December Daily | Day 3.

It's that time of year again.

The time of year when I'm hardly home. But hopefully, I'll have a few extra dollars for Christmas, and that will make it all worth it. Plus, I'll be doing what I love - and affirming who I am.

In the meantime, there's hardly time to breathe...

Monday night I had my regular orchestra rehearsal with the Clear Lake Symphony. Tonight is our dress rehearsal. Tomorrow night is our first Christmas concert. Saturday morning I have a rehearsal for a gig at Friendswood UMC, from 8 to 12:30, then I'll eat lunch in the car while I drive to Galveston. A quick rehearsal at Aaron's apartment, change into costume, and then perform at Dickens on the Strand for a couple of hours. Drive back home in late afternoon, have dinner with the family, and perform our second Christmas pops concert with Clear Lake Symphony that night. Early Sunday afternoon is another performance at Dickens on the Strand, followed by a dash back to Friendswood, another quick change of clothes, and play the gig in Friendswood. No rehearsal on Monday for CLS - we'll be on break for the holidays - but the following weekend I spend all day Saturday in rehearsal and performance with the Brazosport Symphony.

And somewhere in all of this, I have to find time to help Hannah with her science project, finish prepping the Christmas tree so the kids can put the ornaments on it, and help her make a gingerbread house.

Whew!

But as busy as I am, I always try to savor the few moments I find to just sit & breathe... Pray. And be thankful for all my many blessings.

Our quintet at Dickens on the Strand.

December Daily | Day 2.

Wednesday.

A pretty typical Wednesday... Facebook & YoVille in the morning, a nap after lunch, more internet surfing in the late afternoon, dinner, enjoying my family, storytime, tuck the kiddos in bed, watch TV with Chris. More YoVille on Facebook after Chris goes to bed. I stay up way too late.

Welcome to my daily life.

December Daily | Day 1.

Chris putting the garland on our new tree.

Almost can't believe I'm really doing this. It just seems like so much effort. LOL

I forgot to take a picture today. Guess there's gonna be some fudging going on when I finally get around to making the mini album. :)

So today was a pretty typical Monday. William got me up around 10:30 this morning (he's been a little late on his entire schedule since we got back from Thanksgiving). I played around on Facebook while he watched Sesame Street and Blue's Clues. Chris came home for lunch and we all ate together. Love that. After lunch William & I hung out some more. I spent most of the afternoon playing YoVille (my latest addiction) and William generally just played with his toys. I left the TV off and for a change he was actually ok with that. He said "tree" for the first time today, and "star" - he was quite impressed with the Christmas tree, but was very good about obeying me and not touching it.

To be honest I am in love with our new tree too! LOL It was 50% off at Hobby Lobby - always a good thing - and it is huge but best of all it is beautiful. It is a 9ft Oregon Pine, very lush and full, pre-lit with white lights (our first pre-lit tree), and has real pine cones tucked in among the branches. Which was cool, until they started dropping pine seeds all over the floor. Ah, the wonders of actual nature. Funny how Christmas trees assume monstrous proportions when you get them home - we had to rearrange half the furniture in the living room to make a spot for it but we did eventually get the tree up. ;) We also bought a new star for the top this year, it's got multi-colored LED lights that change colors. It's pretty (and casts a cool image on the ceiling) but... it's also a bit like putting a Vegas dancer's headdress on a Dickensian lady... Hopefully once we get our old lights + garland + ornaments on the tree it won't look quite so garish. LOL But anyway, I have very much enjoyed sitting today in my living room and basking in the gentle glow of the Christmas tree.

I picked up Hannah from school at 3 o'clock, put William down for his nap - excuse me, quiet time lol - when we got home, got Hannah a sizeable snack since dinner is late on Tuesdays. Chris came home shortly after 4, and Hannah and I left for the dance studio about 4:30pm. She had her ballet, tap, and jazz classes, and I worked on the laptop and chatted a bit with the other dance moms. I paid December's tuition and the recital fee. Ouch. At 7 it was time to go, we picked up Domino's pizza on the way home - 1 large cheese for the girls and 1 large pepperoni & mushrooms for the boys, though lately William's been spitting out the toppings. After dinner it was time for stories + tooth brushing + kisses (William has been very generous with these lately) and off to bed for the kiddos.

This evening Chris & I watched The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, and the 10 o'clock news. I made a Facebook group for the Clear Lake Symphony and kept tabs on my cookies in YoVille. ;)

And now here we are, at 2:46am and I really ought to go to bed. So much for Tuesday.