New Year's Eve

I'm not sure if I've always been slightly annoyed by the hype around New Year's? I feel like it's been a while? Anyway, I don't usually plan much, and honestly with the kidlets, what exactly am I going to plan? And maybe I could have made more fun of it, but didn't? This year I invited our friends the Lim-Andersons over the play and hang out. (My kids always remind me that they're the Andersons - whatever!)

They came over late afternoon and we ate fun food and the kids played! We had such a fun night.

 

I have thought a little bit about 2020. I'm not sure what I want to accomplish. I'm not sure what I want to do and achieve, but I do know that having a loving family and loving friends that is everything to me. I'm thankful for my life, and for the lessons I've learned this past year. Onwards and upwards! 

Feverish Fun!

It started a week ago on Saturday night. Fiona was excessively tired. She fell asleep on my bed at 7:30. Ken thought this was great, I thought it was ominous. At 10:30 when she woke up and barfed my fears were confirmed.

Sunday was Christmas church - I went with Kate and Alice. Ken stayed home with Fiona. Fiona had a fever all day. We had McCartney family Christmas and took turns hanging out with Fiona.

 

Monday she still had a fever.

Christmas Day, Alice started not feeling well. Ken had a fever too.

Boxing Day Alice had a fever all day. I got one too.

By Saturday it seemed like the worst was behind us. Ken and I still didn't feel great, but everyone seemed on the mend. Fiona - poor thing, was still recovering. This picture is of her napping again! She never naps now!

Hopefully next week we'll all feel lots better and we'll be able to do some fun things as a family!

Seventeen

It's been a week! Christmas, dinners, family, barf and fever! YAY! It really stinks that Ken has had five days off in a row (this is day 4) and we've all been sick. I'm starting to feel better, so that's good. No one had to take time off work, so that's good. Fiona was really sick - like off and on all week, so not rushing her back to school, that was really good. Slowing down, something I don't like to do, the girls have needed it, so that was good. And through it all, with my Ken at my side... I can do anything. I'm so glad that I share my life with him. He is my greatest blessing! Happy 17th Anniversary my love!

Christmas

Christmas Day right now means new toys and food. The girls were so excited about opening their stockings and their presents. I think the last two years Ken has gotten up early with the girls, they opened their stockings, we ate breakfast and then they opened their presents. This year Fiona kept asking me if I would get up. I felt super guilty about not getting up? Honestly, I think it was two years, but I'm not even sure. I know one year I was up way to late wrapping presents...

Anyway, on Christmas Eve we agreed that 7:20 was a good wake up time, and at 7:20 on the dot the girls came into our room to wake us up. We were already awake and ready!

The girls opened their stockings and loved everything!

Then instead of waiting for breakfast, or anything else, we just told them to go for it. It was nice because I think we pretty much took turns and opening one gift at a time.

The girls got dressed, they played. Grandma came over, eventually Andrew came over, and then the missionaries came over. (Elder Wong from Oregon and Elder Etaya from Georgia)

Even though we're not all feeling 100%, everyone had a fun day!

Christmas Eve Dreamies

Jammies for Christmas Eve, it just makes sense!

We watched a Christmas movie together as a family. The girls opened their new Dreamies. We read Luke 2, and then it was time for bed.

McCartney Family Christmas

Once upon a time we hosted a McCartney Family Thanksgiving in Tottenham. Our house felt like it was pushed to the limits. It was good that it was nice out, because lots of people hung out outside. I felt unsure of when we'd ever be up for hosting again...

This year we finished our basement. Our house now had enough room - maybe! Our long narrow house with only one sitting room - ugh, I sound awful complaining, but Ken's family is big, and I wasn't sure we'd all fit, but we did! I don't think we fit well, but we fit. Everyone did seem to have a good time like they always do.

Poor little Fiona had a fever, such a bad fever. Well, not scary hospital bad, but she slept so much, and she was so out of it, and I couldn't get her to take any advil. She was a mess. And I didn't want to leave her alone, so I held her, Ken held her, and the two of us took turns staying upstairs with the poor little thing.

We did have a nice time, despite poor feverish Fiona. I think Ken's family had a nice time. Little Kinsley (Brittany and Dan's baby) was a delight to meet! And our girls helped clean on Saturday. We did so much cleaning and organizing it felt good, really good. And we didn't have to drive anywhere. And if it had been somewhere far, I would have stayed home with Fiona. So really, the whole thing worked out the way it needed to.

Hot Hot Hot

I don't remember when I acquired the little thermometer I have in my classroom, but I've monitored the temperature in my classroom for years, usually just in the hot summer/spring months. It can get pretty unbearable in my classroom in May/June, sometimes early September, but it is what it is!

Last winter it was really hot in my room. We had a caretaker filling in last year for a few weeks, and he put a work order in, a guy came in replaced something, and it seemed to be better - not much, but better.

This fall it has been about 24 degrees once the heat turned on, but then a few weeks ago it spiked up to 26 degrees. I no longer wanted to stand it!

That was December 3rd. I was so happy to go outside after school, so happy in fact that I took pictures and posted about it! It was the next week that the same guy game in, he replaced the same thing that he replaced last year, and then!! And then it was a whole two degrees cooler... and then only one degree cooler.

I've been keeping my principal updated, and the head caretaker. The head caretaker hasn't seemed convinced that the problem can be fixed, but we're all dying! The kids in the afternoon complain about how hot it is, I'm only wearing t-shirts, and I'm so done. It makes me crazy, but it also makes me laugh (or it would make me cry!).

Today after school when I took the last picture (above) I had just been told by my principal that someone would be in again next week. I really hope that my classroom will one day actually be room temperature!