December 2020 W.I.S.H. - Finding Delight

[Oneanne]

SOCIAL SATURDAY

When and how did you discover Santa wasn't "real"? Wait, what?!?

 

[MickeyMom76]

I don’t remember how old I was, but probably older than most. I think my mom assumed I knew. We were at the store and she asked me to help pick something out for my younger brother (I think it was a microscope or telescope). Then I watched him open it Christmas morning. But I wasn’t traumatized over it. I just remember noticing it, then accepting. We never talked about it.

 

[Summer2018]

SOCIAL SATURDAY

When and how did you discover Santa wasn't "real"? Wait, what?!?

I played with older children in my neighborhood growing up. They basically ruined everything. When I was 8, they told me about Santa, but I didn't really believe them at first. Eventually, I realized they were telling the truth. They also told me about the "birds and the bees" around the same time. It was rather alarming. I wish I didn't have to grow up so fast.

I was very fortunate to be able to make it last longer for DD. Her last year of believing was when she was 11. We drove to WDW on December 23, 2008, and packed up all of the wrapped gifts from Santa in the trunk behind the luggage. She woke up Christmas morning in WDW to discover that Santa found her in Disney and left her gifts in our room. It was such a special Christmas because she still believed with all her heart.

 

[Summer2018]

FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL

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How are you doing? How did the week go for you? What will you tweek and do differently next week?

I lost 3.5 pounds, so I got back on track pretty easily. It is amazing how measuring and tracking your food can make such a difference. I was able to eat foods that I really love including high-calorie Panera macaroni and cheese and See's chocolate Santas. It really is a matter of balance...you can have the goodies as long as you have enough fruits and vegetables to counteract those higher calories.

My Christmas baking begins next weekend, so my plan is to follow my weight loss plan during the week and loosen up on the weekends. Food is a big part of the holidays for me, especially Christmas cookies. Some of my best memories are decorating cookies with DD. Below is a photo of last year’s cookies. ❄☃

 

[MickeyMom76]

I lost 3.5 pounds, so I got back on track pretty easily. It is amazing how measuring and tracking your food can make such a difference. I was able to eat foods that I really love including high-calorie Panera macaroni and cheese and See's chocolate Santas. It really is a matter of balance...you can have the goodies as long as you have enough fruits and vegetables to counteract those higher calories.

My Christmas baking begins next weekend, so my plan is to follow my weight loss plan during the week and loosen up on the weekends. Food is a big part of the holidays for me, especially Christmas cookies. Some of my best memories are decorating cookies with DD. Below is a photo of last year’s cookies. ❄☃
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Those cookies look amazing! You’re very talented!

 

[Oneanne]

I lost 3.5 pounds, so I got back on track pretty easily. It is amazing how measuring and tracking your food can make such a difference. I was able to eat foods that I really love including high-calorie Panera macaroni and cheese and See's chocolate Santas. It really is a matter of balance...you can have the goodies as long as you have enough fruits and vegetables to counteract those higher calories.

My Christmas baking begins next weekend, so my plan is to follow my weight loss plan during the week and loosen up on the weekends. Food is a big part of the holidays for me, especially Christmas cookies. Some of my best memories are decorating cookies with DD. Below is a photo of last year’s cookies. ❄☃
View attachment 542135

Those cookies look great!

 

[MickeyMom76]

It was a mixed week for me, and it flew by. I was inconsistent about taking my thyroid meds, sometimes forgetting to take them until I had eaten something (it is supposed to be 30 minutes before eating) and then running out before I could get a refill. This resulted in really tired evenings where nothing got done and some really cold/sore feet. My intention for the coming week is to be consistent and precise about taking it and getting back on track.

This weekend I am going to dedicate myself to crafting, like seriously go all out. I ordered high quality merino felt to make some ornaments out of, something along these lines:

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and will be making some paper bag snowflakes like this:

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Plus I've decided to knit cuffs (fingerless/thumbless gloves) for stocking stuffers... I wear mine all the time and love them.

So it should be a happy productive weekend!

Those crafts look like fun! Can’t wait to see how yours turn out! Please share pictures. And enjoy your crafting weekend!

