Bring on the boring

 Current status and future plan for the next few days, all summed up in one snap:

It’s actually been a busy morning, I had a manuscript review due to a journal, and Ben is working because academic administrators don’t get big cushy breaks (but they DO get actual vacation time outside of those big cushy breaks, so that’s really cool— all our travel has to be winter break, spring break, or summer boo hiss). I did my work while parenting all 5 kids (yes, actually, I am proud of myself). Now all I have to do is monitor grade submission for my large class that I direct and bake cookies for Santa.

All our food is bought; gifts are wrapped. Magic is ready to happen. 

We have a terrible cold spell and a possible blizzard, so that really made us speed up all our last-minute things, and the result is like 10 days with nothing to or anywhere to go, and we actually really can’t go anywhere today and possibly tomorrow, and I LOVE IT hashtag privilege. 

Welcome to the juggle

Also, she stole my breakfast:

Coop came with us to The Little Gym yesterday, and he took this cute pic of frowny grumpy dumpling Minnie

He also joined us for coffee and cookies after class and got a FROZEN SMOOTHIE when the temp was LITERALLY 3.

We ran home and scooped up the rest of the kids (Oh the magic of having 2 big kids who can supervise any stragglers— **ahem** Dorothy ** ahem**) and went to see dirty mall Santa because I am the fool who didn’t want to waste time at Epcot standing in line for Santa (and then had to fork over $40 for not even digital pics).

I told Harry and Jack they never have to do this again, but because of the pandemic, I don’t have a cheesy Santa pic of all 5 kids (we have taken pics with yard decoration Santa the last 2 years), and I really wanted one for my collection.

And now I am just trying to figure out if I want to prep cookie dough, frosting, and icing for my cookies today and do the rolling/cutting/baking/ decorating tomorrow OR if I should use a no-chill recipe ad just do it all today so I only have tp deal with cookie mess once. But it will be so much more mess. I’m torn. lots of mess quickly or more manageable mess longer? What would you choose?

We usually see Ben’s grandma on Christmas Eve, and she just turned 95 last week, so it’s a trip we really want to take and haven’t been able to since 2019 when I was just a few days pregnant with Minnie (well, a few days post-pregnancy test, so like 6 weeks pregnant, but you get the idea). Unfortunately, she isn’t feeling well, and other family members are sick, so, looks like we’re staying home and sending all the good thoughts to Illinois instead. 

Cheers to a snuggly end of the year, friends.