Planning...

Our calendar has magically filled up to capacity. I don't know how it happened.  I'm normally the calendar guardian.  I ensure that it doesn't get terribly busy and that no one overdoes it.

Not this month.  Not next month.  We are busier than we've ever been.  It's been a good busy, and I think we'll be okay.  Thankfully, we've managed to preserve mornings and early afternoons for schoolwork and Sundays for church and family time.

The kids are participating in "A Christmas Carol" this year, so play practice and all things Christmas are on everyone's mind.  We have practice almost every day for two weeks after we get back from Thanksgiving, and I'm very happy that all of our practices are in the afternoon/evening.  The play is December 6th and 7th at 7:00.

At some point after our Saturday, December 1 practice, we'll go to get our Christmas tree and decorate the house.  I am normally a "let's not talk Christmas til after Thanksgiving" kind of person, but this year, it seems necessary to do some early planning.

After the play, we have Christmas crafts and cookie baking parties with friends.  We'll have our annual gingerbread house making party and our annual trip to Lights of the South.  We'll go to family gatherings, and we have plans with church family.  We'll travel to visit with Deron's side of the family for three days and come back for Christmas at our house with my side of the family.

I don't like being too busy.  I don't recharge in a group of people.  I get tired and nervous and I tend to put my foot in my mouth, repeatedly.  I recharge in the quiet, mostly early morning hours, but even still, I'm excited to do all these things.  I'm thankful my kids have the opportunity to participate in drama, an opportunity we wouldn't normally have.  I'm thankful to have friends who want to do crafts and bake cookies.  I'm not a craftsy mom, but I have craftsy girls!  Inviting friends over ensures that they'll get to make crafty ornaments.

I'm looking forward to cookie baking and hot cocoa. Christmas carols and cuddling on the couch.  My job is to make it happen, and enjoy it!

However, my plan is to make January boring. Super boring.