Friday Night Leftovers (My early Christmas present edition)

• We are down to a mere 5 hours 50 minutes of daylight.  Sunrise is at 9:55am (yes peeps, that is almost 10 am) and we see the sunset at 3:45pm (that is the exact time Thomas gets out of school to climb on the bus and come home).  Go to school in the dark, come home in the dark and try to savor the little bit of sunlight that we do get each day.  The good news?  In just over 2 weeks, we will hit the winter solstice and then be climbing out of the deep dark part of the Alaskan winter.
• I've said this before and I'll say it again, I'm blessed to have the opportunity this year to learn so much with new colleagues, doing a new job, in a new school, and in a new school district.  I could write a novel of everything new I've experienced so far in one semester.  Actually, instead of writing a book, I really just need to write a new Admin 101 blog post.
• Santa delivered my Christmas present a little early this holiday season.  I finally have a "big girl" camera... no more point & shoot camera for me.  I'm beyond excited to see the difference in my photographs for both pictures in my house and on the blog.
• Speaking of cameras, I'm going to have to now make a concerted effort to NOT use my iPhone camera as much as I have in the past now that I have a new Canon. 
• For the next 3 weekends, we have lots of events happening.  Work Christmas parties, Kids Christmas parties, Weekend Admin duty in Northwest Alaska (yes, I'm flying out to rural Alaska peeps), and someone's big 4-0 birthday celebration!
• Marilyn is so bossy.  Seriously, she leaves me speechless most days with what comes out of her mouth and what she thinks she can say to people.  Someone better remind her that she is 2-years old, not 42!
• I'm not sure what all this crazy weather is that I'm hearing about in the Lower 48, but what is perfectly clear is most places (other than the deep South) are colder and snowier than we are way up here in Alaska.  Insane!