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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 08 2015 at 2:19pm | IP Logged
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I sit with the computer to just breathe for a few moments.. so busy.. and not just scheduled things.. but 4 yr old boy nonsense and frustration with teens and suchlike that happens at odd moments. Like last night, resulting in no one remembering that we should have gotten to Mass this morning.. now one child can't get to Mass and the rest of us will have to drive 2 cars (being down the one vehicle that can hold all of us makes things much busier) to a mission Church and need to squeeze that into the rest of the schedule which has the potential for making run just a little bit late for everything. 
So now I have to figure out what needs to get done in the next 3.5 hrs. First is that I need to leave as soon as I get a call (anytime) to pick up a child because we don't have a vehicle for her to drive. And I'll run some errands. Looks like I have a few so I'll get up and get some laundry switched around I think.
It would help so much if my brain could hold onto the schedule.. even with it on the calender I'm still checking every couple of hours because I can't remember what's next.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Dec 08 2015 at 2:30pm | IP Logged
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I decided to forego the busy season and get sick instead so that I could just cancel everything and ditch the schedule altogether. So far, it is working, but since I've already canceled one midwife appointment, I can't cancel again, so I suppose I'll have to leave the house tomorrow evening.
And then Friday, I'm supposed to go to dh's work Christmas party at noon and then do Christmas shopping in the afternoon since we had to cancel our day out on my birthday because I was sick last Friday, but I really don't want to go if I'm still coughing like a crazy woman.
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 08 2015 at 2:56pm | IP Logged
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Or not.. dratted slippery schedule. I'm supposed to be the adult at the girls 4H club (knitting and crocheting) today.. from 3:30-5.. I only do this once or twice a year.. which means I can't get to an evening Mass.. unless I cancel Webelos.. hmmmm that's sounding more appealing as this nutty day goes on...
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Erin
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| Posted: Dec 16 2015 at 9:10pm | IP Logged
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I've decided the only way to survive the busy, busy season is to add sooooo much more to your plate the only option you have is to bend so much you're totally flexible and laid back. Christmas will roll along no matter what you do.
We've just spent two weeks doing some major construction work to our house, putting up trusses and screwing down the iron ourselves. Then we headed a day's car trip down the road to attend our son's Graduation from College, stayed a few days there and home again. Home for five days before we head back to the City for Christmas with our sons. I'm supposed to be cleaning and packing, leaving the house tidy for the housesitter, but see I type here instead. Sides it's a little hard to tidy when half a household of furniture and 8000 books is crammed into the other half of the house. Half my walls are gutted, ceilings hanging down, pretty it is not. Courtesy of renovating.
No crafts done here, no tree up in this house, nor a wreath gracing our table, 16 people to buy for and only 3 presents purchased. Last night I cracked open our first Christmas picture book, and then the housesitter rang and interrupted.
Spiritually, well we haven't even made it to Confession yet for Advent.
Despite all that I'm calm (God's Grace) and I realised that Christmas will happen despite my non-preparations. I'm still excited that soon we will be celebrating His Birth 
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Erin
Faith Filled Days
Seven Little Australians
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 16 2015 at 10:20pm | IP Logged
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Nice Erin.. that you're calm and excited.
We're extra busy, sure.. but that day was just nutty even for me. If the Holy Day had just fallen on any other day 
I did cancel Webelos and we all went to evening Mass in town except the child who couldn't make it.
I was just frustrated with myself because I didn't remember and that one child couldn't make it. We'd talked about it earlier the day before.. but then all the nonsense and it was completely gone until the next morning when it was too late to get there.
Still busy.. but much more manageable now.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Dec 17 2015 at 5:57am | IP Logged
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Ha! No Christmas tree up here yet, either- but I am totally fine with that, since I would wait till Christmas Eve if I could pick.
A week of intense Nutcracker performances totally derailed our Jesse Tree- too many late nights, and we usually put the ornaments out at night after family prayers.
At least this year I was smart (er) and refused to schedule any routine care (dentist, etc) during December. That has been a huge help.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Dec 17 2015 at 6:56pm | IP Logged
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What is this Christmas tree you speak of?
We have survived the regional Irish dance championships and now I am wrapping and mailing things. THEN we can worry about the tree and all that stuff. Dancing Daughter came down with a double ear infection  , so we've had some doctor visit time to deal with. She and I managed to sneak in a Nutcracker performance (some of our local friends are ballet dancers), which was nice.
