Hurtling Into the Holidays

Whew, I just figured out our Thanksgiving plans last Friday! And yes, I realize it’s less than two weeks away. We’re keeping it easy by ordering Nola’s Creole & Cocktails Thanksgiving Family Pack and having a friend over. For just $85, you get enough food to feed four people. And that includes bread pudding for dessert! Plus, they’re donating a meal for every Family Pack purchased. So we will spend the day eating delicious food and relaxing at home. OK, I will probably make some extra dessert or something as well, too. So excited!

Probably about this excited 😉

Stresses

The last few weeks have been a little stressful. Mostly because Joss quit crossing the street to go to school by himself after Fall Break. Every day for three weeks was a struggle to get him into the school building. We tried everything I could think of. Walking in with friends, having his dad drop him off, bribery, etc. Last week was finally better. What helped the most, I think, was the time change. Walking into school while it’s still dark is less appealing than heading in under broad daylight. We’re continuing to explore things that might help him in the future.

Now, it’s time to start planning out our holiday shopping lists. It’s been a vague thought running through my mind for a couple weeks, but I haven’t taken it too seriously yet. I’m trying to figure out what to make for the neighbors this year. Last year, we did cookie mix jars. It was the first time we did neighbor gifts, but it seemed like a good thing to do during a weird holiday season. I think this year we’ll make some festive Chex mix: chex.com/recipes. Something that Joss can help with, and that can be customized in many ways! Any ideas or favorite gifting recipes? Share in the comments, please!

Successes

On a positive note, Joss got his first COVID shot last week! He did really well, overall. I was worried I might have to keep him home from school the next day, but he was feeling just fine! His dad and I both had a day of fevers and exhaustion, but not Joss. Thank goodness. Afterwards, we headed to Starbucks in Utica Square for a post-vaccine treat. And he’s been promised a Harry Potter Lego set after his second shot. Mostly because I kind of want it, too. 🙂

We scheduled his through vaccines.gov, and they let us go ahead and set up his second shot as well. You can also schedule yours through the Tulsa Health Department at vaccinate918.com. Also, if you have any questions, I got to ask Tulsa Health Department some questions about COVID vaccines for kids 5-11. You can find their answers here.

Joss is on a break from swim lessons in November and December. Which means I have to motivate myself to go to the gym at a time I’m not already obligated to go! So…yeah, that’s not going so well. But then, I discovered that Cosmic Kids just uploaded a Great British Bake Off-themed yoga video! So Joss and I enjoyed doing that in our living room, along with some other yoga sessions.

On a semi-related note, while Joss is on a swim lesson break, I finally signed him up for a free trial lesson at Midtown Martial Arts. I’ve been thinking about enrolling him in a martial arts class for awhile now. Beyond giving him some extra activity, I think it could help with confidence…and that he’d just really enjoy it! So, I am excited to see how that goes! Plus, the facility is right next to OK Cookie Momster. So if we do end up enrolling him, I foresee more delicious cookies in my future. Woot!

Altogether, no, I don’t feel ready for the holiday season. But we’ve had a lot of good things going on, along with the not-so-fantastic. How is your holiday season going so far?