3pm check-in .....Moving stuff up on the list makes me feel good! DONE: Breakfast (1 egg with 1 slice provolone cheese) Christmas shopping (with 3 children in tow...not as productive as I would have liked, but we did get some done) Lifeway to pick up Christmas cards (couldn't find any cards I liked, decided not to send them this year as I don't really have the time to do it) Take dd15 to co-op (8:45am) Take daycare child to preschool (9:15) Lunch (Pei Wei Asian diner....buy 1, get 1 free coupon = yummy!) Pick daycare child up at preschool (1pm) Get ornament & white elephant gifts for tonight and wrap Pick dd15 up from co-op (2pm) IN PROGRESS: 1 load of laundry Afternoon chores STILL HAVE TO DO: Shower & change clothes Take dd15 to church small-group Christmas dinner (5:30) Take dh’s car to mechanic (again!) Dinner/Christmas get-together with friends 6:30 WOULD LIKE TO DO: more Christmas shopping wrapping have dh and 3 younger kids make 3 dozen sugar cookies to be taken to church on Sunday afternoon

I've been tackling Friday's to-do list for 6 hours and am starting to feel like I'm chasing my tail! DONE: Breakfast (1 egg with 1 slice provolone cheese) Christmas shopping (with 3 children in tow...not as productive as I would have liked, but we did get some done) Lifeway to pick up Christmas cards (couldn't find any cards I liked, decided not to send them this year as I don't really have the time to do it) Take dd15 to co-op (8:45am) Take daycare child to preschool (9:15) Lunch (Pei Wei Asian diner....buy 1, get 1 free coupon = yummy!) Pick daycare child up at preschool (1pm) IN PROGRESS: 1 load of laundry STILL HAVE TO DO: Get ornament & white elephant gifts for tonight and wrap Pick dd15 up from co-op (2pm) Afternoon chores Shower Take dd15 to church small-group Christmas dinner (5:30) Take dh’s car to mechanic (again!) Dinner/Christmas get-together with friends 6:30 WOULD LIKE TO DO: more Christmas shopping wrapping

10pm check-in.... Just got home from a marathon shopping trip while dd15 was at her National Honor Society's Christmas Social. I got a lot accomplished in 2 1/2 hours. Of course, I still have a lot left to do, but at least I've made a large dent in my list! Anything still left on my to-do list for today will have to carry over to another day. Time to put my feet up and relax for a little while before bed. DONE: shower/get dressed Supervise ds cooking sausage patties and pumpkin waffles (part of his Cooking Merit Badge for Scouts) Supervise dd15 as she makes Oreo Truffle Balls to bring to National Honor Society Christmas party tonight Make homemade home deodorizer (pine branches cut from our tree, vanilla extract, orange peels) Browned meat and got chili started in the crockpot weigh in (I have officially lost 12% of my body weight in 12 weeks and dropped from a size 14+ to a size 10!!) Only 9 more pounds to go to hit my goal weight 1 load of laundry Pick up 1 daycare child from her preschool (other daycare child does not have preschool today—she’s here with us for the whole day). Lunch (ds made Stromboli & salad as another part of his Cooking Merit Badge) make sure dd15 gets work done for her outsourced classes Water Christmas tree (I have to put this on my list everyday otherwise I will forget!) Write out remaining bills & mail Afternoon chores (bathrooms, kitchen) Dd15 dance class 4:30-5:30 pick up dd15 and friend to take them to Honor Society Christmas party (6-9pm) Christmas shopping (by MYSELF!) Pick up dd15 from party (9pm) Have dh call his brother re: FIL’s Christmas gift pick up canned goods to take to a Christmas party on Sunday (they are collecting goods for a local food pantry rather than accepting hostess gifts) STILL TO DO: ONGOING ~ Declutter, declutter, declutter Wrap gifts for White Elephant exchange and ornament exchange go to Lifeway to pick up Christmas cards WOULD LIKE TO GET DONE: Fine tune menu plan for remainder of the month Order pictures for MIL’s Christmas gift Go to grocery store to pick up remaining needed items Exercise on the Wii buy gifts for dh's secret santa at work