The one smart thing I did was suggest that Dancing Daughter avoid teaching private lessons in November and early December. Between the championships and finals week (finished!), she was just too busy to teach anything besides her weekly class.
So...we'll see when we can get the tree up. I'm gunning for Sunday.
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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CrunchyMom
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| Posted: Dec 17 2015 at 8:03pm | IP Logged
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We got a tree up last night. No lights or decorations, but the tree is there.  We'd planned for Gaudete weekend, so Wednesday night isn't too bad
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Lindsay
Five Boys(6/04) (6/06) (9/08)(3/11),(7/13), and 1 girl (5/16)
My Symphony
[URL=http://mysymphonygarden.blogspot.com/]Lost in the Cosmos[/UR
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 17 2015 at 10:45pm | IP Logged
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Still couldn't get into the forest (and high enough to get to the nice fir trees).. more snow.. I think we're gonna just get pine trees.. the trees for the Church don't have ornaments.. just some lights..
And if we can't get a tree (I'm not gonna pay full price for one.. just don't have available funds for that without taking it from elsewhere) We'd make do with some other ideas.. but they'd involve few if any ornaments.. so hey.. we can do a pine as well... pine small enough to be inside have very weak branches and droop seriously. But that's ok.. we can do some 3d paper snowflakes and ribbons and popcorn strings.. the star and maybe the gold beads and it'll be nice.
And the pines (ponderosa mainly) are low enough we can get to them. 
We don't put up the tree in the house until Christmas Eve.. but since we have to go and cut them down.. we're running out of available days to make that happen. And the weather isn't cooperating.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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Booksnbabes
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| Posted: Dec 17 2015 at 10:50pm | IP Logged
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We put up the tree the first Sunday of Advent--if the children had not pushed for it to happen, it would still be in storage!  We do not decorate it until Christmas Eve, turning on the lights when we return from Midnight Mass.
For the fourth year in a row, I did not get around to Jesse Tree activities. I have lovely ornaments printed to color and cut out and use for each day, but they sit in a folder, neglected.
We've managed to light the Advent candles most evenings, and we did remember to start the O Antiphons tonight!
I made it to the library this week and cleared out most of their Christmas picture books (the good ones) as my plan is to spend next week mostly focusing on cuddling with and reading to the kids. We've been sadly neglecting our read aloud time, and I miss it.
It was a crazy semester, and I'm so glad to be on break from many of our outside activities for the next couple weeks! We are planning low-key extended family Christmas gatherings, so even though they are back-to-back the weekend after Christmas, they shouldn't be overly stressful. I think if I survive the weekend, we should be able to end Advent well.
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Wife to wonderful DH, mom to SIX beautiful gifts from God!
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Dec 17 2015 at 11:54pm | IP Logged
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Well I had my lovely 14 yr old daughter take on our Advent story books the last week. I had several out of town events and was getting home late and then I got sick etc. So she's kept us going.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education.
-Sir Walter Scott
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Dec 18 2015 at 12:04am | IP Logged
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Isn't it wonderful when our children step up and help out?
I miss Advent story time...but, never fear...I am saving all the books for the next generation!
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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Erica Sanchez
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| Posted: Dec 18 2015 at 5:33pm | IP Logged
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I think things are too calm over here. I hope I am not setting myself up for something crazy next week. Our Advent begins after the retreat I put on, so always a bit late. We got a tree earlier than normal (weird, actually) and just have Michele's pretty purple Jesse Tree ornaments, some we colored (which took probably 6 years, Books!), white lights, and a simple purple yarn garland on it. A simple Advent wreath and lovely wooden Advent calendar with wooden symbols. And our Nativity. I asked my sister what else would I have to put out besides decorating the tree on Christmas Eve?? Stockings, I suppose. It has been nice having the purple around. Now, if we added some simple but good prayer and reading time, we'd be set.
I honestly, don't care about gifts this year. I know we need to have a few things under the tree, but it might just be the simple experience I've been wanting for so long. I think God is giving us this calm and peaceful time to enjoy each other. My emotions are all over the place because we'll take Grace to the cloister very soon, but I am enjoying this time very much.
Okay, I am writing this as my boys are hunched over my phone and some loud music from a game blares in my ear.
But, I am calm! :)
Happy Advent!
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Have a beautiful and fun day!
Erica in San Diego
(dh)Cash, Emily, Grace, Nicholas, Isabella, Annie, Luke, Max, Peter, 2 little souls ++, and sweet Rose who is legally ours!
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Topic: Busy Busy season
