'Tis the Season

Despite my best intentions, I don't seem to be able to get here to write as often as I would like to.
I naively thought that I'd have all kinds of free time once both kids were in school. Turns out I'm still busy.

I've been trying to take care of the majority of the household chores during week so that we have free time to spend as a family on the weekends. In addition to that I've been doing a good bit of volunteering --an outdoor education class for preschoolers on Mondays, the school kitchen on Tuesday mornings, reading with first graders at the school on Wednesday mornings, a first grade class in a school in the next district over on Thursdays but nothing on Fridays. I'm also the Class Parent in the kids' class as well as the "Class Parent Coordinator" for the school.

Most of the volunteering has ended for the year and I have a little bit more free time thiscoming week. I'm sure it will still go quickly. The kids holidays don't start until the 24th, and they're off school until the 9th. Jen will take the week between Christmas and New Years. It will be nice to have a good stretch of time all together.

We'll be spending Christmas Eve at my moms, as we always do. Christmas Day we'll drive down to PA to spend time with Jen's family. Aside from cupcakes day-of, which is sort of a tradition now, we've decided to defer the kids' birthday celebrations until the new year. There won't be a big party this year, but we'll have some family over to help celebrate with cake. A princess cake for the four year old and a Storm Trooper cake for the six year old.

I don't think it will ever cease to blow my mind each time the kids celebrate a birthday. Four years ago today was actually Sprout's due date. I was huge and totally uncomfortable and feeling SO impatient.

Next weekend: cupcakes and Christmas. This weekend: early holiday celebrations, snow, and hopefully a few slow moments to sit back and soak it all in.