There are so many things I want to do. It seems that the only time I am creative is when I am creating a gift for someone else. This Christmas I don't even have time to creative things for the special people in our lives. My one accomplishment is that I have made Christmas jam. A strawberry cranberry jam that is incredibly easy to make as jams go. The last time I did that was about 5 years ago. It was time to bring this old gift idea back out of the cupboard. My goal is to bake some honey whole wheat bread and give those as gifts to the people Peter hometeaches, to our hometeachers, to the people I visit teach and neighbors. But, I'm looking at the rest of the week, and all I can think is arrrgghh! There is so much to do with the little time that remains. We all were so tired last night we went to bed at 10:00 pm, which is early by Gale standards, and left the kitchen a mess. This week I have already been up at the school twice. Steven's fifth grade class made gingerbread houses - from scratch. His wonderful teacher, Mary Rush, personally cut out and baked 32 gingerbread houses. She loves this holiday tradition so much that she has been doing this for 15 years. Monday, I helped glue the houses together afterschool for a couple hours. They have to sit out overnight and let the icing harden. Mrs. Rush also makes the icing from scratch. This is a very intensive activity in regards to time and attention; thus, she needs all the parents she can get. Then yesterday, after lunch, I came back up to the school and helped make more icing and helped the kids decorate their houses. I got home after school, paid the babysitter, and then Peter took off to go to Cub Scouts up at our church. At 5:45 pm they got home leaving 45 minutes for the kids to eat. We got Subway sandwiches. Then the boys had their school Boy Scout activity. They went caroling at Valencia Commons, a senior care facility. We got home about 8 pm and then the boys started some homework. Peter and I were both exhausted. So we went to bed and slept in this morning. Peter kept hitting the snooze button. I woke up at 6:30 am and prodded Peter awake. We jumped out of bed and then the day started all over again. I want to raise my hand and say, "Excuse me, can I get off the ride? This isn't fun at all!" However, there's no one except myself to say it to. I have simplified the holidays as much as I can already. We're not putting up Christmas lights outside the house this year. Why bother? We're only going to be another 6 days and then we leave for Grampa's house. I have my Christmas signs up in the yard, We're going to send digital Christmas cards this year, the Christmas tree is up, and I finally finished putting the decorations on it yesterday. I just would like a little time for some quiet family moments and some opportunities to do some small acts of service. Instead there is the daily homework grind, the caring for my needy children, and the invisible housework that is both unnoticed and immediately messed up. Today I have a doctor's appointment and Bekkah has Mutual. Tomorrow, the most stressful day, is our Christmas present. Peter, Bekkah and I are going to Wicked at the Pantages Theater! That is our Christmas present to each other. I've heard good things about it. Rebekkah is so excited. Her best friend Megan Blackmer will be there as well. So she gets to see this fabulous play with her best friend. Babysitting is finally set up. But we will get home so late that night, about 2 am. Plus, the sad thing is that we will miss our ward Christmas party. It is Thursday night as well. I don't know who planned a Christmas party during the week, especially on a Thursday night, but I sure would have like to talk with them! I'm sure it's due to the building availability. But, what a cruddy day to plan a party. The next day, Friday, is all the kids' school Christmas parties. I have been asked to help out at Steven's party. They are making a craft and I know I need to send in a food contribution. So, I should be preparing that today. I still haven't arranged babysitting. I don't know if I'll be able to. Knowing all this I just want to take a break and relax, either that or I would like a small padded room, I'm not sure which sounds better. Also I want to do some holiday baking. I just don't know if that's going to work out. I don't have to, I realize that. It is just another of those holiday traditions I enjoy. Also on Friday, Bekkah, Steven and Jonathon have a half day. I guess I can do some baking after they get home, we could even make cookies together! We have no plans for Friday night, thank Heavens. We can have a quiet evening, which will most likely end with all of us falling asleep in front of the television as we watch a movie together. I guess I should be glad for the small blessings, but sometimes it's hard to spot them. I am grateful for the holidays. I just wish we could do a better job at focusing on the Savior and his birth. The rush of all the day to day activities make it more difficult to slow down and do this. In additon there is such rampant consumerism throughout society. We, meaning I, get immune to it. And, we, meaning I, start to buy into it; I want to buy my children all these wonderful, expensive gifts, whether or not they deserve it (and some of them don't). Well, my goal is to put a stop to it. I apologize for the rant. It is therapeutic and I know there are many women that feel the same way I do. Another small blessing. Many of you will completely relate and understand my feelings. Boy, maybe I don't need that padded room after all.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Christmas craziness. Stop the bus, I want off!
