Happy Homemaker 2025-12-22

Good morning

On vacation since Friday night (but did 1 hour of telework today).  Will go back to work on the 6th or the 7th (undecided yet)

Friday dh picked up Anne-E before lunch (ddil had not sent her to daycare because Anne-E wanted to stay home), then Xavier at school and got him to his haircut appointment.  Both kids stayed the night.

Saturday grandkids stayed until 4:30 when parents picked them up for a work party of ds' at a commercial center with rides and games.

Sunday was going to Xavier's 1st hockey game, followed by housechores (main floor) while dh was at ds' to help finish the kitchen renovations.  Ds, ddil and grandkids came for supper (we ordered Thai) , grandkids stayed the night.

Today grandkids will be here until after supper, had lots to do but...  did vac basement and picked up a bit (have found my declutter hot-spot for 2026... basement LR!!!!).  DH took them ice-skating outside this afternoon.

Let's join Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom 

Weather this week

lun.

-9°

-16°

mar.

-8°

-16°

mer.

-7°

-11°

jeu.

-7°

-21°

ven.

-16°

-22°

sam.

-11°

-18°

Guess we will be having a white Christmas this year... got rain last week but still snow on the ground and some in the forecast for tomorrow.  Hoping roads will be ok as we should leave for dd's in the afternoon.

Looking around the house

Wanted everything to be done before we left but with grandkids here most of the time, not happening.

Thinking and pondering

Hoping all goes well during the holidays.  we do not need family drama.  

Waiting for biopsy results.  Having some other weird health problems, hoping all goes away by itself.

TV this week

• Christmas programs
• Christmas movies

Interesting blog I saw this week

Nothing

On my reading pile

La vie à bout de bras T3 Claude Coulombe 

On my to-do list

Over the weekend

• Dust main floor
• Vac main floor
• Wash main bathroom
• Laundry
• Make my to-do list and grocery list for NY's Eve
• 
  

Monday

• Post here - DONE
• Vac basement
• Make room in basement LR
• Pack to go to dd's 23, 24 and back on the 25th after breakfast

Decluttering

• A pair of slippers of dh's (finally! they had holes in them)
• 
  

Christmas prep

• 2 more gifts to wrap as soon as they get here

Simple pleasure

Some ME time in all this madness

Upcoming this week

23, 24 25 - at dd's

25 - supper probably at sil's

Get ready for NY's Eve

From the camera

Nothing this week

Christmas picture (from a few year's back... before gray hair)

Happy Homemaker 2025-12-15

Good morning

Kids are back from Mexico, got to see them a few minutes.  Xavier had a fever last few days as did Ely (dd's stepson).  One of my brothers, sil and nephew were all sick last few weeks, doctors think influenza.

Thursday was in-town work + retirement party for colleague... the roads were awful it had snowed the day before and snowed all day.  arrrggg   Party was very nice and fortunately in same building as the office.  We also ate there afterwards.  got home at 9:45.

Saturday we went to dd's to see Ely's hockey practice (he had told dd that grandpa hadn't seen him yet ) then we went to see mom and stayed at my sis' Saturday night.  We also visited a Christmas market with sis and bil.

Sunday my brothers came for breakfast at my sis' so got to see them.  Went to see mom again, she is doing ok but doesn't recognize us.  she talks and laughs but nothing very coherent.  Got a few things out of her house again (now have some stuff to go through which I brought here).  Left at noon, had lunch on the road and arrived around 4:00 pm.  Unpacked.  Had a truckload of stuff to take to dd's will have less to take at Christmas :)

Today will be a slower day, have a biopsy at 1:15,.... yuck! so don't think I'll do much.  dh has an errand while in town too.

Let's join Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom 

Weather this week

Mon

-8°

-13°

Tue

-3°

-11°

Wed

1°

-11°

Thu

7°

-11°

Fri

8°

-11

Will be much warmer than last few weeks ... even rain..... no! might as well keep our snow for Christmas.

Looking around the house

Gone all weekend, so lots to do.  

Thinking and pondering

Need to prep my timeline and grocery shopping for the 31st.  Used to be big parties, but I decided last minute so most have other parties.  should be just my children, sis and bil and bil and sil.

Retirement.... with the back to the office 3 days starting February I might retire earlier than I was thining (was thinking of January 2027 but eligible without penalty end of June 2026).

