Summing up last week: got the Christmas cards ordered late one night--they'll be here mid-month so I'm glad I didn't wait any longer. We got a new artificial tree this year. I was hoping that our school would ask for donations of Xmas decorations for families in need like they did last year so I could donate the old tree. Didn't happen this year. So I went to our local FB group for giving stuff away and offered it up and someone wanted it. Dh delivered it yesterday afternoon and they were so grateful--just moved here and were resigned to not having a tree. It's an 18 year old artificial tree and we were replacing light strings every year and were ready for new. But glad that this tree that was the tree for my kids' childhoods is making someone else's Christmas merry. This week is one of those survival weeks. Tough work week at school. If I do anything for Christmas prep it will be wrap a few gifts.

Mine have all been a very obvious need as my tooth breaks and then I get it crowned. I have a very jagged surface in my mouth in the meantime that I can't chew on.

Work is still quite busy here--this week will be horrific. 25 min on treadmill yesterday, 26 min "yoga for stress relief" this morning. Lost of rain here for the foreseeable future.

I had my first crown put on when I was in college. I have a lot--maybe 6? I had large cavities filled when I was a kid and those teeth tend to break and need crowns. Anyway, I have not had to replace any of them and the oldest must be over 35 years old. My dentist now has equipment to make a crown in his office. I watched the machine last time I got a crown. The dentist makes a model on a computer designing all of the contours. The file gets sent to the machine and the material turns and is somehow ground into the designed shape (I think a diamond bit? can't remember). Very cool. No temp crown needed--all done in one visit. My dental insurance over the years has usually paid half of the crown cost and even with that, yes, it's an expensive hit. But I like having teeth.

I think there are huge ethical concerns with receiving cash from parents of students. What is that money buying? In my short tenure in corporate America, we had to be really careful about what gifts we could accept from vendors. As a teacher I would be just as careful, and if I were this teacher's administrator, I think I would have a talk with them about asking for cash from parents--doesn't look good. Our school asks parents to donate or regift something for the gift distribution to the staff. It's kind of a fun event--even if you don't want or need what ends up being drawn for you, it's fun to head down to the office to see what you get. And it includes all staff, not just teachers--everybody gets one gift. I've received a candy-filled mug, last year was a paint-by-numbers thing from Michael's--nothing extravagant. And I used to like shopping for this when my kids were students and I wasn't yet a staff member.

I had no issues other than a sore arm with either shot. I was expecting issues--covid booster always results in a day lost to feverish naps with chills. But nothing with the shingles vaccine. A coworker wondered if maybe it's because I've had shingles before. Don't know.

15 min yoga this morning and hoping for 15 min walk with dd this afternoon if I can get there early enough.

20 min on the treadmill this morning.

Survival always feels like a good goal this time of year... While the girls were home for Thanksgiving we got the decorating done inside and out. I should vacuum and clean the bathrooms now that they're gone but that might get pushed until the weekend. We also got the Christmas card photo done while they were here--I need to get an order for cards placed this week.

Hope your first day goes smoothly, that you adjust to all that is new quickly, and that work and the money for that work makes life easier soon.

I usually make the Andes mint cookies (recipe from here--many moons ago). Then it's whatever my kids want to make--maybe sugar cookie cutouts, or peanut butter blossoms, or the peanut butter cookies in a mini muffin tin with a Reese's smooshed in at the end. I guess those are the usual contenders.

I did a 20 min Yoga for a Healthy Body (or something like that)--Yoga with Adriene. Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment--need to get ready for the school week but also still have the kids home and want to enjoy that. I think I'll get them to do the Christmas decorating today. We need to get our Christmas card picture done today too--it's basically the only time of year (besides Christmas) that we're all together.

Fitbymik cardio yesterday, fitbymik dumbbell workout today, tomorrow will likely be mall walking (while shopping).

Did Target, Costco, and Winco this morning. There were pallets of pumpkin pies in several locations in Costco this morning. I cleaned the kitchen, have laundry almost done, and need to vacuum tonight. Turkey is brining, graham cracker crust is made but I need to do the chocolate part of the chocolate cream pie still. That will probably be it for tonight.

I'm not getting much regular exercise. 15 min treadmill Friday, yoga Saturday, 11 min treadmill yesterday, 15 min yoga today.

I'm just going to say that I miss the old days when we got a paper and when the newspaper on Thanksgiving had all of the Black Friday ads from the only places to shop--Target, Macy's, Home Depot, Fred Meyer, etc. Then I would spend a leisurely hour at a quiet time during the day and plan out my Black Friday adventure. No ads in the paper anymore (not worth buying one at the grocery store) and it's too much to try to figure it all out online. I'm one of those cranky old people now..."back when I was young..."

I read somewhere he "met" her shortly after she was born because his mom was a midwife I think and helped deliver her. If that's true, there is a beauty in his being there at the beginning and end for her.

I would bring what you like to bring that you know your family enjoys and just say that it became part of your tradition when you did Thanksgiving on your own. I would also take the leftovers of those dishes home with you because I also do not like to have a ton of food leftover (dh's brother's family brings dessert stuff when that's my favorite thing to make--I do not want 4 or 5 leftover desserts at my house!)

A coworker was trying to get rid of persimmons. I told her I've never really eaten one, but once when I was a kid my best friend's grandmother made persimmon cookies which I still remember loving to this day. Never had another one, can't remember the taste, just that I liked it. So coworker gave me 5 persimmons which she said still need to soften for a few days? Anyway, anyone have a good recipe?

Well, to me the only "traditional" dessert is pumpkin pie, so I consider our favorite chocolate cream pie to be untraditional.

Thank goodness he's ok.

This is me with both student emails and my own kids' texts.

15 min fitbymik light dumbbell workout. I liked working with the lighter weight (3 lbs) and heart rate is definitely up!

We now have some glass Snapware I got at Costco which seem to be drying fine in our Bosch. I like them but the disadvantages are that they take up a lot more space in the cupboard and they are heavier in the lunch bag. Not sure a perfect solution to your problem exists.

Trying to get something in each day. Monday was just 15 min on the treadmill. Yesterday was 15 min yoga, 1 bodyweight circuit, and a 15 walk with dd. Today I'm just about to get up off the nice comfy sofa with a Labrador snoozing at my side and do a fitbymik cardio workout. Yep, getting up right now... ETA: I really did it. 21 min cardio done.