3:30pm check-in DONE: shower/get dressed Supervise ds cooking sausage patties and pumpkin waffles (part of his Cooking Merit Badge for Scouts) Supervise dd15 as she makes Oreo Truffle Balls to bring to National Honor Society Christmas party tonight Make homemade home deodorizer (pine branches cut from our tree, vanilla extract, orange peels) Browned meat and got chili started in the crockpot weigh in (I have officially lost 12% of my body weight in 12 weeks and dropped from a size 14+ to a size 10!!) Only 9 more pounds to go to hit my goal weight 1 load of laundry Pick up 1 daycare child from her preschool (other daycare child does not have preschool today—she’s here with us for the whole day). Lunch (ds made Stromboli & salad as another part of his Cooking Merit Badge) make sure dd15 gets work done for her outsourced classes Water Christmas tree (I have to put this on my list everyday otherwise I will forget!) Write out remaining bills & mail STILL TO DO: ONGOING ~ Declutter, declutter, declutter Wrap gifts for White Elephant exchange and ornament exchange IN PROGRESS ~ Afternoon chores (bathrooms, kitchen) Dd15 dance class 4:30-5:30 pick up dd15 and friend to take them to Honor Society Christmas party (6-9pm) go to Lifeway to pick up Christmas cards Christmas shopping (by MYSELF!) Pick up dd15 from party (9pm) WOULD LIKE TO GET DONE: Fine tune menu plan for remainder of the month Order pictures for MIL’s Christmas gift Have dh call his brother re: FIL’s Christmas gift Go to grocery store to pick up remaining needed items pick up canned goods to take to a Christmas party on Sunday (they are collecting goods for a local food pantry rather than accepting hostess gifts) Exercise on the Wii buy gifts for dh's secret santa at work

Deep breaths, Jean! Maybe you can keep the visit short so you can have time for some rest this afternoon?

Well, you can chalk it up as "multi-tasking"....at least you got a good workout in while running your errands! Hope your little guy's knee feels better quickly!

1:30pm check-in DONE: shower/get dressed Supervise ds cooking sausage patties and pumpkin waffles (part of his Cooking Merit Badge for Scouts) Supervise dd15 as she makes Oreo Truffle Balls to bring to National Honor Society Christmas party tonight Make homemade home deodorizer (pine branches cut from our tree, vanilla extract, orange peels) Browned meat and got chili started in the crockpot weigh in (I have officially lost 12% of my body weight in 12 weeks and dropped from a size 14+ to a size 10!!) Only 9 more pounds to go to hit my goal weight 1 load of laundry Pick up 1 daycare child from her preschool (other daycare child does not have preschool today—she’s here with us for the whole day). Lunch (ds is making Stromboli & salad as another part of his Cooking Merit Badge) STILL TO DO: Declutter, declutter, declutter Exercise on the Wii Wrap gifts for White Elephant exchange and ornament exchange make sure dd15 gets work done for her outsourced classes Afternoon chores (bathrooms, kitchen) Water Christmas tree (I have to put this on my list everyday otherwise I will forget!) Dd15 dance class 4:30-5:30 pick up dd15 and friend to take them to Honor Society Christmas party (6-9pm) go to Lifeway to pick up Christmas cards Christmas shopping (by MYSELF!) Pick up dd15 from party (9pm) WOULD LIKE TO GET DONE: Fine tune menu plan for remainder of the month Write out remaining bills & mail Order pictures for MIL’s Christmas gift Have dh call his brother re: FIL’s Christmas gift Go to grocery store to pick up remaining needed items pick up canned goods to take to a Christmas party on Sunday (they are collecting goods for a local food pantry rather than accepting hostess gifts) buy gifts for dh's secret santa at work

Ugh! I'm sorry your well-planned afternoon did not work out as you had hoped! I understand completely how difficult it can be to "roll with it" when plans change! I hope you are still able to have a nice visit with your friend.