TV this week

• Indéfendable (season 4)
• Antigang (season 1)
• Christmas programs
• Christmas movies

Interesting blog I saw this week

Nothing

On my reading pile

La vie à bout de bras T2 Claude Coulombe 

On my to-do list

Over the weekend

• Nothing

Monday

• Post here - DONE
• Laundry
• Make a list of stuff to go to dd's on the 24-25 (got a load of stuff there on Saturday including the inflatable mattress and 2 sleeping bags)
• Make a list of what needs to be done for the 31st.. should be a small party
• 1:15 Biopsy

Decluttering

• DH got stuff that was dd's out of the attic and to her house:  a box of Christmas ornaments
• 2 boxes of Christmas garlands and houses to dd's

At mom's:

• Filled the big recycling wheelie bin
• Filled the big garbage wheelie bin
• 2 big industrial garbage bags of trash
• 2 boxes of stuff will be taken to thrift store
• 2 boxes brought here
• 1 air mattress given to brother
• Sis took a small bag of stuff too

Christmas prep

• Start NY's prep

Simple pleasure

Enjoying time with friends and family

Upcoming this week

Monday - Biopsy

Tuesday or Thursday - in-town work

Friday - have grandkids over as it is dil's bday and they will be with friends.

From the camera

Ely is #2

Funny of the week (from the web)

Happy Homemaker 2025-12-08

Good morning

DS, ddil and grandkids left last wednesday for 1 week in Mexico, they will be coming back Tuesday (but flight company is starting a strike wednesday... they are saying they are bringing back the planes starting today... so we'll see).  Xavier's bday was the 7th so he will get his gift when he comes back.  Zac the dog will be going back to his house too.

Work:  Govt has decided we will be going back to work, in office 3 days a week at the end of January... why? why?  for the economy they say.... we'll see how it goes, might make my retirement date earlier.

Weekend was housechores, wreath workshop (nature materials) with neighbor, restaurant with bil, sil, bil's sister and neighbors on Sunday night, Christmas movies, guignolée (charity drive) for dh, chocolate pie (grandma's recipe but I might've cooked 1 minute too long - it's like a medium hard fudge) hadn't had that pie in many, many, many years brings back so many memories...

Let's join Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom 

Weather this week

Last week was very cold! and beginning of the week looks the same  And snow on Wednesday

Mon

-13°

-20°

Tue

-11°

-19°

Wed

-4°

-10°

Thu

-6°

-10°

Fri

-7°

-12°

Looking around the house

Dog hair everywhere,  I did vaccum yesterday but will have to do it again after the dog leaves.  The rest is ok but basement is full once again as dh brought down 2 more toy boxes from the attic... I did declutter but keeping some for the kids to play with.  At least the attic stuff is coming down.

Thinking and pondering

December 31st? do I host or not? used to host every year before covid, but ... I remember last year thinking this year I would host, so need to see if some people are available or if everyone is already busy (know my 2 brothers have something).... I wrote this yesterday and this morning I invited everyone.... so yep, I'll be hosting dec. 31.

TV this week

• Indéfendable (season 4)
• Antigang (season 1)
• Doctor Odyssey (season 1)
• Christmas movies

Interesting blog I saw this week

Nothing

On my reading pile

La vie à bout de bras T1 Claude Coulombe - Have already read 1 & 2 in 2021 but don't remember much and there is now a T3, so rereading.

On my to-do list

Over the weekend

• Vac main floor
• Wash main bathroom
• Laundry
• Wrap pj's for all the girls that will be at dd's house on Christmas Eve (missing 2 for sis' stepdaughters so she will get some)
• Made a meatball/rice casserole for freezer
• DH made 2 big meat pies and some small ones for freezer
• Baked a chocolate pie
• Went through 2 big toy boxes
• Dust bedroom and office

Monday

• Post here - DONE
• More laundry
• Make a list of stuff to go to dd's on the 24-25
• Make a list of what needs to be done for the 31st.. should be a small party
• Invite for dec. 31 - DONE
• Finish main floor dusting (hallway, kitchen, kitchenette, LR)
• Picking up here and there
• ....
• Today might be a take-it-easy day.. I am in the maintenance part for the Holidays.

Decluttering

• 2 more car rubber mats sold on marketplace
• 1 musical stuffed toy
• 1 car race-track with 2 cars
• 1 remote control car
• a small box of varied toy pieces
• 1 doll
• 1 monkey keychain
• 2 tin boxes
• 1 bag of doll clothes
• 1 ruler
• 1 babyshark signing wood puzzle (will give to my sis's granddaughter)
• 1 ruler
• 1 necklace
• 1 rubbermaid rolling under bed storabe box (possibly to ddil)

Christmas prep

• Wrap the pj's I had bought for the girls - DONE
• Bought some 'weird' chips for a tasting game (this one is holiday meal - turkey and fixings... uggg) .. told sis and bros to bring some too and some beer for that game too.  Our kids are all adults in their 30's and they'll like this.
• Start NY's prep

Simple pleasure

Leaving only the Christmas lights on when it's dark with Winter ambiance on tv... magical!

Upcoming this week

Thursday - in-town work and retirement party for a colleague.  Got a bag ready with wigs, hats and accessories for a photo booth.

From the camera

Happy 6th bday to my little boy.. Love you to the moon and back

Funny of the week (from the web)