Look at me- blogging twice in one week! Who am I? I decided to ease back in to my blogging schedule by joining up with the Hodgepodge link-up, which means that 80% of the work is already done for me with questions/prompts- I just get to answer them! Thank you as always to Joyce for coming up with these brilliant and fun questions every single week!
1. What’s one thing on your to-do list that you want to get done, need to get done, or that must get done before the year ends?
At this point, everything? Haha. Since 100% of our family works in or attends school, we are mostly just trying to get through the end of the semester and then we can turn towards holiday cheer. Haha. We have 2 days of school left and we can do it! It is spirit week and class party days- which are “easy” days for teachers, but also extra on the overstimulation and helping navigate big feelings and meltdowns!
Today my main goal is to make sure I get all the teacher gifts labeled and make sure I have enough of everything! I think I need to stop at the store to get some more jars. I always give teachers some homemade elderberry syrup and fire cider.
After that- I need to finish getting gifts, wrapping gifts.
2. December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day…are you a fan? Do you like maple flavor in other food items such as candy, cookies, donuts, oatmeal, hot toddies, coffee?
I am pretty neutral on maple syrup. I don’t dislike it, but there are just other flavors that I like better. When we have pancakes, I typically do butter and powdered sugar and forego the maple syrup.
3. Time magazine names a person of the year every year. The tradition started back in 1927 with a ‘man of the year’ but has since changed to recognize not only an individual, but also to consider the impact of a group, movement, or idea that most influenced the year. The selection is not always someone or something good (think Hitler in 1938 and Stalin twice).
This year they’ve named The AI Architects as their ‘person of the year’. What say you? Is this a good choice, an obvious choice, a logical choice? Who do you think should have been named person of the year?
I think it’s a logical choice- AI really did explode this year, and I think it will be written down in the history books as the year that everything shifted in that regard.
The true person of the year is probably someone that none of us has ever heard of. Someone who is quietly living their life in service of others and not getting all the credit that they deserve. Someone who has probably never made headlines; and most likely never will. Someone who impacts maybe the 20 people around them, and then the ripple effect of that impact will go on for generations and generations. Do you know someone like that? Maybe send them a note or card this season and thank them for being an incredible person of your year.
4. What’s a city, state, or country you’ve visited that you never care to visit again? Tell us why.
In 2021, we took a Spring break trip to Gatlinburg. We loved the Smokey Mountains for hiking, but we hated downtown Gatlinburg and vowed to never return to that particular place. We learned from that trip that we love hiking and things that are off the beaten trap. We dislike overpriced, crowded and touristy areas and would much rather take a backroad.
Over Thanksgiving break, we visited the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. We were all a bit disappointed and will probably not be back. Nothing WOWED us, which was disappointing for the $$$. I would rather just go to our local Children’s Museum and get the same level of wow factor for half the price.
5. Next Sunday (December 21st) marks the first day of winter (or the opposite if you’re living down under). What’s one thing you love about this new season?
The time change and shorter days are harder, but one thing I LOVE is cozy evening inside as a family. We often play games, or read by the fire and it’s one of my favorite things to do as a family.
6. Insert your own random thought here.
Our administrative team at school has knocked it out of the park this week!! They have provided us with lunch each day, snacks and drinks throughout the day, a lovely letter with encouragement and praise, and a fun rock, paper, scissors game for the teachers to play throughout the day. Teaching is sometimes hard, but it makes a world of difference when admin (and parents) are supportive- and we certainly have that here at this school!