 

[Oneanne]

I remember realizing one year that Santa's handwriting matched my Mother's but it wasn't a shock, more of a confirmation, so someone must have told me something. My Sister is three years older so it could have been her or kids at school chatting and figuring it out. It was in the Seattle house, because I can picture standing by the fireplace checking out the tags on the stuff in our stockings, so I was at least 3rd grade so 8 or 9 years old. "Way back then" kids didn't have access to any media that wasn't controlled by their parents so it was unlikely that you would accidently hear or see something, it would only come from siblings or other kids.

 

[sjrec]

I don’t remember a specific instance-more like a gradual awareness. My parents never came out and said Santa didn’t exist, but I probably just figured it out. It certainly wasn’t traumatic! I know my grandson doesn’t believe anymore but he isn’t quite ready to say it out loud.

Summer2018, those cookies look like a cover of Food Network magazine! I love to bake cookies as well. I have a few favorites I make every year and I like to try and find a new one as well. I’m making some peanut butter blossoms tonight because the kids are coming over tomorrow.

 

[Summer2018]

MickeyMom76, Oneanne, & Sjrec:

Thank you. You are too kind.

 

[Oneanne]

SELF CARE SUNDAY

Earlier this week a gal I follow on IG was talking about her mental health with all the current challenges and shared a coping mechanism she came up with - move the carrots closer. So instead of thinking about the rewards that will come someday in the future when we get thru this, what are the rewards, special treats, self care things that are right here for us now, easily within reach and attainable? Today she queried followers asking what their carrots are and here are some of the answers:

Sitting quietly and lighting some candles
A big warm sweater
Crossword puzzles
A warm shower or soak in the tub

What are some of your carrots that you can move closer to you and enjoy today?

 

[MickeyMom76]

Hallmark Movies - these have become my little escape during the holiday season. Yesterday I tired to get my To Do list done and then rewarded myself with the new movie while wrapping gifts.

Christmas cookies - Nothkng fancy here. Just plain old chocolate chip (a favorite in this house). I was allowing myself one cookie after school if I stayed on track with my eating (which is fairly easy since I can only eat what I take this year....no faculty room treats or birthday treats at school now).

Christmas lights - Last night, I picked my daughter up from work. She still has her permit and needs some practice hours driving at night. So she drove me around to look at Christmas lights.

 

[Oneanne]

Christmas lights... which are mostly still on when I do my morning drives and looking at them is a lovely way to start the day. It feels like more people have put them up this year, which I am so appreciative of. I love mine, after three tries... coming down the hill you see my house glowing and I love it.

My drives... which have been the single most helpful thing when it comes to maintaining some mental health. Getting out and seeing that the world is still there and it looks the same, watching the seasons change. It is interesting tho that lately I've wanted to hunker down and stay in the neighborhood.

Ferry boats... they were my emotional anchor when we were under stay-at-home in the Spring, sitting at the vantage points during my walks where I could watch them come and go, just chugging along. Every trip over to the Peninsula that I've taken one, I get to the ferry dock super early so I can sit there and soak it in. And on my neighborhood beach drive I go past our ferry dock and then around Alki Point can also see the ferries coming and going from the dock downtown.

And now crafting... having something in my hands that I have a tactile connection to, that takes thought and concentration and results in something tangible and real. I want to make ornaments that look like frosted cookies but the gingerbread colored felt hasn't come yet, so I ended up making a tree that looks more rustic than I was in the mood for but I love the way it turned out. When I was growing up my Mom would give me a bad time for being sloppy in what I made and often not finishing, which wasn't wrong as I'm fast when doing things and get easily distracted by the next shiny thing, but shaming a kid isn't cool. So now when my stitches are neat and precise (which they always are) and I actually finish something I always think "see there - you were wrong".



I think I paste this picture into something every year. I reminds me of a road trip I took with my Sister and Niece when my Niece was about 6. She burst out in tears when she woke up as we were driving off the ferry because she had slept thru the ferryboat ride. To distract her/cheer her up I told her to watch out the car window because we were coming up to a place where Christmas trees grew, which worked, she was intrigued. Then when we drove past the Christmas Tree farm she started wailing again... they were just trees, not decorated!

 

[sjrec]

Listening to Christmas music and wrapping presents.

My walks on the trail in crisp, cold weather.

Zooming with my group of friends-it’s been so long since we’re seen each other in person but we can still talk and laugh for an hour once a week.

We rarely go out at night these days but I think we will bundle up and walk around the neighborhood this week to check out the lights.

