Well, the end of break is finally in sight. And now I'm suddenly realizing just how much I didn't get done over break. And I'm perfectly ok with this. Because there's not too many days that I can spend posted up on the couch with Jordan and watch an entire season of Dexter...or when I can sleep til 10:30 or 11:00 (if my body even lets me)...or do some laundry and cleaning between napping and cuddling with Paisley. But I am ready for school to get started. I'm actually feeling really prepared for this semester. I even have my books bought and one lesson done already for my online class. What's happening to me? I think the biggest nerd I know my sister is starting to rub off on me. Not like I'm complaining, clearly it's paid off for both of us to be nerds. Literally. Schools love us and are PAYING us to be students. What's up to no more student loans?? Booyahhh.
To cap off break, I decided that tomorrow I'm giving myself a spa day. And I'm telling myself that I deserve it and since I have Christmas money, that means it should be used for a special treat. I love the feeling of a fresh hair cut, highlights and a mani! I gotta look good at the start of the semester to impress the kids in my class. Don't want them to think I'm some greasy, broke and sloppy TA that they have. Obviously, I am none of the above even without the spa day. But who doesn't feel better about themselves knowing they're nicely put together? I rest my case.
In other news, we finally got some snow here. Puke. Seriously, I was perfectly happy and content with having no snow yet. I could have went all winter without it! It's like snow hits the pavement and suddenly people are like, "ooh driving, what is this crazy metal box with wheels that I have gotten myself into? Brakes? What do you mean I need to tap on my brakes in the snow and ice?" Some people's driving in the snow/winter conditions ends up driving me fucking nuts. Unless you're going to work or have an emergency, get off the roads people. Go back home, get some movies lined up and be a bum all day. And then order delivery pizza like we did because we're not driving out in this weather and afterall, that's their job...right?
Jordan is finally on the second book of The Hunger Games Trilogy, thank god. I feel like we're in a two-man book club because we discuss it each night before we go to bed. Then I turn on a movie or go to sleep and tell him that he has to keep reading so we can talk about it more. I wonder if our kids will just keep reading like that when I tell them to? I hope that they love reading as much as I do or even if they're big closet readers like Jordan, I'll be happy with that as well. Speaking of reading and watching a movie in bed, looks like it's that time of night to shower and get in bed to talk about The Hunger Games some more and our weekend plans. I wonder what kind of adventures we'll get into this time...cheers to the weekend and Happy Friday!!!
Well so far my break has went something like this....I go to bed between 11-12pm when Jordan does (since he's working all week full-time...one of us has to be productive right?), watch a movie or read in bed until 1ish, sleep til 10am, then finish the movie or chapter I ended on. After Paisley and I have had enough of just laying in bed, I figure it's time to change back into some sweats and a hoody then post up on the couch. All day. And usually fit a nap in somewhere between 2-4. I really don't know what my life has come to. So today I finally switched it up and after realizing that Christmas is only 5 days away, I finished all of my Christmas shopping. I got ALL of it done in ooh about 4 hours, including wrapping, if that even. Which makes me laugh because I know some people who have spent close to (and probably way more than) 40 HOURS Christmas shopping! Yes, you read that right. 40 HOURS!!!! That would be an entire full-time work week spent shopping. What?! I don't have the time (or money!) for that!!
What is happening to Christmas?!! I don't get it!! Why do stores start putting Christmas stuff out at the same time as they set out the Halloween decorations and candy! It's beyond ridiculous. Not to go all churchy and "God-freak" on you all, but isn't the real meaning of Christmas the birth of Jesus? Do kids these days even know the story and how it all went down? It makes me sad and somewhat disgusted that some parents just think that Christmas is about the presents and Santa and the quantity of stuff they give, not the quality. Maybe I'm wrong here, but I honestly don't ever remember growing up like that or celebrating like that. Sure, my siblings and I all made "Christmas Wish Lists" but that's all they were. Wish lists. Because we could write down anything and everything we wanted knowing damn well that we wouldn't see half the stuff under the tree at any point in time. We went to a Catholic school growing up so we went to Mass twice a week, followed the Advent calendar and wreath and did different volunteer activities throughout the month of December...ya know, sing at the nursing home, read to elementary kids, ring the salvation army bell. Anyway, we gave our time is the point I'm trying to make. We did random acts of kindness because people remember those longer and those go a hell of a lot further than a Christmas tree full of the latest clothes and shoes underneath of it. I think people underestimate the power of acts of kindness. You don't have to look very far to realize that people everywhere are less fortunate than you or have it worse off. If you're reading this, you're already more fortunate and rich than countless people who can't even read or don't have a computer or access to the internet.
