I wasn’t much up for a walk today. This morning I tried but didn’t get very far and this afternoon again I again wasn’t ready. Uncle Glenn called before lunch to ask about Christmas plans. One of the boys was on the couch having stayed home sick for the second day in a row. I’d started reading to him A Christmas Carol in a weak but genuine attempt to do something motherly. The nursing wasn’t as strong this time around.

He doesn’t know when exactly he’d be able to be here, but knows that it’ll be a struggle to find open restaurants on Christmas Day. I told him just to plan on being here Christmas morning, or that I’d at least plan for him then, and if something changes he could let me know. It truly don’t mind him being here, he’s family and has few other places to go. He’s been here Christmas morning before and I like when he comes.

Last night before class one of the other mom classmates handed out gift bags to a couple of students. I’d thought about saving my extra soaps for the girls at school but I ended up giving them away to my practicum co-workers. Which is fine, it was her turn to give that time, and mine to receive. It’s been kind of a long and harder semester and I’m thankful for women who text and joke about having to breathing into a paper bag.

I haven’t bought a single gift otherwise. Josh has been taking care of it mostly. I keep seeing Amazon boxes in front of the house. He’ll send the occasional text asking for shoe sizes or snack ideas. He’s been trying to take some vacation days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. He gets four weeks of vacation here and it’s not uncommon to get to the end of the year with three whole weeks that never were used.

I’ve been in bed half the day. This time on YouTube I’m listening to “Music heals the heart in winter: Soothing music restores the nervous system.” It’s got a video with villages and snow-covered mountains. I don’t know how I started listening to these–they just pop up in my feed now–but it does have a soothing and calming effect. Whatever season this ends up being named, one thing’s for sure, it too would pass.