Happy Thursday! We're having a great day so far! Christmas music is blaring; the house smells good and everyone is getting along (it must be a Christmas miracle!) DONE: shower/get dressed Supervise ds cooking sausage patties and pumpkin waffles (part of his Cooking Merit Badge for Scouts) Supervise dd15 as she makes Oreo Truffle Balls to bring to National Honor Society Christmas party tonight Make homemade home deodorizer (pine branches cut from our tree, vanilla extract, orange peels Browned meat and got chili started in the crockpot weigh in (I have officially lost 12% of my body weight in 12 weeks and dropped from a size 14+ to a size 10!!) Only 9 more pounds to go to hit my goal weight STILL TO DO: 1 load of laundry Declutter, declutter, declutter Pick up 1 daycare child from her preschool (other daycare child does not have preschool today—she’s here with us for the whole day). Exercise on the Wii Wrap gifts for White Elephant exchange and ornament exchange Lunch (ds is making Stromboli & salad as another part of his Cooking Merit Badge) make sure dd15 gets work done for her outsourced classes Afternoon chores (bathrooms, kitchen) Water Christmas tree (I have to put this on my list everyday otherwise I will forget!) Dd15 dance class 4:30-5:30 pick up dd15 and friend to take them to Honor Society Christmas party (6-9pm) go to Lifeway to pick up Christmas cards Christmas shopping (by MYSELF!) Pick up dd15 from party (9pm) WOULD LIKE TO GET DONE: Fine tune menu plan for remainder of the month Write out remaining bills & mail Order pictures for MIL’s Christmas gift Have dh call his brother re: FIL’s Christmas gift Go to grocery store to pick up remaining needed items pick up canned goods to take to a Christmas party on Sunday (they are collecting goods for a local food pantry rather than accepting hostess gifts) buy gifts for dh's secret santa at work

Monday: 3.1 miles on treadmill Tuesday: 1.75 miles on treadmill Wed: planned day of rest Thurs: taking another day off from running as I tweaked something in my right leg on Tuesday. Hopefully one more day off will do the trick. Going to do some exercises on the Wii with the kids this afternoon

6pm check-in : We just finished a "Jean-style" cleaning burst. We spent 30 mins cleaning the entire house....mostly decluttering and putting things away, dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, wiping down surfaces, putting away laundry, etc. We had Christmas music blasting and got a lot done with 5 of us working. :thumbup1: Now, ds is cooking our grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner, while I assemble salads and roast the asparagus. DD15 has dish duty afterward. DONE: Shower/get dressed Take 1 daycare child to her preschool (9am) Have labs drawn at dr’s office (10am) Eat (since I had to fast before blood work) Go to Trader Joe’s (since it’s close to my dr’s office) Lunch Dd15’s Spanish class (12:30-2pm) Pick up 2 daycare children from 2 different preschools (12:45 and 1pm) water the Christmas tree 2 loads of laundry Dinner (grilled cheese and roasted asparagus) afternoon/evening chores (vacuum, sweep, dishes, wipe down counters) STILL TO DO: pick up prescriptions at pharmacy (tried to pick it up on the way home from dd's spanish class, but of course, the pharmacy was closed from 2-2:30 for lunch! UGH) Go to work (8:30pm-midnight) HOPE TO DO: IN PROGRESS ~ Get some stuff done off my “Christmas to do†list DID SOME, BUT IT"S A NEVER ENDING JOB ~ declutter pick up package from Walmart (ordered online and had it delivered to the store for free) IN PROGRESS ~ 2 more loads of laundry (for my dad since he's working crazy hours this week)

