All The Things This Week

Sunday night we went to see A Christmas Story the musical at the dinner theatre. It was a very fun family time and I am glad we planned for it. 

Plus it checks a Christmas classic off the list and I don't have to watch it. For some reason, the expectation of watching ALL the movies every year seems stressful to me this year. That maybe doesn't make much sense and I don't understand it. But I think it's mostly to do with the want to spend time with my people doing things that bring me joy, and I will be honest, a lot of the "must watch Christmas movies" don't bring me a ton of joy. 

I was reminded this year that traditions can skip years and that's okay. So I will just keep saying that to myself. 

This week went by in a flash. 

The highlight of my Monday was getting my adult Happy Meal. I LOVED McNugget buddies when I was a child so the throwback toys are seriously up my alley. 

I was the legitimate first person to get one at my McDonald's for Monday lunch at about 11:00. (I was excited, and I thought I showed restraint for not being there at 10:30 when lunch starts.) If anyone finds themselves with a Brrrick or Darla McNugget Buddy they don't want send them my way! Those are the two I think are SO cute. 

So for some reason, our Olaf Christmas inflatable stopped working. We'd only had it for two weeks! I was annoyed but didn't really worry too much. 

On Wednesday though, C was having a day. We've all had those. But everything was wrong. And he was weepy and nothing was going to fix any of it. Except one of the things making him sad was that we didn't have an inflatable anymore. 

Well, that was a solvable problem. 

So we went to Home Depot and got a new one. He's much bigger. And even though the time at Home Depot was still a little morose and weepy, eventually C found his joy again. 

That's a screenshot from when he was talking to my parents and showing them. :) 

Wednesday was also our big Advent event at church. None of the pictures I took turned out very well but trust me, it was cozy and it went well! 

I was proud of the work that went into the night and it was a lot. 

Yesterday was the kid's Christmas program. You guys, it was a Christmas miracle of a sweet spot that will never be repeated... we only had one program to attend. 

We did not need to go to the 5-8 choir and band concert because C isn't doing band. (I am SO glad!) 

We did not need to go to the K-2 Christmas program because we've aged out. 

We do not need to go to the 6-8 Nativity next week. (Don't get me wrong, I will go. I just don't have to because my kid is in it.) 

One night only. One year only. It was almost a date for Husband and me and I enjoyed it immensely! 

But before that, let me explain how smart September me was. Because I scheduled M a haircut for right after school yesterday so that someone else could do her hair! 

She needed a fresh cut anyway, but then to get the styling done... hallelujah! 

Kids before the program. (Yep same Christmasy outfits from Sunday's dinner theatre experience. Get excited to see them in our Christmas Mass picture too.) 

The back of her hair while we waited. 

Because yes, okay. I did actually use my keys to get into the building early for a good seat. I never have ever taken the front row on the floor. I just prefer the front row of the balcony. We were far from the only parents with keys to the building doing that. In fact, C said before the doors officially opened "Behold... all the families with keys!" 

I don't know if it was the fact I didn't have to tell one of my kids to calm down or sit down or pay attention but I really enjoyed the whole program. 

M was an absolute ham but in a really good way. She was just incredibly animated compared to her peers.  

I got 2 texts DURING her segment of the program about it. I got multiple people stopping me in the hallway after. The texts continued to come in during the evening. 

And in the song that she got to play the xylophone she bopped to the beat. It was very cute. 

C got up on stage and immediately put his hands in "jam and bread" mode like from Sound of Music. Then when the songs started turns out they were supposed to do that. 

C was lovely and took it very seriously. He sang loud and proud with good articulation and somehow we could hear him over everyone. In a good way. 

In other C news, he got a callback for the school musical. That's on Monday. 

It was ever so nice of them to put my two kids about as next to each other as they could get for two kids in different grades during the finale. 

And that is a little bit of what we have been up to this week. Looking forward to the weekend for sure!