So back to my point. Christmas and gift giving. It's outrageous and something has got to change. I'd like to think and tell myself this, and also my mom, that we're at the age where if we want something, we can buy it ourselves. If we can't afford it, we'll either save up for it or decide we don't need it that bad after all. Christmas to us isn't about the "stuff" or the gifts. It's about family and being together. It's about the memories and hugs and laughs and snuggles and good times that we'll all share over a few days that we all get to spend together. We all pile in the car and go to church together which gives all of us time to reflect on the year, our lives and be truly thankful for who we have in our life and what we are blessed with. I wish all families Christmases were like this. I wish that people would keep "Christ" in Christmas and not change it to x-mas or "Happy Holidays." All I know is that when Jordan and I have kids, I hope to teach them from an early age what Christmas is about. I hope our kids understand that there are other kids out there much less fortunate than them and to show them how rewarding it would be to donate their new toys to Toys for Tots or use their own Christmas money to donate to an organization that helps support kids with cancer. While I'm sure the massive overload of spoiling will still happen from the grandparents (because isn't that what grandparents are for?!), I hope that they would at least help recognize that just because they didn't teach their own kids these values, they would help us teach our kids what's important to us and our family. Gotta teach 'em and start 'em young right? I saw a pin the other day on Pinterest and thought it was so fitting for this time of year:
The 4 Gift-Giving Rule:
-one thing they want
-one thing they need
-one thing they wear
-one thing they read
Brilliant. Thank you, Pinterest. You did it again. I should pass this along to those 40-hour shoppers for next year. And I have already mental noted this for the future. And to wrap this up, just because Christmas is this weekend and the festive music will stop on the radio and the gift giving will come to an end, doesn't mean the gift of time and gratitude needs to stop. Volunteer at the local hospital. Read to kids at the library. Give blood. Take your neighbors dog for a walk. Donate to a charity you support. Smile at someone you cross paths with. Do something, anything. A little boy in Dance Marathon once said, "an act of kindness, big or small, is the greatest gift of all." If a five year old knows that, what's wrong with the rest of us?? Just think of how much better this world would be if we all put someone before ourselves first, even if just for a day or a few hours. Make it a New Year's Resolution if you have to. Eventually, we'll get Christmas back the way it used to be. Until then, enjoy all of the time with family and friends, embrace the moments together and spread the love around to those who might not have as much. And remember: count your blessings, not your problems.
I have officially been on "Winter Break" since last Wednesday until January 17th. That is 5 weeks. 5 WEEKS. What in the hell am I going to do for 5 WEEKS?!!?!?!?!!!!! I'm going crazy just thinking about that.... First off, I'm going to be sleeping in. Although my body now only lets me sleep in until 9:00, sometimes 9:30 if I'm lucky. Maybe over break I'll acquire tons of motivation to start working out. I mean, I have 5 weeks to come up with a routine and start getting my sweat on. After all, that size 2 wedding dress hanging in my closest isn't going to wear itself! Or maybe I'll start catching up on scrapbooking....or read a new book series (I just finished all of The Hunger Games recently. I recommend the series to everyone. Read them. Love them. Get pumped for the first movie to come out in March!!!!)....bake and cook some tasty treats and meals....lounge and cuddle on the couch all day with Paisley. Clearly, my possibilities here are endless! Realistically, the amount of time I'll spend napping/laying on the couch/watching movies/snuggling with Paisley could be scary. But since I just officially finished my first semester of grad school with stellar grades and have made it through 4 months of wedding planning and puppy training without entirely losing my mind, I think I deserve to kick back and relax for all it's worth! The things that I know I will definitely be doing over break are:
1. Celebrating Christmas with my whole family all together and then celebrate with all of Jordan's family. I love family get togethers so much and I can't wait for Christmas just to see my family!
2. Drinking the two bottles of wine I have on the counter. They've been staring me down the past few days and I think it's time that I enjoy them. Maybe I'll get the new wine glasses/bottle opener I asked for which means I'd have no choice but to drink them.
3. Making our guest book for the wedding. It's going to be a photobook with fun tid-bits and stories along with lots of pictures, duh. And it's going to be the bomb.
4. Decorating a mailbox that will be used for our cardbox. Unique and DIY is the theme of our wedding. So again, it's going to be the bomb.
5. Enjoying and loving all of the down time with my fiance. Sometimes the stress and routine of school, work, and balancing our families gets both of us acting all sorts of crazy so I'm looking forward to lots of lounging and laughing with Jordan.
And on that note, Jordan just said we're going to a movie at 9:30 tonight. Yay for a surprise date night! And an even bigger yay that I get to pick the movie! I have a feeling these 5 weeks will probably just fly by but either way, I'm loving break already :)
