It is fall break.

Let me restate that.  It is my fall break.

I teach in a different school district than the one Cody and Carter go to.  All of our holidays and breaks throughout the school year just happen to be aligned which is nice for family time.

Except for this one week.

This one glorious week where they are in school and I am not.

I have a long “to do” list so I am keeping busy.  We are hosting our fifteenth annual Practice Thanksgiving this Saturday and my mom is flying in from out of state for it (she arrives tomorrow).

I have been good.  I completed all my lesson plans for the week that we get back from break including gathering and printing materials and writing my weekly newsletter.  I did all that on Monday.

Today I went shopping.  We are going into our second holiday season since moving from Washington and all our awesome holiday festiveness is still boxed up residing in some dark, dank spider infested storage unit.  Actually it is probably not dank, considering it is Phoenix, but you get the idea.

I cannot go another holiday season without some random holiday themed “stuff” to scatter around my house and then complain about having to dust it and vacuum around it.  I just can’t.  The marketing experts are too strong and I am too weak (and I really like seasonal decorating).

So today I went shopping.  And I bought things.  Halloween things and fall things.  It was awesome.

And then I went to Trader Joe’s.  And I did not have two loud blonde boys tagging behind me arguing about whose turn it was to push the little shopper-in-training cart because there was only one and they had to take turns even though they are both way too old to even care about such things.  It was nice.  I splurged and bought some dark chocolate covered cherries.  I told myself they would be perfect for Practice Thanksgiving but in my heart, I know that I will have eaten them all well before Saturday arrives.  Perhaps even before tomorrow arrives.  I dream big.

Oh, and I bought this.

It was 50% off, so I ask you, how could I not buy it.

Felipe the Flamingo is currently standing on the bathroom counter.   In our hall bathroom.  Waiting for Husband’s coffee to run through him.  Husband will be most surprised.

Hehehe.  So far I am greatly enjoying my fall break.