Baltimore Christmas Blog

Dec 17-Dec 22, 2018  Sending out the back log!

So the last big week before Christmas and the last push to get all the cards sent and presents bought and wrapped. We will be having Christmas a bit earlier this year, spending Saturday opening presents and going to mass, as well as the kids favorite tradition, eating chinese food.

Scott has enjoyed being back at home, visiting with friends, spending time on his computer playing video games and drawing. He also decided to make a little money and worked at his elementary

school as an After Care staff member. He was still in the system, and they were happy to have extra assistance. Plus he decided to work the morning shift before school started at 9am. He was done in a few hours and is paid more for his time. And they have him on the list so when he returns for Spring Break and when he gets out in April, he can pick up where he left off. He enjoyed seeing some of his previous teachers and kids that he remembered(and they all remembered him!). And he enjoyed the feeling of Christmas and the Holy Days at the school as the kids and adults prepared for the upcoming holiday. We were also very pleased with his first college report card as he starts off with a 3.1 GPA. Way to go Scott! He is already signed up for next semester and the tuition is paid. He will be flying back to Michigan from Louisiana so he is ready for school to start Monday the 7th of January.

I went in to work one day this past week and the staff invited me to their holiday painting party. We had a fun time painting a snowman picture while sipping wine and munching on cheese and sausage which I brought, and the staff are all very nice. I will be looking forward to joining them in January on a full time basis(30 hrs!), just like I wanted with full benefits and a pay increase. So I should be working my old M-Th shift at a very nice facility, close to our house.

I also had to take Pika in for her Senior check up this week. She has not been doing well-lost weight and lost her vision. I officially put her on cat hospice. One day she did not even get up off the couch, did not eat or drink. I thought she was done but she perked up the next day. However, she can't go upstairs to her litter box anymore and starting using my Christmas tree skirt as a toilet. I set her up downstairs with a mat and the litter box, and started feeding her wet cat food since she won't eat the dry. We figured the vet would recommend putting her down, but she ate an entire can of wet cat food at the vets clinic, and they said her blood pressure was perfect! So I guess she will be hanging around for awhile longer! However, as we get ready to head out for a few weeks, the neighbors will be caring for her and are worried she may pass while we are gone. You never know with cats.

Besides packing and wrapping presents, sending out Christmas cards, I also had to take Mom B back to the ortho for one more knee appointment and injection. She did not like the last shot! But she did enjoy getting some lunch and her hair done afterwards. I also decided to get my hair done while I was there as we plan for the upcoming family wedding. And Allison and I ran out and had our nails done Thursday evening. Just in time to return home and have coffee, dessert and drinks with our neighbors that will be watching the house/cat/turtle and Allison's fish while we are gone. Last minute cat instructions.  On Friday, after I returned from the painting party we headed off to our friends for dinner and a visit before their boys head back to school after break. They will be watching Cookie, but we decided to keep her a few more days and drop her off on Sunday morning. Tom ended up staying home however that night, as he was not feeling well. He finally made it to the doctor and had some nasal sprays prescribed that were making him feel lousy. Not sure it will clear up his cough that he has had for 3 months! He tried going to the urgent care one day and it was a 2 hr wait so he left. But did not go back! He has been fighting colds and allergies all fall, and traveling has probably not helped. I asked him to go back though and take Scott for a flu shot. Don't need the boy getting sick while away at school next year. So the rest of us had an enjoyable visit with our friends and a wonderful meal!

Tom was feeling better on Saturday, thank goodness. This was our Christmas Day!  We went to church at the 5pm Saturday night mass after a busy day of packing and cleaning, and hauling Christmas presents down under the tree! I also had a friend stop by to visit and exchange Christmas gifts. We had met for lunch a few weeks ago when Tom was out of town, but did not have our gifts handy.  After church we headed over for Chinese food(kids favorite) and then came home to open family gifts. It was a lot of fun! I like spreading Christmas out over the month!  Everyone loved their gifts. The kids big gifts were fit bits and a new computer watch for Scott. Allison is still a bit on the fence about the fit bit. Then there were clothes, jewelry, scarves, socks, video games, books, purses, calendars, photos, household items like new bird feeders for me and an oil pump for Tom. Mostly it was fun just opening presents. Then it was time to clean up and get to bed!

On Sunday we had last minute packing and loading Mom B's scooter on the back of my van. The new trailer with ramp makes it so much easier to travel with the scooter. We were taking the auto train to Florida and needed to be at the station before 230.  Tom, Allison and Scott dropped off Cookie to our neighbors and then dropped off Allison's car at the Northrop parking lot near the airport for when she returns home. Then we were off to pick up my mom and head to the train station!