December 2020 in review

I made it. A whole year of these month-in-review posts. Your responses keep coming in for my reader survey and so many of you really like reading these. I think of these posts as spectacular word vomit, so it’s nice to know you like them. (And if you haven’t taken the survey and regularly read my blog, you can go directly here for it. There’s a chance to win a gift card as my thank you and there are five days left until I choose a winner.)

I AM CURRENTLY…

Recovering from Christmas. Send coffee. No, sleep. No matter how much I sleep, I’m tired. Actually, I’m guilty of staying up later than I should because hashtag freedom. Work is starting to pick back up again, after a really shitty year. I started a scrap yarn blanket and I’m so excited about it. It’s this perfect mix of vintage and warmth, even if it’s slightly hideous.

CHRIS IS CURRENTLY…

Taking a good amount of vacation days which has been so nice with Olivia out of preschool right now. He got some plants for his office downstairs and Olivia helped him pot them. Olivia loves baking with him as well and they made sugar cookies and the most amazing bread for dipping in soup I’ve ever had. He still hasn’t been running much due to his shoulder issues. But bless his heart he will take these two crazies into his office while he does yoga.

OLIVIA IS CURRENTLY…

Doing artwork like a mad person. Drawings, coloring. Sticker books. Painting. She got a “professional” art kit for Christmas from us and has been learning about shading and creating an “ombre effect,” a term that sounds adorable in a munchkin vice. She’s been on Christmas break and both she and I can’t wait for her to return to preschool. The kid is out of control with her art projects. This picture below is of four different art areas she had going on until I laid the smack down and made her clean it all up.

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EMELIA IS CURRENTLY…

Practicing HARD at standing on her own without help and taking one or two steps before crashing down. She loves the attention she gets from us when we clap and cheer and she loves walking with her sister holding hands. She also loves blankets and makes sure she pulls them up to her chin while she nurses. Oh, and throwing things. Here she is in my new crochet bag I got for Christmas. Two minutes after I took this picture of her she crawled out of it and chucked it at me.

THE GOOD

• We watched several virtual Christmas concerts from our living room.
• Olivia wrote a letter to Santa that got mailed to the North Pole and got a response back. This article explains how you can do it next year.
• I finished my first big afghan that I’ve been working on for the last three months. It’s perfect because it’s gotten really cold outside.
• I convinced Olivia to get rid of her tent, Minnie Mouse table and chair, and her Sophia couch that were in her room. The couch is now downstairs, but I’ll be selling it in the spring, but we got her this pouch thing that we can fill with the gobs of stuffed animals she has, and then she can lay on it. She loves it. I love it because I can hide away the millions of blankets and animals she sleeps with nightly.

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• Chris’s work put on a virtual holiday Christmas party with Colin and Brad from “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?” We got to watch their comedy show from our living room. They also supplied each employee with generous gift cards to get a meal out. His company is amazing.
• I hadn’t seen my mom in so long due to her getting covid, so she finally came over mid-month and it was so good to see her. Olivia especially missed her so much.
• I made my first crochet hat for Olivia. It’s not perfect, but now I’ve gotten a request to make two for my friend with twins for their birthday.
• We finished out our ECFE class virtually which was still fun, but I’m so sad it got canceled in person because of covid. Luckily, I just signed both of them up for the winter session so we’ll try it again.
• Olivia and Emelia got to do a Zoom call with Santa.

THE BAD

• It got cold fast here, and we haven’t been able to really get out anymore. The last outing was a complete disaster with Emelia’s hands turning purple from the cold despite gloves. I have no idea where to get warm tiny baby gloves.
• Olivia, bless her heart, has been on sensory overload since Christmas. Not only did she get an abundance of toys, but she also plays with every one of her sister’s toys so really, it’s like double the amount. She’s been into everything, wanting to open everything, having meltdowns when I tell her there are ones we’re going to save for later. Oy. It’s been rough.
• Can I just say it’s been rough in general? Christmas was hard this year, as has every holiday for 2020.

ON MY MIND

• Why is Christmas such a woman’s holiday? Why does so much fall on us? The planning, the shopping, the wrapping, the placement under the tree??
• Social media is getting ugly again, divided, (when has it not been lately?) over the vaccine. And then I had a dream last week where I got the vaccine.
• I’ve been debating selling the crochet pieces I make.

• I really wish I had the storage space for all these boxes we’ve been getting for deliveries. For now, the kid is using her imagination at least.

Read more monthly review posts here.