Thinking back to my childhood days, this is a week that my mother would have celebrated that we were in school instead of on vacation.
Imagine dealing with four kids eager for Christmas and little to do with the big day still three or four or more days away. Instead students are working away in the classrooms in the valley districts until Friday. That’s a gift to parents and challenge for students to keep their eye on the ball.
It will be a stressful time for high school students paying attention to academics—it’s finals week. It important for finish the semester well and then settle into the Christmas spirit. That means focus. I suspect a note on a college application saying finals week fell just before Christmas to explain a poor grade may not carry too much weight.
The bonus is New Year’s week off, a week that business typically is back in full swing as of Jan. 2. Many resort areas, particularly those in Utah and Colorado, tend to get emptier the closer New Year’s Day comes and then there’s the next week. During my bride’s school teaching days, this was a perfect week to ski and find minimal lift lines and open trails.
The same is likely true for warm weather holiday destinations, although it’s been so warm around here that Pleasanton has qualified. Here’s hoping that the New Year brings some significant snow and rainfall. December has been a drought month.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. May you have a blessed and joyful celebration.