3pm check-in DONE: Shower/get dressed Take 1 daycare child to her preschool (9am) Have labs drawn at dr’s office (10am) Eat (since I had to fast before blood work) Go to Trader Joe’s (since it’s close to my dr’s office) Lunch Dd15’s Spanish class (12:30-2pm) Pick up 2 daycare children from 2 different preschools (12:45 and 1pm) water the Christmas tree STILL TO DO: pick up prescriptions at pharmacy (tried to pick it up on the way home from dd's spanish class, but of course, the pharmacy was closed from 2-2:30 for lunch! UGH) IN PROGRESS ~ 2 loads of laundry Dinner (grilled cheese and roasted asparagus) afternoon/evening chores (vacuum, sweep, dishes, wipe down counters) Go to work (8:30pm-midnight) HOPE TO DO: Get some stuff done off my “Christmas to do†list declutter pick up package from Walmart (ordered online and had it delivered to the store for free)

I have a relatively easy day planned. DONE: Shower/get dressed Take 1 daycare child to her preschool (9am) Have labs drawn at dr’s office (10am) Eat (since I had to fast before blood work) Go to Trader Joe’s (since it’s close to my dr’s office) Lunch STILL TO DO: Dd15’s Spanish class (12:30-2pm) Pick up 2 daycare children from 2 different preschools (12:45 and 1pm) pick up prescriptions at pharmacy 2 loads of laundry Dinner (grilled cheese and roasted asparagus) Go to work (8:30pm-midnight) HOPE TO DO: Get some stuff done off my “Christmas to do†list

7pm check-in DONE: take "daycare child" to her preschool (9:15am) Quick grocery shopping trip to grab a few things that I need for tonight Prep dinner in crockpot Math with ds Get Taylor Swift pre-sale concert tickets for dd15's Christmas present (TOOK ME OVER 1 1/4 HOURS--so stressful, but accomplished) 1.75 miles on treadmill shower pick up daycare child from her preschool (1pm) Take dd15 to perform her ballet solo for a group of young dance students (1:15pm) Afternoon chores Water the Christmas tree 2 loads of laundry Reading time Dd15 dance classes (4-8pm) Watch DD15’s select ballet class perform their solo variations (5-6pm) DD5 dance class (4-5pm) dinner (chicken & dumplings in the crockpot) STILL HAVE TO DO: IN PROGRESS ~ Finalize remaining shopping lists for Christmas gifts, crafts, and baking pick dd15 up from dance (or send dh to do it) @ 8pm HOPE TO GET DONE: relax and a new section added to the list: NOT GOING TO HAPPEN TODAY: WWE & FLL with dd8 Declutter

2:30pm check-in... so far, so good DONE: take "daycare child" to her preschool (9:15am) Quick grocery shopping trip to grab a few things that I need for tonight Prep dinner in crockpot Math with ds Get Taylor Swift pre-sale concert tickets for dd15's Christmas present (TOOK ME OVER 1 1/4 HOURS--so stressful, but accomplished) 1.75 miles on treadmill shower pick up daycare child from her preschool (1pm) Take dd15 to perform her ballet solo for a group of young dance students (1:15pm) Afternoon chores Water the Christmas tree STILL HAVE TO DO: IN PROGRESS (just put in Load #2) ~ 2 loads of laundry IN PROGRESS ~ Finalize remaining shopping lists for Christmas gifts, crafts, and baking Reading time Dd15 dance classes (4-8pm) Watch DD15’s select ballet class perform their solo variations (5-6pm) DD5 dance class (4-5pm) HOPE TO GET DONE: WWE & FLL with dd8 Declutter relax