There are so many things I want to do. It seems that the only time I am creative is when I am creating a gift for someone else. This Christmas I don't even have time to creative things for the special people in our lives. My one accomplishment is that I have made Christmas jam. A strawberry cranberry jam that is incredibly easy to make as jams go. The last time I did that was about 5 years ago. It was time to bring this old gift idea back out of the cupboard. My goal is to bake some honey whole wheat bread and give those as gifts to the people Peter hometeaches, to our hometeachers, to the people I visit teach and neighbors. But, I'm looking at the rest of the week, and all I can think is arrrgghh! There is so much to do with the little time that remains. We all were so tired last night we went to bed at 10:00 pm, which is early by Gale standards, and left the kitchen a mess. This week I have already been up at the school twice. Steven's fifth grade class made gingerbread houses - from scratch. His wonderful teacher, Mary Rush, personally cut out and baked 32 gingerbread houses. She loves this holiday tradition so much that she has been doing this for 15 years. Monday, I helped glue the houses together afterschool for a couple hours. They have to sit out overnight and let the icing harden. Mrs. Rush also makes the icing from scratch. This is a very intensive activity in regards to time and attention; thus, she needs all the parents she can get. Then yesterday, after lunch, I came back up to the school and helped make more icing and helped the kids decorate their houses. I got home after school, paid the babysitter, and then Peter took off to go to Cub Scouts up at our church. At 5:45 pm they got home leaving 45 minutes for the kids to eat. We got Subway sandwiches. Then the boys had their school Boy Scout activity. They went caroling at Valencia Commons, a senior care facility. We got home about 8 pm and then the boys started some homework. Peter and I were both exhausted. So we went to bed and slept in this morning. Peter kept hitting the snooze button. I woke up at 6:30 am and prodded Peter awake. We jumped out of bed and then the day started all over again. I want to raise my hand and say, "Excuse me, can I get off the ride? This isn't fun at all!" However, there's no one except myself to say it to. I have simplified the holidays as much as I can already. We're not putting up Christmas lights outside the house this year. Why bother? We're only going to be another 6 days and then we leave for Grampa's house. I have my Christmas signs up in the yard, We're going to send digital Christmas cards this year, the Christmas tree is up, and I finally finished putting the decorations on it yesterday. I just would like a little time for some quiet family moments and some opportunities to do some small acts of service. Instead there is the daily homework grind, the caring for my needy children, and the invisible housework that is both unnoticed and immediately messed up. Today I have a doctor's appointment and Bekkah has Mutual. Tomorrow, the most stressful day, is our Christmas present. Peter, Bekkah and I are going to Wicked at the Pantages Theater! That is our Christmas present to each other. I've heard good things about it. Rebekkah is so excited. Her best friend Megan Blackmer will be there as well. So she gets to see this fabulous play with her best friend. Babysitting is finally set up. But we will get home so late that night, about 2 am. Plus, the sad thing is that we will miss our ward Christmas party. It is Thursday night as well. I don't know who planned a Christmas party during the week, especially on a Thursday night, but I sure would have like to talk with them! I'm sure it's due to the building availability. But, what a cruddy day to plan a party. The next day, Friday, is all the kids' school Christmas parties. I have been asked to help out at Steven's party. They are making a craft and I know I need to send in a food contribution. So, I should be preparing that today. I still haven't arranged babysitting. I don't know if I'll be able to. Knowing all this I just want to take a break and relax, either that or I would like a small padded room, I'm not sure which sounds better. Also I want to do some holiday baking. I just don't know if that's going to work out. I don't have to, I realize that. It is just another of those holiday traditions I enjoy. Also on Friday, Bekkah, Steven and Jonathon have a half day. I guess I can do some baking after they get home, we could even make cookies together! We have no plans for Friday night, thank Heavens. We can have a quiet evening, which will most likely end with all of us falling asleep in front of the television as we watch a movie together. I guess I should be glad for the small blessings, but sometimes it's hard to spot them. I am grateful for the holidays. I just wish we could do a better job at focusing on the Savior and his birth. The rush of all the day to day activities make it more difficult to slow down and do this. In additon there is such rampant consumerism throughout society. We, meaning I, get immune to it. And, we, meaning I, start to buy into it; I want to buy my children all these wonderful, expensive gifts, whether or not they deserve it (and some of them don't). Well, my goal is to put a stop to it. I apologize for the rant. It is therapeutic and I know there are many women that feel the same way I do. Another small blessing. Many of you will completely relate and understand my feelings. Boy, maybe I don't need that padded room after all.
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Merry Christmas! This Year we spent 1/2 what we usually do on each of the kids and we told them this would be the case at the first of the month. They were not excited about it but you know what. It was so much more peaceful this Christmas than I ever remember it being before. Hardly any shopping to do at all at all - hurray! Also we are having blizzards here so there is lots of being homebound. You could call it a forced halt; of course that means everyone is shut in the house together... can you say stir-crazy?
Merry Merry Joy Joy!
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