Wrapping it Up

Now that Christmas is done, I can sort of breathe. There's still random stuff laying about. It's a magical time, but I'm happy it's over to. I felt a bit overwhelmed with the Santa wrapping, a holiday concert, baking, last minute shopping (I try and get it all done long before the event, but there's always something I forgot about), getting my grades turned in, and taking photos of student artwork.

I decided to get a jump start on taking the Christmas decor down. I just want to feel like something is done! The tree is naked. All the beads, ribbon and ornaments are off of it. My mom gives me and the boys an ornament a year. We have tons of Hallmark boxes for ornaments. It takes some time tearing it all apart. I try and put like ornaments together, so that it's easy to put up the following year.

Travis hasn't been feeling the best, so he gives me eye rolls when I want to do something like tear all the stuff off the tree to put it away. I even said, "I want to do it. You don't have to!" He'll take the lights off, the tree down, so he'll do his part. ;)

I have 1 full class all ready to go for next semester. I mean I printed every test, changed PowerPoints, and printed every handout there is. I backed up my MacBook Pro, and updated the system.

I went shopping for our New Years dance party. We have this idea that parents can drop their kids off to dance the night away. Parents can go out if they want. They can even leave their kids at our house to spend the night. We're not getting very many RSVPs, so we don't know what to expect.

Snow is scooped. It snowed on Christmas Eve day, which was our garbage day. It turned around and snowed on Monday morning. I had tons of recycled stuff out on the curb. I saved boxes from reviews in case I needed them for Christmas gifts. Mica got a lesson on flattening boxes. ;) He also scooped for real. We have 2 gigantic retaining walls on the sides of our driveway that he couldn't reach prior to now.

The snow + a major holiday backed the garbage men up, and they finally came on Sunday evening. I had recyclable things that were starting to collect on our kitchen counter.

My car almost got stuck on the bottom of a hill that has a spot that dips up all the sudden. I left myself plenty of room to get a jump start to drive up that little spot, and a car in front of me nearly got stuck, then the light quickly turned red. There I was with no jump start room, at a red light. Thankfully I made it happen.

Everyone was happy with their gifts, each other, and the food. We had no family fights. Good times were had in Omaha, Nebraska. We just need to bring in the New Year!

WW: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree {Linky}

I have the front of my Christmas card done. Now I have to figure out what to do for the back.

Here's where we started:

Their hands were right in this one, but I wanted at least one child smiling. Isaak got a new face, and body from another photo. Mica got a drum set I found online.

Next I traced the instruments.

I traced them in Illustrator, and broght them back into Photoshop.

Then of course there are many opinions. Mica wanted me to Photoshop his eyes looking forward. I said, "I can't do that to make it look natural." Travis wanted the notes to be white. I did do that. 

Do you send out holiday cards? Last year I was slightly late sending them out because I did New Years cards. I had people writing me in their cards asking where mine was.

 

Random Tid Bits - A Short Trip

We went on a 4 day trip to Missouri. This is an intro to the trip. The hard thing is, seeing everyone that we wanted to see. We both went to school in Kansas City, Missouri, and Travis' side is from Missouri as well.

The boy's cousin from Travis' side. We don't get to see him a whole lot.

The odd thing was when we went to look up places to see in Kansas City, and realized that they don't have a whole lot that we haven't seen already. We went to their Lego Museum last time. Their Science Museum and Zoo aren't rated the best. Other then that it's shopping and looking at fountains. All of that we've done before.

We ended up going to their newish Ikea. The boys thought it was really fun to jump on their lit up arrows. That was cute for the first 2 arrows. Then Travis was done with that. I can put up with more boy noises then Travis. After awhile I was done to. I saw track lighting for our stairwell, rugs, and a few desks for Isaak that looked small enough for our house. I imagine in a few years we'll go back, and look again. I didn't end up buying any furniture. I did get 3 different slices of cake that we all split up.