It is 12:30 pm and I've been tackling the list for 5 hours already. DONE: take "daycare child" to her preschool Quick grocery shopping trip to grab a few things that I need for tonight Prep dinner in crockpot Math with ds Get Taylor Swift pre-sale concert tickets for dd15's Christmas present (TOOK ME OVER 1 1/4 HOURS--so stressful, but accomplished) 1.75 miles on treadmill shower STILL HAVE TO DO: 2 loads of laundry Finalize remaining shopping lists for Christmas gifts, crafts, and baking pick up daycare child from her preschool (1pm) Take dd15 to perform her ballet solo for a group of young dance students (1:15pm) Afternoon chores Reading time Dd15 dance classes (4-8pm) Watch DD15’s select ballet class perform their solo variations (5-6pm) DD5 dance class (4-5pm) Water the Christmas tree HOPE TO GET DONE: WWE & FLL with dd8 Declutter relax

8pm update.... DONE ~ 4 loads of laundry (that’s what happens when I take an entire weekend off from doing laundry!) DONE ~clean kitchen (empty dishwasher, reload, wash dishes from last night, sweep) DONE~library DONE~bank DONE ~ school with dd5 DONE ~partial school with dd8 (WWE, FLL, Handwriting) DONE ~partial school with ds (Science, Math, English) DONE ~oversee dd15’s school (English, Math, Spanish, Sign Language, SAT prep) DONE~lunch DONE :hurray: ~exercise (3.1 miles in 39 mins on treadmill) DONE~afternoon chores (vacuum, sweep, dust) DONE~color my hair (well, actually have my mom come over and color my hair)….too much gray! DONE~shower DONE~take dd15 to dance (4:30-6pm) DONE (Ended up eating out tonight--met dh between dd's dance and ds' Scout meeting)~dinner IN PROGRESS~ds – Boy Scouts 7:30-9pm IN PROGRESS~work on Christmas to-do list

2:30pm update: LOAD 4 of 4 IN PROGRESS ~ 4 loads of laundry (that’s what happens when I take an entire weekend off from doing laundry!) DONE ~clean kitchen (empty dishwasher, reload, wash dishes from last night, sweep) ~library ~bank DONE ~ school with dd5 IN PROGRESS ~partial school with dd8 (WWE, FLL, Handwriting) IN PROGRESS ~partial school with ds (Science, Math, English) IN PROGRESS ~oversee dd15’s school (English, Math, Spanish, Sign Language, SAT prep) DONE~lunch DONE :hurray: ~exercise (3.1 miles in 39 mins on treadmill) IN PROGRESS~afternoon chores (vacuum, sweep, dust) DONE~color my hair (well, actually have my mom come over and color my hair)….too much gray! ~shower ~prep dinner ~take dd15 to dance (4:30-6pm) ~dinner ~ds – Boy Scouts 7:30-9pm ~work on Christmas to-do list

Jean, your idea sounds fabulous! We may have to implement that later this week. For now, we are still wrapping up some school subjects, so we're not really on "Christmas break" quite yet. Here's my list for today: LOAD 2 of 4 IN PROGRESS ~ 4 loads of laundry (that’s what happens when I take an entire weekend off from doing laundry!) ALMOST DONE ~clean kitchen (empty dishwasher, reload, wash dishes from last night, sweep) ~library ~bank ALMOST DONE ~ school with dd5 IN PROGRESS ~partial school with dd8 (WWE, FLL, Handwriting) IN PROGRESS ~partial school with ds (Science, Math, English) IN PROGRESS ~oversee dd15’s school (English, Math, Spanish, Sign Language, SAT prep) ~lunch ~exercise (3 miles on treadmill) ~afternoon chores (vacuum, sweep, dust) ~color my hair (well, actually have my mom come over and color my hair)….too much gray! ~shower ~prep dinner ~take dd15 to dance (4:30-6pm) ~dinner ~ds – Boy Scouts 7:30-9pm ~work on Christmas to-do list

Lands End....their customer service has been outstanding on the occasions that I've needed to return, exchange, or even order something that was not easily found online. Groupon....I had purchased a pet bed for our dog on a recent groupon deal. It arrived and I was not as impressed as I had thought I would be. I emailed, requesting a refund. They promptly emailed me a return shipping authorization (they covered the cost of shipping back) and were very polite. Delta Airlines....my 15 year old recently flew unaccompanied (but with a group of people that she knew). They were very helpful in making sure she was seated with people she knew and made sure that I could accompany her to the gate.

