Madeline’s fourth grade class has a designated dress up theme for every single day this week leading into the winter break. Today was “dress like your favorite holiday character or holiday item; examples: snowman, reindeer, Santa, Christmas tree, etc.”. Of course, we realized this about two minutes before she was supposed to get on the bus. She was wearing a black shirt and black pants.

I told her to go as a lump of coal.

I finally made good on my promise to the kids to take care of flu shots this year. They’ve been asking about them for weeks now — it doesn’t hurt that they get to pick out a candy treat afterwards.