However, this year...this December...I've decided to try a new project. For the past few years, Jillian has participated in making a December Daily scrapbook...inspired by Ali Edwards. Last year Jillian tried to convince me to do it with her...but I didn't. I did make a "12 Days of Christmas" album at a class Jillian taught last December...and ended up getting it mostly filled with pictures/mementos, but I still have a few things I need to add to it to have it really finished. Yeah, I'm kind of behind.
(seems to be a common theme for my life right now...but I digress...)
Speaking of behind (quick tangent)...I still haven't finished our wedding scrapbook. What, we've been married for almost 39 months you say?! Well...I've been busy. Ha!
Anyway....
Jillian and I hung out for a while last night....first working on a few things around their home to continue to get ready for Baby McG...then we went down to Uptown normal for dinner...and then to a movie. It will surely be one of her last nights out before her little one makes his appearance, which made it extra-special to share that night with her.
I made up my night last night, after seeing how excited she was for her December Daily scrapbook project, that I am going to participate this year :).
Never mind that yesterday was December third and I should've, therefore, been THREE days into the project. I'm starting from behind...but I'll catch up :). My camera battery is charging right now so I'll have it at the ready to capture the every-day-moments throughout this busy, bustling, beautiful December.
I decided that (since I do know myself, more or less!) I should blog as a way to keep track of everything...in case I don't have the time/interest/energy for scrapbooking every single day this month. I might just wait until later this month (when I have an entire, glorious WEEK off!) to put everything together...
So...here's just some basic "journaling" to get my mind on track for the project....
December Daily...Day 1
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Today was a busy day at work. I arrived around 7:45 to get ready for an evaluation that was scheduled at 8am. Kathi, a developmental therapist, and I performed a re-evaluation on a little cutie that we've been seeing for approximately six months. It was so exciting to have objective data as evidence of all of the progress he has made over the past six months. This little 2 year old came to us six months ago with less than five words...and now his expressive vocabulary is over fifty words, plus he is starting to put some words into phrases. Talk about some quick, fun progress to note!
After that, I had a "free" hour of unscheduled time (a rare luxury!) during which I hurriedly typed up the evaluation report from the aforementioned evaluation. It's not often I have the time to write the report immediately following the evaluation, but it is absolutely WONDERFUL when I do! After I completed that, I hopped in my car to drive approximately 45 minutes away to an IEP meeting for a little one who is turning three soon and staring preschool next week. It was a very FULL meeting...many Early Intervention therapists were involved in this sweet little one's care, and all but one of us were able to attend. Many teachers and therapists from the school were present, in addition to his parents. This particular school was very accommodating and seems to have a good plan in place for this new student. I'm so excited to learn about the ways in which he will grow this year.
The afternoon was busy...but pretty good as far as an afternoon at work goes! I had appointments from 2-6 pm back-to-back.
Christina, one of the OT's at Easter Seals as well as a good friend of mine, and I co-treated from 3-4, 4-5, and from 5-6. Wednesday afternoons are a lot of fun...it's such a wonderful treat to be able to co-treat with Christina. She is a fabulous therapist who has a few more years of experience than I do and is great with the kids...she teaches me a lot! For some of our kiddos, co-treating speech and OT really seems to work well.
From 5-6 pm every other Wednesday, Christina and I have an OT/ST group comprised of 4 kiddos who are all working on social skills/goals among other things. This is truly one of the highlights of our job, we love it! This particular week, we only had 2 of our usual kiddos...so they were able to get a bit more individual attention. We were able to observe some wonderful conversations between the two kiddos who were there...it's so exciting to see them begin to carry over some of the skills we've been targeting!
I ended up staying at work until 8:45pm Wednesday night. I was hoping to go to the gym, but didn't make it. It was a very long day...I've been getting backed up with many reports/documentation/etc. that I need to complete and it's been somewhat stressing me out.
After I got home, I vegged in front of the tv for a little while...and then hit the sack around 11:30
December Daily...Day 2
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Today I woke up early...my alarm went off at 4:30am! Since I didn't work out last night, I felt like I really needed to get up and go to a 5:15am "hour of power" spinning class at Four Seasons 2. I've been going to this class on Tuesdays for the past couple of weeks. However, I am DEFINITELY not a morning person, and felt that ONE early morning a week was MORE than enough. When the alarm went off, I sat up in bed and just sat there for a few minutes pondering if I'd actually get up and go.
Well, I did.
It was a decent class...and it felt great to start off the day with a workout, as it always does (when the workout is OVER, at least!).
After the class, I showered/got ready for work at the gym...which is not really one of my favorite things to do, but it is a necessary evil as it really saves a lot of time. I went to Starbucks after getting ready and was to work by 7:20am.
