It's very weird being somewhere without snow for solstice/christmas (southern WI is still without snow and long forecast doesn't show any until after I'm back) and I definitely have the dread upon me because every solstice/Christmas I've had in this life that wasn't white, someone in my family has died.... 

It's been a good visit so far, but very Mercury retrograde.... Surprisingly, all my travel related things went great but things have been a bit roll with the punches here with it. When I got here, Monroe (middle child, she's 5) was sick that night stayed home from school the next day and so I spent the next day with her. Elliot (the youngest, she's almost 18 months now) got sick and the daycare/preschool called for them to come get her. Jack (the eldest, he's 8) has been having behavioral issues and boundary pushing both at school and at home then plays the victim martyr card when consequences happen and that's tiring and makes it hard to do fun things with him and bond this visit. Jon also has been sick with whatever Mo had -- so far I haven't shown symptoms despite spending her sickest day snuggling with her and reading to her and watching Encanto with her. (I rarely get upper respiratory sick, a cold is a once in seven month event with me -- but I have a glass stomach will get stomach bugs easily.) It's mostly been fun, but also some stressful parts. But I bring out the goofy ridiculous side in my sister and having an extra adult helps with the three kiddos and their ages. But also, my sister and I had a Wrapapalooza on Thursday and finished up the last on Friday got everything for the kids (including wrapping all the holiday gifts from both grandparents), Jon, Cathy (from her family and my parents sent with me), and all the gifts I brought for the Keslin's. I actively love wrapping gifts, so I did the bulk of it, but my sister helped out between meetings and she derived great joy from wrapping the oddest shaped things and using up the scraps with as little waste as possible. (She has a math puzzle engineering brain.) Which was fun and it felt good to have that done so immediately. We have one more thing last minute ordered for Jack that will be arriving to wrap and something I forgot to wrap for them. 

Tomorrow's plan is: breakfast --> morning zoom with my parents --> Packers game -> lunch -> Costco trip -> dinner with Cathy (my mom's best friend since high school, like a bonus aunt or godmother) --> I'm going back with Cathy for overnight and to see her cat Morgan. Tomorrow afternoon she and I are going to see Wonka (we have a family tradition of her and my parents and me seeing a movie when she's home visiting her mom at the holidays, but this year she isn't going home to WI so was very excited to holiday time movie with me when I suggested it.) After that, Cathy is bringing back to my sister's family (big kids are going to a summer camp that also runs over breaks on Monday while I'm gone since their school break starts Mon) at some point in the evening, unclear to me rn who I will be having dinner with.... 

I do have to pack a smaller bag for visiting Cath Cath still, and I'm debating if I should do it now at midnight thirty or in the morning.... (This household is up at 7:15 on weekdays and 7:30 on weekends. Because young children.) Jon made us cocktails tonight after the kids went to bed for us to drink while watching the Barbie movie (neither of them had seen it yet) now it's on Max. So my body has a lot of energy hasn't quite crashed from the sugars yet. (I'm like a hummingbird when you give me sugar or anything that metabolizes directly into sugars, lol. I should just go take care of it now I'm done showering, especially since I'm still waiting for my hair to dry..... Finish this chamomile tea, see if it knocks me out to sleepytown because it might (I'm VERY sensitive to chamomile, it can literally be liking somebody took the batteries out and allt he fatigue of lack of sleep weighs heavy on my limbs so I collapse and sometimes fall asleep sitting in a chair or aomething-- chamomile followed by excessive quantities of caffeine are what knock me out, melatonin and sleep meds dont do shit for me) and if the chamomile doesn't work I will pack my small bag for tomorrow night and brew another cuppa chamomile tea...