This and that

The "Holidays" have gone by really fast... today is St. John's day which means it's my son's nameday. I realize in the UK and US, you do not celebrate namedays so let me explain.
We are Christian Orthodox and when we baptize our kids, we must name them after a saint or biblical figure... Today is St. John's day so everyone named John, has a nameday. It's like a birthday but without the cake. It is customary to have an "open house" and prepare coffee and finger food and dress up and your family and friends will drop by without the need for an invitation.

A couple of decades ago, women would spend all day baking or making treats, then divide them in containers and spend the evening visiting all the Johns they knew, bringing a container of sweets to each Nameday boy or girl (if you are named Joanna).
Then in the neighborhoods (in the olden days!) they would light fires and they would jump over them but I am not sure why, I didn't actually witness that when I was growing up but my mom did..

The 7th January also marks another thing for decades now... it is the last day of the holiday break for kids ... They were off school from the 23rd December until the 7th January...
My kids are grumpy their break is over and so is my hubby who is also going back to work tomorrow... while I... *I* am dancing around the house dreaming of the 4 hours I will be ALONE tomorrow. The house is wrecked as, as soon as I had picked something up, it ended up on the floor again but starting tomorrow I am getting it back in shape... or at least that would be the case if... if John didn't start the day with a fever today!! I am sure it's nothing, just a little virus but it will probably keep him off school tomorrow... and I am telling myself I made it through 15 days, I can make it 3 more, right?

Sigh...

On another note, we had the evaluations for the boys done. Are you ready for this?
John, who we've always been told is gifted, scored at a TEN YEAR OLD LEVEL!! My just turned FOUR year old scored as a ten year old!!! Blew the socks off the doctor..
And Cody, my quiet little charmer? SEVEN YEAR OLD!!
I am officially the mom of two VERY clever and advanced little guys.. and the best part was when the doctors said "Good job mom! We can tell you have been working with them very hard." I beamed!! Mostly because the other people in my life always find flaw with how I raise the boys and they always have something negative and derogatory to say about me... it was to be acknowledged as a "great mom" who does something right for once :)

Ok I need to run, I've got a million things to do and Cody has therapy and we need to leave in 10 minutes...