Week 19 ~ Taking Christmas Slow and Easy

I have been struggling with getting it all done this week. It seems like I am reacting to life instead of being prepared for each thing as it comes along. I really like to be prepared. I've also had my fair share of struggles with motivation for a few weeks now. I thought I was sick or maybe depressed. However, neither really fit my feelings or physical state. Finally, my Mother, who should have been a research librarian, hit upon my problem ~ BURNOUT! The description of burnout fits me perfectly. It make perfect sense with all that I have been through with Goldilocks in the past few years. I am just 100% spent and exhausted. But I am still filled with life and joy for the season. I want to do so many things, but can't find the energy or focus to get it all done. I need to rest and heal. So, we are looking at priorities and deciding carefully if each event is really important to this Christmas season. It has been slower and more relaxing so far and that is a good thing.

Gingerbread Show ~ We had a lovely time going to the Grove Park Inn to see the gingerbread show. We love it every year and it is doubly special now that Tim's day program enters a display each year. We chose to park on a public street and walk in this time instead of paying the rather expensive, on-grounds parking fee. It would have cost as much as a gift for someone. The walk was all uphill but not nearly as bad as we thought it would be.

The display that Tim helped to make.

Our favorite one front and back ~ Narnia

The back of the Narnia display

Christmas Baking ~ We baked all day one day this week. We made dozens of our two most important Christmas cookies ~ Molasses Sugar and Chocolate Kiss Surprise. We are still hoping to make gingerbread cookies some time during our Christmas vacation. We packed up bags of cookies and gave them to our dance teachers, therapists, and physical therapists.

Christmas Cards ~ The kids and I managed to get half of them out this week. The rest will hopefully be done next week. It has been hard this year because of the need to inform people or update people who are already in the know about what has happened to Goldilocks. 

Homeschooling ~ This is our second to last week before a well needed break. 

• Tom Sawyer did several hours of writing homework for his last writing class until after the New Year. 
• Literature ~ The Invention of Hugo Cabret! We loved this story and watched a DVD interview with the author. We look forward to seeing the movie this weekend. 
• CNN Student News each day
• The kids researched "Holi", the Indian Spring Festival. Then we realized that we were studying the wrong country for Culture Club so had to change gears!
• The kids researched the platypus for the country Australia and created a presentation.
• The kids presented their platypus paper at Culture Club in front of about 30 people. 
• 22 pages of language arts work sheets were completed.
• Tom Sawyer did seven Teaching Textbook math lessons and Little Red Riding Hood did five lessons.
• The kids did two Christmas writing promps.
• Journal and reading time was accomplished each day.

On the Blog this Week ~ My Christmas Book Picks!

It was a good week. I didn't get everything done on the list, but I got the important things done.

Blessings, Dawn