Thursday was another fairly busy day...but I was able to meet Jeremy at one of our favorite restaurants, Meat Head's for a late lunch at 1:15. It is always nice to get together during the week to have lunch together. We try to do it once a week, but it doesn't always work out due to my crazy schedule.
Unfortunately, today was the second day I was at work until 8:45. Seriously. I think I might have a problem. I was the last person at the office 4 days this week and the first person to the office two days this week. Ugh.
December Daily...Day 3
Friday, December 3, 2010
I worked 8-1:30 today...which was somewhat of a Friday "record" of sorts for me. I am technically off at noon on Fridays, but never seem to be able to actually get out of there by that time. In fact, I usually end up being at work til closer to 4 or 5 on most Fridays.
Today, however, I had to get to a music store to buy some piano books and had to get home for a quick lunch...before going over to a kiddo's home to teach piano lessons :). I now officially have two students. This was the first lesson for my second student. It was a lot of fun, she is a sweet girl who has a sweet family. Teaching piano is something I truly love to do and would love to have more time for. It's a wonderful little outlet/hobby for me and I am thankful to now have two students!
At 3:30 I taught the lesson....and then afterwards, I pumped some gas (one of my least favorite things to do in the entire world) and then headed over to Jillian's.
We spent some time checking out the nursery (I hadn't seen it since it had been painted and the crib/changing table had been assembled! It is SO cute...they've chosen a really fun nautical theme. Love it!), organizing a few things, and then headed out for dinner and a movie.
When we walked out her front door...we were stunned to see SNOW..and lots of it! When I walked into her house at 6pm, it wasn't snowing at all. When we walked out around 6pm., it was snowing proFUSEly and there was already a lot of accumulation! Crazy, crazy!
We went to the Garlic Press in normal for some delicious food (I had some GF tomato/basil/goat cheese quiche, fruit salad, and hot spiced cider) and then went to Starplex Cinema to see Due Date! It was a pretty funny movie :).
Afterwards we braved the snow and un-plowed roads to go over to Easter Seals so Jillian could get her car (she had left it there the day before)...
First snow of the year!
Jillian's little Yaris was snowed in :). Here she is being all goofy while scraping off the car, in her pregnant glory!
Welcome, snow! Welcome, scraping windows!
When I got home around 10, I spent some time talking to Jeremy and watching him put together our awesome Christmas cards. So excited for the big reveal!
December Daily...Day 4
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Originally, we had made plans with our friends Paul and Lisa to go to Springfield today to visit the Lincoln Museum and hang out. We decided, though, that we needed a day at home today and that a full-day trip to Springfield wasn't the best plan. We have so much to do...Christmas cards (Jeremy is making a very special Christmas card surprise for us this year!), present planning/purchasing, decorating for the holidays, and I have work to get done as well for work. I was at the office over 55 hours this week and I am just plain exhausted. However, there is still more to get done before the new weeks begins. So, all things considered, we knew that today would be best spent at home.
Today we woke up to even MORE snow! Here's a view from our kitchen/patio door...lots of snow on our poor patio chairs and grill!
Oh summer...you seem so far away! As a comedian we saw back in November when we were up in Minnesota with our friends Rosalee and Bobby pointed out, though...since we made the choice to live in the midwest, we really have no right to complain about the snow/weather. It's the MIDWEST...snow is a fact of life here! We just have to deal...I guess he has a point!
Here's our little kitty Izzy in one of her typical poses :). Later this month, December 22, will mark the two-year anniversary of Izzy in our lives!
Jeremy had made a "racquetball date" with our friend Josh this morning. The two had planned to meet at Four Season's 1 at 9:30 to play. I said I'd go along with him to get my Saturday workout out of the way!
My husband puts up with so much! ;) He agreed, only moderately reluctantly, to take a photo of me on the eliptical at the gym toward the end of my workout this morning :).
Yeah, I sweat a bit when I work out, I am not ashamed :).
I am still battling a nasty case of Achilles tendinitis, which I gained following my third marathon on Sunday, September 26th. It's been TEN weeks since the marathon...and I haven't been able to really run since that time. It's been a struggle, frankly. Going from running daily, and running miles and miles and miles at once...to NOT being able to run is mentally strange, for lack of a better way of putting things.
When we got home, Jeremy took off his jacket, and put it on the couch. It promptly fell off...and Izzy claimed it. Whenever we put any sort of clothing item down on the ground or on some furniture, she typically takes it over. She LOVES to hide under coats, in particular.
Emerging from her cave...she heard some loud noises from the basement that were freaking her out (Jeremy was down there pounding around looking for some tools/drill/etc.). Jeremy has been working hard this morning on fixing our garage door. Somehow it has broken...hopefully he is successful in his feat!
Well...I'm sure Day 4 will need a continuation later, seeing as it's not even 1 in the afternoon :).
Oh December...I can't wait to see what other adventures you hold for us! :)
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