1. One place that was fun to go see in Kansas City was a free self guided outdoor tour at a place called Shoal Creek. It was lovely because it was A) Free B) Looked like a town straight out of Little House on the Prairie C) Fun D) Something we hadn't done before. 

2. We went to The Crown Plaza, which was a disappointment. I thought we'd see something to buy, but nope. Their shops aren't that great. Even their Crayola shop wasn't that fun. We did go to their train restaurant called Fritz's. It's a hamburger place that delivers your food on a little train that rides around the restaurant. If you ever go there expect a line. The boys said right off the bat, "I'm not wearing one of those hats!" Isaak copies whatever Mica says. I pleaded, and they tried them on. They must be growing up.

We stopped and saw some art to.

Closer to Saint Louis we camped for 2 nights.

3. We went on a cave tour at Meramec Cavern. That was my favorite spot!

4. We went to Graham Cave State Park. There they had a free tour. Travis found a tooth of a mammoth (we're thinking) by that area.

5. We went to a small town called Hermann. It's full of historical places. I wouldn't mind going back there! My husband has German family that settled there. 

Source

The New Year

Yesterday I had a cough. I didn't think much of it. I mean I took the tree down the night before, and cleaned in spots that don't get cleaned as much - like behind the TV stand. With my allergies coughing is normal.

I met with two of my old friends for lunch.

After that moment things got worse. Then I felt bad exposing my friends, and their children to my germs.

Last evening we watched Night at the Museum - Battle of the Smithsonian and Grease thanks to the Omaha Public Library! For the record in Grease they do have 2 questionable parts for kids like talking about hickeys, and making out in a car. Also for the record as a kid I remember none of this. It went over my head then. I know my boys don't have a clue what "hickeys" are. I'd like to keep it that way for now.

On with the story - I couldn't even sing to Grease. Let me tell you I know the words to every song. The extension of my sickness came on me like a bat out of hell. I got the shivers, and my body ached so bad! I called Grandma to tell her I won't be able to celebrate "Christmas" with my family tomorrow (which is today now). My sister's whole family was sick at Christmas time.

Grandma said, "Call your doctor right away. Get on Tamiflu." I reluctantly called their answering service, they transferred me to an on call nurse. She wouldn't call anything in until I saw someone. Dad called Urgent Care down the street that has a one star rating. I was out of choices. It was 7:50 on New Years Eve. 

They said, "We'll see her if she gets here in 5 minutes." Out of the house I go with flannel pjs on. I was lucky enough to slip a bra on. Sorry for the (too much information bit). You get the point.

It was the last day I could use my insurance card. My new insurance was accepted, but I don't have a card yet. 

It took them awhile to see me. The lady had me fill out paper work even though I'd seen them before. Then they switched my chart with someone else. That got resolved really fast. I could see why they have a 1 star rating.

The test came up negative for Influenza, but they are treating me for it anyhow. The doctor said, "The test is only right 70% of the time. You are on day one. Day one usually doesn't come up positive." Off I went to pick up my meds. 

I've been washing clothes like crazy. Dad slept on our clean bed that he made, and I slept on the couch (since I was resting there before going to Urgent Care).

I know I have Influenza despite what the test said. I was feverish last night, I had chills, I was aching all over, I had a dry cough, I was around someone at work that left and was off of work for 2 days that shared the same symptoms, and today my eyes ache, and I'm coughing up stuff. 

I came home expecting my boys to be asleep. Nope! They were wide awake. Isaak fell asleep at 10, and Mica blinked heavily from 8:30 to 11:15. 

Daddy was sipping on wine and said, "Oh come on let them stay up." I didn't have the energy to argue. When the boys stay up they are grumpy the next day, and fight more than normal.

  
So far 2015 isn't nice. I'm hoping for a better year as we get a little more into the year.

*By the way I did get a flu shot, but it's strain wasn't right this year. Boo!