I woke up on Brenna's couch at 0615 and did some reading & Duolingo. After that, I started teleworking (0630). Brenna was out in her kitchen by 0645 and we had a nice morning talking, eating breakfast and making plans for me to visit her classroom in the afternoon. She expressed some disappointment that I wasn't going to be there in the morning but, I told her, I had meetings planned and it was rather late to change them. As a result, I stayed at Brenna's apartment after she departed for work (0730) and teleworked there until 1230. After that, I took a break from work and drove (I ate snacks for my "lunch" on the way) towards Brenna's school for three hours of volunteering (1245 to 1545). It was fun to watch “Ms. Coogan” teaching her enthralled First Graders and I got to be part of the learning process as a “Guest Reader”! I also got to assist at recess and with math exercises after her students asked me for help. Once all the kids left (whew!), I said goodbye to Brenna and drove to the Harrisonburg Post Office, where I mailed some Christmas cards (because I needed some international stamps). Finished at 1600, I drove back to Brenna's and resumed teleworking. Brenna got home at around 1630 and I expected to depart almost immediately because she'd asked me to join her church young adult group at a Christmas Caroling event at a Nursing Home. However, due to concerns about COVID-19 flare-ups, the event was moved to a neighborhood caroling and a bit later. In the end, though, the entire event was canceled due to COVID concerns. Brenna was very disappointed but I assured her we could still do something fun together. After she got ready, we drove to Purcell Park so we could take a walk together. We explored the grounds for about 45 minutes and had a nice talk. Once it was dark (1730), we drove to have to dinner at El Charro, our favorite place to eat in Harrisonburg! We had lots of chips, queso and enchiladas - mmmm... During the meal, we talked a lot about Brenna's students and our Christmas Week plans. My daughter told me that she hoped my Christmas present to her this year would be to buy her a new study bible (hers had lost the binding). Of course, I replied that I'd be happy to get that at the nearby Christian Book Store before I left the next day. Just as we finished dinner (1835), Brenna heard from friends from the church young adult group that they were at Smiley's Ice Cream. Since we both love the delicious desserts they make and Brenna wanted to me to meet her friends, we drove to Mount Crawford (arrived at 1900). Brenna and I got some seasonal treats and they were really good. While there, I met three young ladies (one who was a teacher at Brenna's school) and a young man named Nathaniel. With the latter, Brenna and I had a long conversation about the mountains and travel. After everyone was ready to go (2000), Brenna drove me back to Harrisonburg (we arrived back at her apartment by 2030). Later that evening, I watched parts of a few more episodes of "Shogun" while Brenna took care of chores and talked to some friends on the phone. Like last night, I had planned to go to bed at my normal time. However, Brenna asked if we could talk some more about life issues and family stuff. Of course, I agreed and, before I realized it, we'd been talking past midnight! I eventually went to bed (0015), my mind swimming with all kinds of "Dad" thoughts. One more thing - I agreed to visit Brenna's classroom again in the morning. It's never dull to have daughters!
