The Finer Points of Warner Days: December 2020

Old photos first

Matt's old family photos

Brennan get together circa 2016

Baby Blair 2016

Christmas 2016

December 1 means we start the wonderful advent calendar Aunt sherry gifted us (full of fun) last year

Last run before I succumbed to my injury and got help

My little piggies

Happy birthday Ramsey!

We got Ted's Bulletin take out and ate on the green in Mosaic amongst the beautiful Christmas decorations

Ramsey got an Art Class mini-backpack purse, a wallet,

gift cards to Rita's, Crumbl Cookie, Ben & Jerry's, and Coldstone

She also got to convert the kids' iPhone into her own iPhone! Matt got a new phone, his old phone was converted into the kids' iPhone, and Ramsey kept the kids phone.

Blair started the reading lessons I gave the other kids, the only problem is...she can already read somehow

First snow of the season

Snow clothes are half the fun

Top window is broken--looks like a baseball did it but household members assure us complete innocence

The mundane details of my life

Matt made this book for his parents and siblings for Christmas from his parents' responses to the Storyworth prompts they received over the last year (last year's Christmas present was Storyworth).

The cover artwork is from an old family book The Heart Marks the Trail by C.E. Warner.

Made made this incredible mosaic out of broken tiles and an old address plate

he found at a junk shop in the San Telmo district in Buenos Aires

Ramsey has been enjoying a weekly walk with friends Eleanor and Aditi

Beck is showing his work for his test

I found the bag Matt lost

I decluttered Blair's room (before)

(after)

Look what Uncle Taylor sent for my birthday!

Matt and I went on a date to see a few DC monuments at night--it was really cool

Emily and Ilse sang me happy birthday on the 8th

and brought yummy treats that were gone within a few hours

For my birthday I went to Mosaic with Elizabeth and ate take out lunch on the green (Bartaco)

She gifted me this beautiful birthday box full of goodies!

Birthday cake with the fam

Surprise! It's a birthday party!!

Ashley surprised me by driving down from New Hope and Matt surprised me with a zoom dance party with several lifelong friends. It was so, so wonderful and had me laughing and crying. I am 40!

Oh boy

COVID numbers are so huge

These dogs love puzzles

He did it!

Got into a car accident, it was totally my fault I was distracted. Luckily nobody was hurt, but the guy I hit was driving a newly-acquired 1978 Porsche which makes me a really big jerk.

Santa came to our house on the old-school Vienna firetruck! He delivered a historic Vienna ornament.

Still loving her Frozen magic mirror

My breakfast of champions

Virtual school continues, and Cuddles is a great companion

Darby and I love baking cookies

We had a blast ice skating in Reston, although I thought it was going

to be less crowded since the tickets were prepaid online only

Daddy-kid outing to Leesburg

Mama's sick-it started December 23 with a fever. I was in bed for 4 days with a fever and mild post-nasal drip. Then it turned into a deep cough. I got two COVID tests (rapid antigen and PCR molecular), both negative. Not sure what is going on but it was awful. Still have a lingering cough that I will get checked out this week (if I can get a televisit appointment). I couldn't get an appointment with the doctor last week, but hopefully this week. I have been careful, except for the crowded outdoor ice skating which was unfortunate. I also took Ramsey to her well-visit December 21, so maybe I picked up something then? The flu or strep throat? Mysterious. Next time I give blood I will see if I have COVID antibodies, then I'll have more information, since the last time I gave blood about a month ago I didn't have any antibodies.

Nobody else here is sick so far.

Dad and the kids made gingerbread cookies for Santa.

Christmas morning!

Ping-pong table, lego sets, wireless speaker and Spotify subscription, hatchimals, etc.

I got Matt vintage 1999 games magazines and an inflatable HOT TUB

The hot tub was a total surprise, he had no idea. I stored it in the neighbor's garage (who so kindly lifted it into the back of my car since I was sick and didn't want to spread germs) and then on Christmas morning the kids helped me bring it in (from the back of my rental Expedition). It was so fun to shock him!