It's time for the holidaze

I guess it's nothing unusual to say we've been busy.  But it's a different kind of busy.

Last Friday we attended a wonderful brunch hosted by a teacher friend, Becky, front row, third from left in photo.  Tom was there too, since these are the women HE taught with, not me.  But because we hosted the end of the year party in our garden for many years, I was adopted. 

Tom missed the photo because he got the call from Irene's school again.  She was sick.  Tom went to fetch her and get her settled on the couch, then came back to the party in time for the cookies.

Irene was fine by the time we got back home and I fixed her some soup for lunch.  We picked up Isaac from school and took the kids shopping, then fed them waffles for dinner.  The kids were back Saturday for an overnight so that Jill could go to a party.  

Sunday we had the family party at Jan's in Gig Harbor.  

Monday was a work day, cleaning house, exercising, getting lists of shopping up to date and finishing up a few more things.  We got the call from school that Irene was sick again, the third time in about two weeks, and this time she really looked sick.  But after a long nap on the couch, and lots of screen time on Tom's tablet, she announced that she was ready for her lunch of chicken noodle soup, saltines, and Gatoraid.

See that stack of cards ready to mail on the table behind Irene?  Yep.  We got those done too.

 Monday evening we actually went to the mall!  The first and only time.  And then we struck out, came home and found what we wanted on the internet. 

Oh, and for those who are wondering, I got the call from the surgeon's office.  My back surgery is scheduled for January 31. I want to keep up with my exercising and try to manage my weight a little better before then.

Josy has trouble keeping track of who's coming and going around here, but she usually settles in with us in the evening, when I finally sit down and have time to catch up on what's going on in the blogisphere.

 Yesterday I got my walking and exercising in before we went to lunch with staff from my school, most retired but a few still actively working in the district.  The ones still working are now a principal and a staffer in the district office, so, unlike teachers, they can get away for an hour or so.

 Feliz Navidad at Azteca.

Yesterday afternoon we finally got going on the gift wrapping, a marathon session that has us almost finished.  We'll finish up today and then I will start prepping for the Christmas brunch we are hosting Friday for the breakfast bunch we meet with every Friday morning.

We haven't firmed up plans for the weekend yet, but I think there will be cookie baking with the kids and hopefully a trip to see lights for Solstice on Saturday.  

We'll see what the weather allows. We're back to typical Christmas in the Evergreen State, low 40's and drippy.

I hope you are all finding some of that "merry and bright" too!