Favorite Moments

For the first time all year I took an entire week off from work and have really enjoyed it. So much so that going back to work tomorrow is going to be really, really hard. But before I start dreading that early morning alarm clock, I'll reminisce about some of my favorite moments from the past week. Naturally, they all stem from my and my parents' visit to Georgia to see my sister, brother-in-law and three nieces. We were only there for a couple of days but, as always, there was plenty to enjoy. Here are a few favorite moments:

• I usually stay in my oldest niece's bedroom. True to her name, Grace graciously gave up her bedroom once again to accommodate me, and left me with this lovely welcome note (complete with mint) on her bed:

Later, after being reminded (thanks a lot, sis!) that hotel guests often leave tips for good service, she added a postscript to the other side of her note:

So it's official--I have the most clever nieces in the world. For the record, I did leave a tip, although slightly less than the requested $5 because (a) I didn't have a $5 bill with me and (b) I didn't want to cause trouble among her sisters by appearing to show favoritism. It wouldn't take long for those girls to clean me out!

• One of the gifts I gave my middle niece (Sophia) turned out to be a big hit. I gave her a beauty salon set that included fake nail polish, lipstick, eye shadow, makeup brushes, comb, flat iron, etc. I lost count over how many "makeovers" Sophia gave me during my brief stay. Thankfully the "makeup" was plastic and not real, or else I'd probably have ended up with blue and purple eyeshadow all over my face. 

• My youngest niece, Evelyn, enjoyed reading a Winnie the Pooh "look and find" book. I laughed every time she'd find one of the objects that the book called for--she'd excitedly say "I found it!" or "There it is!" So cute and so proud of herself for finding it!

• I also loved hearing Evelyn's laughter, particularly when she got really tickled over something (such as actually being tickled). There is nothing like a three year-old's giggles to get me laughing, too. 

• My sister and I found some time to get away together for a quick shopping trip. We were both in search of jeans, and to our shock, we each found some that fit. Considering how challenging jeans shopping can be for women, that was a minor miracle. We credit each other for being our lucky shopping charm, so I think that means we'll need to meet up at least once a month from now on to go shopping together. 

With fun moments like these, you can see why I'm reluctant to return home to the real world and to get back to work. So what were some of your favorite moments over the Christmas break?