It’s the most hectic time of the year. It’s tiring, stressful and a lot of fun. My son Erick’s job is super busy. This year, I actually remembered to text him with my order for chocolates for coworkers and teachers and crossing guards a couple weeks in advance. Usually, I am asking him the day before I need the chocolates, and he gets grumpy because by then he has to specially make everything for me on a time crunch. He is a chocolatier at The Chocolate Lab on Main Street.

I know the chocolates we give as gifts are appreciated. On a recent zoom meeting at East Stroudsburg University , a former staffer at Thomas Jefferson ES was on the call, and when my younger son, James, realized it, he jumped in to say hello. And no surprise, the chocolates came up in the conversation.

Speaking of ESU, it is finals, and oh boy, there is a lot to do. I wish my entire life was as organized as giving Erick my order early. Not so far, but I’m trying.

I have holiday events to cover, and they provide what I call “scheduled Mommy and James time.” I have managed to set aside a little time for non-newspaper related family time, too.

But I am really looking forward to the end of finals and the upcoming winter break from my day job and James’ school. Over Thanksgiving break, I did barn work, newspaper work, and grad school work. So it was not much of a break at all. The winter break will be a little longer and less hectic. I am planning it this way.

What I don’t know yet is when we will celebrate Christmas. This is one of the years that James goes to his father on Christmas Eve, until lunchtime on Christmas. So when and where we open gifts has to be worked around that, and further worked around Erick’s work schedule. But whenever, it will be merry.

We visited the library on a nice evening not long ago. The new star is phenomenal. The big tree is beautiful as always. Erick spent several minutes with his phone flashlight going through the ornaments on the smaller tree at the rear of the plaza, trying to find the one James made in school. He didn’t locate it, but we saw many of the ornaments his classmates made, and it was fun.

James and I enjoy encountering the carriage horses in our travels. The city is festive and fun. Enjoy the holidays!