. I will however, be very happy to shave off this moustache and be done with it for another year, too!
Tomorrow marks something quite we’re remarkable that we’re doing at the store that is just another reason in the growing list of many of why I am so happy and proud to be part of Apple. December 1st is World AIDS day and as a result we are donating a portion of the proceeds from every product, accessory, and gift card we sell to the Global Fund to fight AIDS. Moreover, through December 7, every time someone purchases a (PRODUCT)RED participating app or In-App Purchase item, 100% of the proceeds go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS! We are already one of the top companies for supporting (PRODUCT)RED, but starting tomorrow we look to substantially increase our contribution. I am humbled and so fortunate to work for a company that cares to be different and make a difference.
We’ve had a full week with the Pilot now and I think both Danielle and I are in love with it. It’s by far and away the most comfortable drive we’ve ever had and certainly with the snow tires makes me completely reassured to drive in the poor weather conditions. The most hilarious point is that no matter how short the drive – even the five minute trips – how quickly Emelia can get the DVD player fired up and the wireless headphones on and be knee deep into a movie before we’ve even left our street. And as much as Danielle and I didn’t want to be those parents who plunk their kid in front of the electronic attention holder, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy the peace and quiet and the ability to carry on an uninterrupted parent conversation even flavoured with the odd curse word at another fellow terrible driver on the road. I am really excited about the first trip with the Pilot and Wolfie next spring!
The funny thing about us just getting into the Christmas spirit in the house, is that we’re pretty much all locked up on the items that may or may not appear under the tree this year—pending Miss Emelia’s behaviour. I can safely blame Danielle’s organization and tenacity every year at having our shopping all done before we set up the tree and this year is just another in the long list of proof to that. We’ve even got our gifts out of the way with the lovely new vehicle we drive and the much more stylish and comfortable front room we have to close out every week in. The only gifts left really are stockings and Emelia’s presents to me and Danielle. Though, not that I’ve been snooping, but I think Emelia and Danielle took care of one today… so that really just leaves me and Emelia. It feels good to have nothing but enjoy the season marching orders in front of us!
Thankfully this weekend I had Saturday off so I got see Emelia in her glory at both her Swim Class as well as her personal favourite Gymnastics. It is absolutely amazing to see the progress she has made in both but gymnastics is definitely the standout as it is hard to believe she has only been at this a couple of months. Her long legs and body and love of all things gymnastics have made this a very natural fit for her. I am really hoping her interest keeps with this one and it becomes a constant in her life—it’s great exercise and it’s also great to see her out of the comfort zone of the people she already knows through school and our friends, and really having a thing of her own.
We had a bit of a scare with her this morning. After waking a couple times through the night, and Danielle a little too exhausted from that, I was the only one to, just ahead of 6:00am, hear her a loud thud and then some pretty serious tears from her room. I was out of bed and into her room before I think my eyes were even opened. When they were, and my focus dialled in, there was Emelia crying and holding her face—it seemed she rolled right out of bed and fell on her face taking most of the blow on her nose. After I got her settled and an ice pack, she crawled into bed with Danielle & I. And although she was in a bit of pain, managed to settle down and lay with us for the next hour.
She was certainly sore for most of the day and had to have some Advil to take the bite out of the pain. But, it doesn’t look like anything was broken and there certainly wasn’t any nose bleeds – aside from a little blood in her kleenex when she blew her nose this afternoon. She was tough little camper through the day I hear, and tonight when she went to bed, she wisely set up a pillow on the ground beside her bed, “just in case”.
This week calls for more hunting for Danielle and I for the perfect mid century modern, teak coffee and side tables. And getting the decorations that we can up with the little hands of the daycare kids, in mind. Mostly this week, just calls for hanging out and being a family in the times around the other stuff we have to do like work, school and sleep. And next Saturday I am off again to be a part of the family on the weekend! So, there’s that… time to go and find the couch and then Danielle when she’s done the part below here…
- Actually as I was composing this I got two more donations for a total of $110 which brings me… and then just now another $10 which brings me to $450 this year as of right now!
She said
This week in comparison of prior weeks was pretty low key as far as activities and obligations. As John mentioned I have a fair bit of Christmas squared away and this week I was able to even get taken care of our one nephew far ahead of schedule so all in all we are in very good shape.
My Christmas plans this weekend was originally to map out and purchase things for Emelia’s advent calendar. That WAS the plans, needless to say that ended as a final mommy was done with Emelia’s behaviour with a capital D. She has been more than a handful at the end of the school days over the last week or so and her sassy mouth has gotten her in more than enough trouble. So it called for desperate measures to realize we REALLY meant it, so she lost her advent calendar. I was not about to put in all the cost and more importantly the planning I put into it for a child who flat out did not appreciate anything that she had. I was done with her attitude. She didn’t think we meant it but in the light of the next day we spoke to her again about her behaviour and what needed to change and told her again we were NOT giving her the advent calendar. It then sunk in that we meant it.
Now I have to say she was good as gold most of the weekend, she was a great helper, very little grumbling about chores, errands and going to stores and not asking once for something. She was the good girl I know she can be, the loving helper. I told her this needed to continue, she needed to give me this kind of help when I really needed it, mainly when the daycare children are in the house. I know they are frustrating her lately and that being the child of a daycare provider is not at easy for her at times. But she has to have consequences to her actions and she knows it.
So tomorrow will come and Charlie our elf will return but there won’t be a treat/activity/treasure to open from her advent calendar.
Friday was a breaking point, in texts to John during the day I was lamenting that I needed to replace some of my clothes that had been worn through to the point of holes and tears as some were threadbare. With Black Friday sales and a burnt out mommy John took on the battle of the 7 year old and told me to go out and get myself some clothes. Being the ever budget conscious person I am I knew that there were increasable sales at Old Navy and I ventured out. Well it was semi controlled madness when I first arrived, I quickly texted John saying what the hell was I thinking going to a store with a full store 50% off sale? He told me to not give up and find jeans as I needed new ones. So braved the crowds, I even at one point desperately checked online to see if I could just find my sizes online and get the hell out of there. Sadly sizes S tops and size 6 jeans were sold out of many styles on line. So I must brave the craziness. After looking around for what felt like an eternity I found two pair of jeans, a sweater (even found a sweater for John), two button down tops and some warm socks all for $115! Not bad. I spent money on myself and the world did not come to an end – who knew?
By the time I got home Emelia was long asleep and John and I could settle in for some time just the two of us, just what we needed.
By the next morning we had a serious talk with Emelia about her behaviour and the consequences. She seemed to understand and we moved on with our day. Off to swim then a quick turn around to gymnastics and our morning and early afternoon was full. We came home to get Emelia a snack and then off to do some shopping for the living room. We were planning on trying some antique markets and vintage shops. There was a table that I was eyeing that John had seen in person earlier in the week, unfortunately by the time we got to the shop we just missed purchasing it. So the search continues. I have a feeling these last pieces will be the longest part of the process. We hope for more success next weekend when we try a few other recommended places.
Other than hanging out with Emelia and getting some things done around the house and errands my Sunday was pretty low key for a pleasant change. So on that note I am signing off so John and I can enjoy the last of the weekend together.