Good evening! The kids just got to bed and I'm sitting down at the computer for the first time today! Salad bar toppings: shredded cheese, croutons, sunflower seeds, dressing, (plus the obvious vegetables that would be in the salad!) We've had a super busy, productive, fun weekend. I am not ready for Monday though! Friday we had a family day (no school, no work). We got a lot done, after sleeping in a bit later than usual and having a nice breakfast. Friday evening, I went to a women's "Christmas by Candlelight" tea at church. Saturday, my oldest & youngest daughters danced in the Christmas parade, while the rest of us watched with friends. Afterwards, I went to a dance company Christmas party with my oldest. The girls even went caroling through nearby neighborhoods. Saturday night, I had to work. Today was the Christmas Cantata at church, followed by Sunday School and a quick trip to the grocery store. After lunch, we picked up dh's car from our mechanic. It now has a new clutch ($400)...Merry Christmas! On our way home, we bought a Christmas tree. This is our first live tree in 15 years. Apparently we're missing a piece from our artificial tree...a replacement wouldn't get here in time, so we decided to go with a live tree. The kids had a blast picking it out---I'm not sure if we'll be able to go back to artificial after this! This evening, I led crafts at church for the 2nd & 3rd graders. My dd15 cooked dinner and had it all ready when I got home. After dinner, we listened to Christmas music while decorating the tree and eating Christmas truffles. The kids are now in bed and dh and I are exhausted. Time for some tv and an early bedtime for us tonight! Tan and dark brown.

I'm not tackling Friday. Today is my "Saturday!" Hubby took the day off from work (mental health day) and dd15 stayed home from co-op. We slept in this morning (well, dh and dd15 slept till 9:30, but the rest of us were up before 8:30am). We had a nice family breakfast. Then dh and I weighed out our beef order into two pound packages and sealed them in the FoodSaver. Then we rearranged our deep freezer to fit all 40 pounds of ground sirloin, in addition to the contents that were already in there. Afterward, we took dh's car out to our mechanic's house so he can replace the clutch tomorrow. On our way home, we picked up the supplies needed for dh and ds to make our wooden nativity set. The supplies were a lot more expensive than I thought, so I hope it turns out nice! DH is currently outside tracing the pattern on to the plywood. I just finished helping ds work on some requirements for his Cooking Merit Badge for Boy Scouts. DD15 finished putting up and decorating her Christmas tree in her room and is now doing her required reading for her English class. In a little while, she's headed up to church to help set up for Operation Share with her youth group. They have collected new, donated toys and will have the entire wing of the church set up like a store so that tomorrow morning, moms & dads who could not otherwise afford presents can come in and 'shop' for gifts for their children for free. They are prepared to help almost 200 children have a merrier Christmas. All these families are ones that do not qualify for other programs (such as Angel trees, etc). This is her 4th year helping with it. Tonight, I'm going to a "Christmas by Candlelight" evening at our church. It's a women's ministry event and I'm taking a friend who's going through a rough time. I hope it will brighten her season and allow her to put some of her problems aside for a few hours. Afterward, I have to come home and make cookies to take to DD15's Christmas party at the dance studio tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, she and dd5 are dancing in the town's Christmas parade.

Dinner is cooking....smells yummy! DH is picking dd15 up after her dance class. Kids are finishing up their chores. After dinner, I'm taking dd15 shopping with no little ones! We're going to Pier 1. I will be in heaven! Tomorrow is a day off for the entire family (we're even letting dd15 skip co-op and dh is taking the day off). We're going to have a great day!

Scores arrived in the mail here (NC) today. DD (sophomore) scored a 191. Not bad for her first attempt! She had a 64 CR, 59 M, and 68 in Writing.

Updating as of 2pm