Rambling on

It's warm here tonight, although it's cooled significantly since the sun has gone down.  I got home from work and had a swim with the Little Big Fella and I'm still in my swimmers, five hours later.

The weather forecast is for storms this weekend and I really hope we get some rain.  The land is so dry.  Rain brings hope and the ability to keep going for another season.

The Christmas spirit sparked for me this week.  I'm not sure that it sparked for me at all last year, so it's nice to have it popping up so early this year.  I'd be playing Christmas carols if it didn't bug everyone around me!

It all started when I popped into our local "cheap shop".  You know the kind; plenty of junk and cheap variations of every day "necessities", craft products, hair and makeup, gardening, pet items... you get the gist.

I'd actually left the office for my lunch break (!) and dropped into the cheap shop because I'd seen a great idea for a teacher gift on Pinterest.  The Little Big Fella absolutely loves his teacher, so I've been thinking I'd love to give her something a little special as a Christmas/end-of-year gift.

I didn't find what I was hoping for, but I did wander my way through the Christmas aisle and found a couple of exciting ideas amongst the junk items.  I started imagining the various things I could put together fairly easily that would (hopefully) be somewhat meaningful for the receivers.

And the thought of giving sparked my Christmas spirit.

I came home that afternoon and pulled out my outdoor decoration project.  It's something I hope people in the community will enjoy seeing, and possibly interacting with.

Again, the thought of others enjoying the fruits of my efforts boosted my spirit.

I called my parents and they were both home and not busy, and we had a great chat.  They're SO excited about us spending Christmas with them, and I know it's going to be another great time with the people I love so dearly.

My not-so-little boy has been riding to school with the older boy from next door for the past few weeks.  I wasn't ready for him to not need me already.  After spending so much time with him it's been quite odd to have such short evenings with him.  And he's been playing and swimming so hard that he often falls asleep very quickly in the evenings.  I've missed our bedtime chats and stories.  I guess it's time to find new ways to connect with him.

We received a quote from the electrician today for installing ceiling fans in the bedrooms and replacing the living area ones that don't work.  The house is slowly starting to feel like our home, but I keep having these odd moments where I think the "owners" are going to come back and our holiday will be over.

The Big Fella will be working all of this weekend.  I hate the parts of his roster cycle that feel as though we don't see him.

I started exercising again four weeks ago.  I'm getting stronger each week, which I definitely like.  But my self-control with food definitely needs some more work :-}

I'm tired and rambling so that will do for tonight.  Hopefully it will be stormy over the weekend and I can show you all some pictures of our home because I won't be outside swimming or whatever else.

Sleep well, friends!