Throwing it back to November, which seems like a lifetime ago, I had a fairly uneventful month, all things considered. Work is work, as usual. Students still act up, but my pregnancy hormones have led to me having a significantly lower BS tolerance, so they might actually be acting a little bit better for me than usual, if only because I've made it abundantly clear that I don't have time for their bad behaviors. Before our Thanksgiving break, the school had its annual Grandparents' day celebration. This is a pretty big deal, apparently, but only the people involved could actually attend. (aka the students in clubs/organizations and grandparents) I was pretty jazzed to not have to do much for the day, until I was called upon to cover a class. This class, no lie, contained all of my worst-behaved students from last year. And we didn't have a lesson plan. And we were in the room together for a little over an hour. And most of the students didn't take their medications, as we were being released at 11:00 that day. It was the perfect storm, but I somehow survived.
In other news, my coworker Shedonna had her twins! They're absolutely precious and perfect! I got to meet them the other day and loved getting some newborn snuggles, which are the best! It made me that much more antsy for my little one to arrive!
Our Thanksgiving was good, as we went up to OK to be with my family. It was great getting to be up there for the better part of the week! I made 6 pies and felt like my feet were going to fall off at the end of the day, which is why I purposely made them a day ahead of time. The day of was a good celebration. Mom got out the fine china, which we decided would work since Jakub is 5 and the others are responsible enough to handle that. The older boys thought we were so wildly fancy for doing that and acted accordingly. Gina even bought some special sparkling juices for the kids and me to share, while everyone else drank wine. It felt nice to be included in that!
(Aside: You don't realize how much people in your circle casually drink until you're in a position that you cannot drink. Then it just feels annoying constantly being surrounded by it. Not saying anything about anyone in particular, just an observation. Also, it's possible to have a good time without drinking.)
As is our new normal, we dined in the shed, which fits everyone much better than the house does. We can all sit at one big table and not have anyone feel excluded or separated. Since it's so well insulated and heated, it is a great all-purpose space. My dad also likes that he can freely smoke cigars out there, so that helps too. After our feast, Cody and Kyle jokingly suggested that they bring over their array of camping cots for us to nap on. Scotty and Emily were pretty on board with that idea, so they brought them over and constructed them. It made for a next-level napping experience! The Hladik clan had lots of fun randomly reconvening over the remainder of the weekend. We were sad to bid everyone adieu, but knew we'd return for our after-Christmas/NYE celebrations.
No sooner did we return to Dallas, we were off again to have dinner with Thomas' cousin Nicole and her new boyfriend Wilfred. We virtually met him a few weeks prior via FaceTime, but loved getting to meet him face-to-face. He is a kind, gentle soul who is just perfect for Nicole. We love him already. It turns out that we'll get to see him again next week. Wilfred is from Uganda, so he and Nicole have decided to make us an after-Christmas feast of traditional Ugandan foods! We're making him some of the traditional Liese Christmas foods, as well. The families and cultures, very symbolically, will unite.
Somewhere in the mix of everything, Thomas and I made a quick overnight trip to Quitman. Thomas constructed a trap for feral hogs to hopefully dwindle their population to a more manageable level. They are very destructive and dangerous, so it is a good thing that he's trying to thin the herd a little bit.
Upon our return from Quitman, we decided, purely on a whim, to start Christmas shopping. This was mostly decided because I actually had energy to do so that day and wasn't sure when I'd get another good chance. I finished most of the remaining shopping the next weekend. The second day was a marathon for me. I shopped, I visited Shedonna, and I went to a choir concert with Diana that night. I would realize the next day that my body just won't allow me to have marathon days like that anymore. I spent the day feeling tired, achy, and generally lethargic. So it goes, as I determine my new normal.
In the midst of my shopping, I made a sudden realization that I bought Thomas and myself Christmas stockings last year that looked like hand-knit Christmas sweaters. They were adorable and just our style. But I also bought them at a one-off store. When we pulled out our decorations that weekend, I quickly realized that we needed another stocking, if not now, then for next year. And my OCD self couldn't stand the thought of not having matching stockings. So I did what every sane person does. I went back to the store and miraculously found the same style of stocking! Not wanting to press my luck for future years when Christmas sweaters AREN'T in vogue anymore, I bought 4 more stockings. It was a little weird buying that many, but I wanted to be safe. I also told Thomas that this means we can only have 4 kids! Crisis averted for now!
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| Success! |
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| Unrelated note, but the aftermath of my poor choice to have glittery Christmas cards... |
Last weekend, Thomas and Steve were out of town on a hunting trip with their friend Chip, so I stayed behind to make cookies to send to Rebecca at the convent. If you're curious, she is doing well and altogether loving her new life. It is not without its own set of unique challenges, but I think she has acclimated and discerned well. She mostly misses getting to see her friends and family regularly, but wouldn't we all after a point? It constantly amazes me to see all that God has done in her life. We correspond via letter somewhat often. It takes her a while to carve out time to write, as she stays pretty busy, but she always manages to send a little note!
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| White Chocolate Chip Cranberry cookies They're every bit as tasty as they look! |
I have FINALLY finished the first half of the school year! It seems like it flew by, which terrifies me only slightly, because when we get to the next half being finished, I'll be a few weeks from having the baby! Trying to stay "here" and not concern myself too terribly much with all that is to come. I can only be so prepared, and I have a wonderful tribe to help me get there, so that allays much of my concerns.
Onward to our marathon of Christmas celebrations! Have a Merry Christmas, everyone!!!
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