6 miles, Coast 103.5, a 7 year old, and 59 wrapped presents

Today started with a nice 6 mile run which felt great! 

      

This particular part of the trail makes me want some runners mace.

My run was the most relaxing part of the day.. after that it was crazy. I spent 11 hours wrapping 59 presents for several different holiday parties. However, thank goodness I did not have to buy 59 gifts!!

(these are for my personal peeps)

52 of them, were from donors for a holiday party that I help coordinate every year for a number of former foster youth that I assist in mentoring through college. They are such great kids!! All their gifts were dropped off at my office and so I decided to use all that space to organize and wrap. However this turned into a fiasco.. because once the word got out I was in the process of wrapping gifts..the kids kept coming in to try to peek at their presents and I had to keep chasing them out. Don't they know it is finals week?! What are they doing in my office?? Go study!

  

 Not only that but during this time my labmate was listening to Coast 103.5 ~ Los Angeles's Christmas radio station ~ so for 8 of those 11 hours I did too. Now I don't mind Christmas music but I think the songs were on a loop. I heard the Brenda Lee version of Rockin Around the Christmas Tree at least 6 or 7 times today along with several others... they seriously have to have it on a loop.

The best part of my day was a cute little being who came along with her brother and mother to a research assessment. Since she was a surprise, there was no child care planned, so I got to hang out with her and watch The Princess and the Frog!! She was a great present wrapping assistant (she even counted all the presents out and then helped count down as each one got wrapped) and a delightful artist. Here is a picture she drew of me. I loved how she spelled my name… esabela. :)

(Izabela is my first name Kate is my middle.. just in case you were wondering...) 

In all, a very good day. :)