First Whatever of 2024

Maddie was back to school today, which meant getting up on time - sort of - and getting out the door with all the other carpoolers and traffic, and that was okay.  The hardest part is getting up, of course.  Once you hit that "start" button, things move on from there, and Maddie went through her day, the first day of school in 2024.  Lots of those jokes are made of course, "This is the first time I ate tater tots in 2024," and so on.  Last Sunday morning, I quipped, "Oh no!  Chick-Fil-A is closed the rest of the year!"  Which isn't so bad when you remember that they're closed only on Sundays and that that day was a Sunday.  These jokes are common around this time of year.  In fact, this is the first time I've commented on it this year!

But Maddie's first taekwondo of the year was tonight too, and that's not so much a joke as an observation.  I probably should have brought a camera, but it was a bit crowded in there for the first class.  Of course, in that first class, she's merely there as an assistant instructor, helping out the other students.  It was a full class.  I opted to read in the car - I'll be going through this Perry Stone Bible for quite some time.  I'm still in Genesis, by the way, right around the story of Jacob and Essau.  Mom found another online course on the book of Genesis, and it's one we'll be signing up for shortly.  These online college courses are enjoyable, and I think they'll be good to do during our upcoming fasting season.  We're shifting all the Christmas music downstairs and our other Christmas decor is slowly making its way downstairs too.  I suspect on Saturday we'll be moving a lot of it down.  Mom is already putting up Valentine's Day pillow covers and hanging towels.  

Maddie's second class was her leadership class, where she's a student again.  I think she was one of four students there for this first one, but it's usually that quiet this first week, as there's a transition between vacations and the regular new year schedule.  She still enjoys class very much though.  Tomorrow night she'll be in her regular black belt class once more.  

It's cold outside.  And inside at the office.  It's funny how - and I'm not making this up - we have blankets. Also, technology is such that some of us have these electronic hand warmers.  Everyone dresses up as if it is winter... indoors.  The joke is that it is Freeze Chapel.  Or the other one is that there's a Free Chapel OC, and this location is Free Chapel AC.  Still, despite the cold, we're moving forward with writing and summer plans.  A new "Trailblazers" sign is hanging up, and we were trying to figure something new to write for this cowboy series.  I've been doing cowboy skits since day one here at KidPak, and here we are again - but this time I'm thinking about the Lone Ranger.  Yeah, we might bring him out - we'll see.

Anyway, we're all gearing up for the fast that starts on Sunday.  Maddie is fasting sweets of course, and I'm doing the usual.  Mom is taking it easy on herself, given her health issues.  But our focus is spending more time with programming and reading - and again that class.  It's almost like Christmas season gets replaced with different seasonal music - worship CDs and old 90's contemporary Christian classics.  We'll be catching up on "The Chosen" series again, rewatching from the first episode so that we'll be ready for season four.  We'll probably watch "Jesus Revolution" again, along with other similar movies.  The point is, we're getting ready for the fast, and hopefully we'll be able to get this Christmas stuff down a little quicker this year.  It's just a lot.

Did I mention it's cold outside?  We have been having warm thoughts, looking at excursions and things we can do on our upcoming cruise.  Maddie's excited - so are we!  This is actually our fifth Disney Cruise, and our first time aboard the Wish.  We were watching a few videos about the Aqua Mouse, and a few other possible excursions.  Nothing really strikes us as mandatory in regards to excursions, although it would be nice to return to Ardastra Gardens, as Maddie's never been there before.  We'll see as we get closer.

The birds are loving the new feeders.  Our back deck is filled with a wondrous variety of birds, and some new faces too.  Or, at least new "beaks."  Mom loves seeing all the visitors, as it helps brighten these cold days.

Tonight we closed things down with reading, of course.  Tiffany Aching is having to deal with the Cunning Man, and several other issues too.  The Nac Mac Feegle are as always a highlight of the books.  After reading, we said our prayers and brought the plush entourage down the hall so everyone could get tucked in for bed.  The new plush chicken is named "Miss Gibbons."  So Miss Gibbons is there now with Lord Puffington III, Putnam, Chazamiah Remington, Terry Loco, Wong, Chuck, Newsie... and I'm sure I'm forgetting some...

Anyway, they're all there for reading, and then off to bed.  Got to get to bed earlier tonight, because school's back again tomorrow.  Time to get back in the rhythm.