The Hours Before Black Friday

So Turkey Day went off without a hitch here. The dinner came out fab if I do say so myself, house was clean, etc. We ate early so by late in the day it was the  girls & I. I was dragging out some decorations and came upon those battery operated candles that you put in the window. M wanted one in her room & somewhere around that convo my stomach started killing me. That OMG someone has a vice around my stomach and I'm going to die pain.  I'm thinking WTH did I do while thanking god that at least up until that point no one else is sick. Thankfully no one else suffered but I waddled around seriously hunched over for about an hour before conceding defeat and going to lay down.

In that hour I took a candle to M's room, unscrewed the glass top & dumped batteries in. The top glass part is always tricky to get on so I pushed it,just a little bit... and CRACK. It smashed in my hand and all over her bed. An hour later I am laying in bed picking glass out of my hand and my bra! Apparently that proves just how hunched over I had been!

I'm afraid to even touch the rest of the candles!

Blessings:

Little girls that are growing up & turning into people that (for the most part) I really like. 

Our comfy home.

The Xmas lights that already make me happier.

Coffee.

Running.

Mid-week bookstore escapes.

Good friends.

Being comfortable in my own skin.

Independence.

Enjoying the fact that I'm single rather than being sad over it.

Volunteering at the school.

A job that I actually like.

Music. Whether it's the ipod docking station, the radio or my own little YouTube clip world, it's a gift.

The furry people that follow me to bed & then huddle on my pillow with me.

Bad reality tv that distracts & amuses me.

Being excited about skating & dance again. Realizing my burnout is over & I can work in these areas again.

The dinner that I singlehandedly pulled off today. I LOVE cooking holiday meals.

Wordless Wednesday

Pilgrims, Indians & Piglets!

I think I still smell like turkey & if I don't then cooking another one will ensure that I do. Yesterday second grade had their Thanksgiving Feast. Who made turkey for 28 kids??? Your looking at her! (Kinda) I was sort of glad to do a pre-Thanksgiving run thru though. The kids put on a play. Pilgrims, Indians, etc.

So cute.

How much did they eat? Holy hell! An 18 pound turkey, 10 pounds of mashed potatoes, 5 containers of stuffing, 4 pounds of corn, 34 pies...a gazillion juice boxes & milks- THEN they went to LUNCH!  Seriously amazing amount of food was gone in under an hour. I KNOW that when I help in the class I'm exhausted when done but yesterday was WORK. Constantly a kid at my arm, one in front of me talking & two more arguing and asking me to settle the spat. There were 3 of us on duty and all three of us were in THAT EXACT BOAT the whole time. I finally turned to my friend Jen and said, "OMG this is harder than a marathon today!" and she totally agreed.

So worth it though. So of my best days (still, cuz I've been saying this exact thing for years) are spent with these kids.