All The Things, January 2024

Plus, a story about how I am *crushing it* as a mom

For the entirety of my children’s winter break, I had the “go back to school” date cemented in my brain like my own wedding anniversary. January 10th. January 10th. The day was circled, highlighted, and starred multiple times in my mental calendar: January 10th, a Wednesday, the children go back to school on a Wednesday!

Many of my friends’ kids, in different school districts, went back earlier. They went back on Monday the 8th, Tuesday the 9th, or even some of them—lucky ducks!—on January 3rd or 4th. 

I cannot tell you how many rants I’ve gone on about our winter break schedule. I hate that our break goes so far into January because I would much prefer to have my children home the week before Christmas, where everything is joyful and cheery and work is already slowing down and we’re basically doing nothing but eating cookies and watching movies and embracing the Christmas spirit, blah blah blah. 

Alas, our school district has set the winter break dates to—as I’ve been told—accommodate the high schools. Apparently it’s better for students to take their final exams before winter break, and not return to school after two weeks of sugar and festivities and immediately take a bunch of tests.

To be clear: I still hate it.

Every year, I run out of winter break steam by January 2nd. The Christmas tree comes down, the winter doldrums set in, the novelty and delight of the holidays fade away, and we’re all just …. here. In this messy house. The kids are hyper and crazy after a week and a half of lackadaisical bedtimes and copious amounts of dessert. Every day I am trying to haul bags to Goodwill with nobody noticing, trying to “work from home” (lol) with multiple drones flying through the house. Everyone is hungry all of the time and even though I just went to Costco, somehow the pantry and refrigerator are already empty again?

All that to say: I start counting down to January 10th around January 2nd. Because, again, January 10th is when the kids go back to school.

Or so I thought.

(insert dramatic music) (#foreshadowing)

On Monday January 8th, I Facetime my mom, who has already agreed to watch the kids on Tuesday the 9th. She normally watches Presley on Tuesdays, but since all of the kids would still be home (because! reminder! the kids go back to school on January 10th!), I had asked her to take all three. I had two back–to-back Zoom calls on Tuesday, and was grateful to have a quiet house for 2.5 hours’ worth of meetings. 

We get on Facetime and make a big fuss about the following day being The Last Day of Winter Break. Surely we should celebrate? The kids beg my mom to take them to the movie theater to see Migration. She says yes without hesitation. The kids yelp and squeal, fist pumping into the air. No doubt because seeing a movie is a treat, but also because I’m pretty sure my mom buys them whatever snacks they want. The kids are ecstatic. And I myself am grateful, not only because I don’t have to be the one to drop $80 on movie tickets and snacks but also because I know my children will have a fabulous time, and I want that for them on their last day of winter break. 

After we hang up the Facetime call, I give myself a little pat on the back. Look at me, asking for help! Look at me, securing a quiet work day while simultaneously orchestrating an epic fun day for my kids! Look at me, crushing it as a mom! 

The following morning, we are slow to get up and get dressed and make breakfast, enjoying our very last day to wake up like sloths. 

The kids are munching on cereal at the kitchen table while I’m writing in my bedroom. Brett heads out to the “office” (we have a fully finished Tuff Shed in our backyard), and immediately comes back in, alarmed. He tells me he can hear kids at the middle school, which is directly behind our backyard fence. 

I feel a lump in my stomach. Wait. What?! No no no no no no.

Both of us grab our devices and double check the school calendar, where, yes, it is confirmed: the kids go back to school today. January 9th. Not January 10th.

Brett looks at me with wide eyes, just as horrified as I am at the news we are about to break to the kids. Also, Everett needs to get out the door ASAP. He is already late. 

Naturally, everyone starts crying. The disappointment is so real, so valid. They thought they were going to the movies today! Popcorn! Candy! Icees! Instead, they are going to school. To … learn stuff. Uggggghhhhh. (Look, my kids actually *love* school. But I think we all know the difference between going to school and going to the movies, right?) I try to put myself in their shoes, try to imagine the equivalent. This would be like thinking you were heading to the spa for a facial and massage, and then—wham! just kidding!—turns out you’re heading to the gyno for a pap smear instead.

We console the kids as best we can. I help Everett pack his lunch, which turns out to be very challenging because we are—as always—out of food. We have no bread. No peanut butter. No fruit. I rally up some pretzels and string cheese and a stale granola bar. I am depressed looking in his lunch box, whispering “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry” what feels like 17 times as he walks out the door with tears in his eyes.

Later that afternoon, Brett being the Fun Dad that he is, suggests we take the kids out to frozen yogurt to make it up to them. Me, being the Sensible Mom that I am, suggest we take a much-needed trip to the grocery store instead, and let each kid pick out one treat. We venture to Target where the boys choose Oreo cones and Presley picks “birthday cake” popsicles. We break our no-screen-on-school-nights rule and let the kids enjoy their treats in front of a show. 

All is (mostly) forgiven and forgotten, especially after we promise to take the kids to the movies ourselves on Friday. Guess we’ll be dropping that $80 after all.

Moral of the story: I am absolutely, without a doubt, crushing it as a mom. 

(And also: be sure to triple check the school calendar. Always.)

Praise God that ice cream still covers a multitude of parenting mistakes

And now, onto the links!

In case you missed it, Create Anyway book club guides are live! Amazon is STILL sold out (ohmygoshwhatanightmare), but you can snag a copy for $18.89 with free shipping at Baker Book House. I’m always on the lookout for the cheapest price and right now, that is it. You can also shop at Target, Barnes & Noble, etc.

Currently reading and/or just finished and/or getting ready to start reading: Upon Waking, Bird by Bird (for probably the 25th time), The People We Keep (book club pick this month!), Glossy, The Art of Gathering, Everyone But Myself, Flight Behavior

Current winter MVPS: Saltyface tanning water (see: how to not look like a ghost in January) Body Hero oil (obsessed with this, smells like summer vacation), and Futuredew (how to fake glow when it’s depressing outside).

Stuff I got for Christmas that I’ve been wearing on repeat: this necklace, this belt (size down if you plan to wear at the waist!), and these earrings. Other favorite gifts: this prayer journal, this pre-order.

Some beautiful things I’ve read on Substack lately: What a Dead Cuisinart Can Say About a Year by

Amy Byrnes

, The Swan Boat Story by

Elizabeth Jannuzzi

, Finally a Piece about Singleness by

Drew Brown

, and On Failing As a Parent by

Shawn Smucker

Alert, alert, tomorrow is the last chance to join Exhale before we close enrollment until May! Second alert, alert, C+C is hiring a Sales & Marketing Manager! I hear the boss isn’t too bad 😜

And, finally, is it just me & my friends, or is everyone having a denim crisis? More thoughts on that later, but in the meantime, I finally bought a denim skirt.

Are denim skirts still in for 2024? Am I too late? TBD.

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That’s all I’ve got. What are you reading? Wearing? Cooking? Watching? Tell me all your things!