Hello and happy Monday, friends!  After the weekend I’ve had, I’m actually sort of glad to be heading back into the office.  It all began as I was slumped in a seat riding backwards on the Metro, heading home on Friday, and my text messages beeped (interrupting The Book Riot Podcast‘s holiday recommendation show, to add insult to injury) with a text from Steve: “We’re at defcon 3 with Peanut.”  (Except – he used her name.  But you get my drift.)  It was all downhill from there and the rest of the weekend was a spiraling mess of timeouts.  Nugget contributed several meltdowns of his own, too, including a truly epic one on Sunday night.  So – I’m looking forward to a quiet day of reading through internal workplace investigation reports.  It wasn’t all bad, though.  On Saturday, it snowed (!!!!!) – before Christmas, which is a huge treat around here, since it almost never happens.  We spent a cozy morning playing trucks inside (and having tantrums, but you can’t win them all) and then went out for a lovely snowy walk around our neighborhood so we could all blow off some steam.  On Sunday, we had plans to hike at Shenandoah National Park, but Skyline Drive was closed, which meant that – for all intents and purposes – the park was basically closed, too.  So we slept in and had a leisurely breakfast before heading out to Little Washington for the annual Christmas parade.  Opened by Redcoats, as usual, and featuring the Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, the local marching band, the mayor, the fire engine, a raucous-looking lunch club, and a farm for miniature horses, among other delights.  I whispered to Steve that I was pretty sure we’d found Virginia’s equivalent of Stars Hollow, and he laughed and agreed.  I love my urban neighborhood, but I sure wouldn’t mind living in a small town with as much personality as Washington has.

Reading.  Bit of a light week.  Earlier in the week, I finished Rich People Problems, the third in Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians trilogy.  It was a lot of fun, and a satisfying conclusion to the series.  Then I turned my attention back to The Shell Seekers, which I’d set aside to read Rich People Problems, and to Christmas at Thrush Green, which I’m reading on my phone.  Kinda hate reading on my phone, but I have reached my quota of twenty-four books for the year (and then some – I’ve handed one airmail box to Steve and will probably be handing him another one with instructions to wrap and put them under the tree, and thanks for the present!) so I couldn’t buy a physical copy.  I’m looking forward to adding the Thrush Green books to my library over the course of next year, though, when I will not be restricting myself to twenty-four.  The freedom to come on January 1st…

Watching.  One of the reasons that it was a light reading week was – season two of The Crown dropped on Friday!  So, clearly, everything had to be set aside.  The costumes and jewelry and sets are amazing, as expected, but three episodes in I am gritting my teeth at all of Phillip’s whinging.  Sincerely hope he shuts up in season three, because I can’t take much more of his “poor little rich boy in a gilded cage” nonsense.  Not sure why the showrunners thought this would be a compelling storyline for the A-plot of the season, when there were so many interesting things happening in the world and they had two fascinating and strong royal women to feature (more Margaret and less Phillip, I say!) but I’m still watching, so there you have it.

Listening.  Catching up on holiday podcasts!  I’m almost done with the two-part holiday recommendation show, which is one of my favorite parts of The Book Riot Podcast‘s year.  And then I have a slew of holiday-themed episodes of The Mom Hour, The Home Hour and Sorta Awesome waiting for me.  It’s the most wonderful time of the podcasting year, apparently!

Moving.  Another slow week.  This week, I’m going to be back at yoga on Tuesday and Friday, and hopefully back at Barre as well.  I’ve let work stress and home shenanigans derail my me-time, but I plan to be back on the train.  I really need to have that time to do something for myself, especially during the holiday season.

Blogging.  It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  I have a super-mistletoe-bedecked week coming up for you.  On Wednesday, I’ll show you the kids’ Advent books (always one of my favorite posts of the year) and on Friday, I’m recapping some of the holiday activities we’ve done so far this season – so as to avoid dumping a massive photobomb on you all after Christmas.  Check in with me then!

Loving.  So, I don’t live in the PNW, never have, and never say never but probably never will, and I’ve not even visited (yet) but I can’t help loving the cozy sweatshirts from Wish You Were Northwest.  I don’t have anything PNW-themed, because that would be silly, but I love my soft and warm “Coffee, Mountains & Cabins” and “Clear Skies Wool Socks Can’t Lose” sweatshirts, which look just as appropriate in the Adirondacks and the Blue Ridge.  Seriously, though – they’re soft, they’re warm, they fit perfectly.  Everything I’m looking for in a sweatshirt!

Asking.  What are you reading this week?