 

[Summer2018]

The Christmas decorations at home, and the lights in the neighborhood have helped my spirits a lot. School isn't really decorated though, other than the two tabletop trees in my classroom. There's no kids around to create art work, so I put up my giant 3D snowman that usually goes up in January after we read, The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. I took down the pumpkins the kids made, and I needed something on my bulletin board. All of the others in the hallway are bare. We normally have a lot of decorations in the administrative wing...a Christmas Tree, Menorah, Kwanzaa candles, and a Three Kings Day display. So far, there's nothing. Maybe my decorations will inspire others.

I'm reading holiday books covering various holidays to the kids. We planned a virtual Grinch Day, Polar Express Pajama Day, and World Holiday Day which is something to plan and get excited about.

We have already started watching Christmas movies, and will continue.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Saturday Question -

I don't remember an actual conversation, just that I was probably a bit older than average. (My brother is 3 years younger than me, and I think my mom was very careful to preserve it as long as she could for me so it wouldn't trickle down to him.)

She always labeled some presents from Santa and some from her and Dad, though, even even when we were older. - It's how we knew which presents were special before we opened them, and how she knew what to have us open at the same time. Anything really special/sentimental was from Mom & Dad, and anything they would normally have said no to was from Santa.

Sunday Question -

I love the "move the carrots closer" line!

Hallmark Movies - these have become my little escape during the holiday season.

This is what I was going to say, too. I'm generally up early, and I look forward to starting one over my morning coffee. Then I finish it later after work or chores are done.

Christmas lights - Last night, I picked my daughter up from work. She still has her permit and needs some practice hours driving at night. So she drove me around to look at Christmas lights.

I love that!

I'm reading holiday books covering various holidays to the kids. We planned a virtual Grinch Day, Polar Express Pajama Day, and World Holiday Day which is something to plan and get excited about.

You are really doing a great job making things special for them in spite of a strange year. They will always remember this stuff!

 

[sjrec]

The Christmas decorations at home, and the lights in the neighborhood have helped my spirits a lot. School isn't really decorated though, other than the two tabletop trees in my classroom. There's no kids around to create art work, so I put up my giant 3D snowman that usually goes up in January after we read, The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats. I took down the pumpkins the kids made, and I needed something on my bulletin board. All of the others in the hallway are bare. We normally have a lot of decorations in the administrative wing...a Christmas Tree, Menorah, Kwanzaa candles, and a Three Kings Day display. So far, there's nothing. Maybe my decorations will inspire others.

I'm reading holiday books covering various holidays to the kids. We planned a virtual Grinch Day, Polar Express Pajama Day, and World Holiday Day which is something to plan and get excited about.

We have already started watching Christmas movies, and will continue.

I used to display Christmas and holiday picture books in the library and loved seeing the HS kids look through them and remember the stories. They enjoyed them as much as the young adult Christmas books!

 

[glss1/2fll]

Hooray! I lost a pound. If its friend would leave I'd be back where I was a couple weeks ago! Friday morning I wound up going back to bed. Live yoga was experiencing internet glitches. Way too frustrating. I decided a 30 minute rest was what I needed to get my day back on track!! I did that class in video format later and it was lovely!

Didn't make it to the grocery store yet. My fridge is a bit bare! Hoping tomorrow I can get some yummy healthy meals planned and do some shopping.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Good morning, all, and Happy Monday!!




How will you sparkle today?


I'm approaching today as a chance to have fun with the kids. I love Christmastime crafts, and we'll be doing a lot over the next couple of weeks. (Of course, we'll be sneaking in a little academics as well!) And for any of the other teachers and parents on hear, the NORAD tracks Santa website is up for the season, and has a page on holiday traditions around the world.

 

[MickeyMom76]

Workout done. Ready to start this day strong!
After a bit of a breakdown by my daughter and a LONG talk, I have determined that I need to be more positive at home. I think I tend to work so hard on trying to stay positive at work that I have been falling apart at home. So that is my main focus for the week.

Thanks for the info on the Santa tracker. I begin my unit on holidays around the world on Thursday. Day 1 is preparing our passports and suitcases for all of our traveling. Then we travel to a different country each day to learn about holidays and traditions the originated there. Can’t wait to get started. But first...finishing up assessments for report cards