The Corona Diaries Week 39 - Christmas is coming

I'm having pandemic fatigue. More so than usual. There is good news on the horizon, but it will be what? 6 - 8 - 10 more months like this? Hard to say...I'm hoping for the best, but. But. The holidays usually are usually something to look forward, not just of themselves, but because we usually have plans to go somewhere. So we'll have as jolly a holiday as we can. If it were just me, I probably would have gotten the lights on the tree and stopped there. Decorating just doesn't feel so exciting this year at all. But as you'll see below, I made a valiant effort with Harper today. We are lucky to have all that we do.

Interestingly, Harper hasn't been talking much about Santa. Not sure if she's on the cusp of knowing or if she's been distracted by birthday. We do Stocking presents from Santa but mostly all the presents under the tree are from us or other family members. We'll see what happens on Christmas Eve, if she wants to leave milk / cookies out.

Harper got a very special gift for her Birthday that arrived the day after her actual birthday. Shout out to Courtney!!

She also got a gift card and used it to buy something she's been wanting for a while - an RC car! The car is SO DIRTY now because she's had so much fun with it outside!

I keep forgetting (I think) that I'm teaching art for Harper's class. Every Monday at 9:30 I'm in charge. I get SO STRESSED OUT. But the kids seems to enjoy our projects and I have had two moms contact me to say thanks and one even said her son was SO PROUD of the drawing he'd done. That makes me feel sooooo good! Thank god for Pinterest!

Last week we did pictures of catching snowflakes on your tongue with a different perspective of your face. PLUS a scarf and a crazy/ugly sweater. This was Harper's:

The Biscuit is very photogenic.

It's rare that I have bread, mayo, tomatoes, bacon and lettuce in the house all at the same time. But when I do. YUM.

On Tuesday we got our Christmas tree. Harper hugged a lot of trees while we were there.

And pretended to be a reindeer.

Then we found OUR tree...

And got it home.

And welcomed it inside.

Where it kept our other decorations company.

And Biscuit liked to sit near it and bond.

We let the tree rest then put lights on it a few days later, plus a few ornaments to start.

Friday was clay art and Harper made Mr. Biscuit, food and water bowl, bed and blanket and a wee mouse toy.

We think Willoughby is part dog.

We got our trees trimmed on Friday and Saturday. I didn't do proper before and afters...just this wacky one of the back area/driveway covered in branches. The office is much brighter during the day.

And it occurred to me that it hasn't really rained or stormed here since April or May. I know Harper and I drew pictures on the chimney in April, then it rained, then I asked Kurt to draw something. This picture is from this week. So that's six months at least since it's rained for REAL. UGH. I'm seriously so done with LA and it's lack of rain.

And today? Today (Sunday) Harper asked for a SPA day. So we did face masks, drank tea, painted fingernails and watched tv.

Then we finished decorating the tree. Yes, the bottom is empty because, you know. Cats.

I've had these since I was little little. They make me so happy.

I bought these a few years ago and love them too. Harper bunched them all together.

 

Only a few more weeks until the end of the year. My 7 week personal goals are kind of on track. Kind of. They got majorly slowed down by actual paying work, so while that's a bummer on one hand, income is always helpful. So I adjust and continue on.