oh there's no place like home for the holidays

So Christmas is in 6 days, just in case you didn't know. ha. ha.

I'm looking forward to it for a break in our hectic lives. I know everyone is busy but here's my typical week.

Monday-no work-well some from home,preschool with Emma, pick up Rachel from school (Hubs takes her in the morning) but choir practice in the evening every week. This year I'm also the accompanist for the choir unless we're singing with a cd, then I get to sing. But, I have to play parts and the music sometimes too, lots of practicing the piano for me. We have choir tonight but we're actually going caroling to a local nursing home, looking forward to it!

Tuesday-work, so out the door first thing, drop off Emma at my parents' house, work all day, pick up Emma and head home. I usually get home around 5:45pm.

Wednesday-repeat Tuesday.

Thursday-no work- well some from home, preschool with Emma, pick up Rachel from school, kids have AWANA in the evening.

Friday-no work at all, grocery shopping/run errands, pick up Rachel from school.

Saturday- many different things

Sunday- church. Hubs ushers once a month which doesn't mean just greet people and find them a seat. It also means since we meet in a gym (our church has a school) that he has to be there super early to set up all the seats and stage, instruments, etc. Then take it all down again afterwards.
Church also means me singing in the choir every week. Sometimes I play the piano for the congregrational singing, sometimes it also means playing with the ensemble group for offeratory.
Church is also an evening service and during that time Rachel takes part in the kids choir. Sometimes the kids sing in the evening service or like they did this past Sunday morning, they had a special kids choir Christmas cantata. It also means that the kids choir sang a song in the adult Christmas cantata a week ago. This also includes extra rehearsals, dress rehearsals, 2 cantata performances, etc.

During the week Hubs takes Rachel to school in the morning so I can be home in the morning with Emma on the days I don't work except those occasions when he has to go into work early and then I take Rachel to school. Also, during the days I work, Rachel has to stay in aftercare at school since neither of us can leave work early enough to pick her up. Hubs is much closer and leaves when he can to get her but where I work and where my parents live is in the opposite direction.

So that's my week. Since Rachel is in a charter school there's no bus so there's LOTS of driving=high gas budget and paying for aftercare 2 days a week. Sigh.

Our church isn't really that close but we're driving there for choir once a week, AWANA once a week and church twice in one day. Factor in the times that Hubs is there early for ushering or days when I am there early for special music and we drive separately. MORE driving.

Oh and don't forget, Hubs is on the school board which meets once a month. He's also part of the local Chamber of Commerce for his side business which also meets once a month. And he has a client he meets regularly after work.

There are some weeks where only one of us is home for dinner and/or home to put the kids to bed.

Sometimes I feel like we're all over the place, probably because we are!

But guess what? We both have the week after Christmas off and we don't have to be anywhere or do anything. Well, except Christmas morning, we have a church service and the choir is singing 2 songs. One is the Hallelujah Chorus and wouldn't you know, I'm playing the piano for it. Yikes!

Don't get me wrong, we like being involved and serving in our church. It's just a lot of time and driving. But everyone needs a break from it all every once in a while.

So next Monday, we're home with just the 4 of us. We're not traveling anywhere and no one is visiting us either.

I can't wait for some much needed rest and relaxation!