2 Fridays to go... And it will be a new year

 It is super cold today and the dogs still want to go outside for a few minutes at a time. Not long enough to do much of their business but at least they go out and attempt it. I am not willing to go out in this frigid weather. I am glad that I didn't decide to pick up any shifts either, well actually I did but I had to withdraw from them due to a family situation that was urgent at the time. I may not have a job when I get back to being able to work.

If I don't then I will look for another job and go from there. We have done minimal on schoolwork this week, but it is the holiday week, so I can say we are okay. There has been quite a bit of "life skills" and math related to daily living. Most of our games work into one subject or another. Logic and math are the easier ones to find. Spelling and writing are pretty common also. Keeping the youngest focused, even on games is challenging. 

Even homeschooling kids need a holiday break though, or at least their parents do! We have been a bit lazy today in just about every area of life. There are a few gifts left to wrap and stockings to stuff. It will get done... eventually. In the past, to save time, I start the stockings a week prior to the holiday by hanging them in my closet and placing the "stuffings" in them as I go. To do this I have duplicate stockings for each kid and on the designated night I swap them out. Easy-peasy until the kiddos figure it out, so far, I am doing okay with it.

It is now Christmas day, and all of the hustle and bustle has settled down a bit. The youngest has pleaded all day for a cat. The last two days have been overflowing with other things that have prevented me from updating the blog. DH cleaned up all the wrapping paper and mess only to have the youngest put all her new things into the tidied-up area. The turkey is in the oven and the kids are hunkered down in their rooms no doubt planning their next list.

I am planning mine also, what is going to be disposed of next and how.  As big as this house is there is still too much stuff. We placed a gift limit this year of four things each. It ended up being five as I found some misplaced items. So next year will be four. For Easter we plan to go to Michigan and see family and some sights. After the first of the year, we plan to meet up with the travelers. I am hoping that goes well.

The oldest received this baby

The youngest received this baby

Of course, those were great yesterday, today the youngest wants a cat. I plan to work tomorrow, and I will take the 4 kids with me. When my daughter gets off of work, I will ask her to watch the other two for an hour or so. It's an exchange for watching hers earlier in the day. Seems fair to me, but I am sure it won't be taken that way. Time to get busy with the chores for today.

The neighbor called and wanted to bring over her annual cookie tray for the kids. She included 5 dog cookies for our gang of doggies. As I drove to her house to pick up the tray so that she did not have to push a wheelbarrow to my house, I thought of several things I want to change for the new year.

First on my list is more meaningful days for schoolwork. Second is less chaos. If I can accomplish those two things, well let's just say life might be calmer. I will be doing less blogging in the new year. My plan is a weekly style post. It may wind up being more often but, that is the plan at this point. The girls will be starting music lessons in the new year at the musical instrument store (Granier Music).

Really how could you not like that garage door?