How do you "do" the week after Christmas?

[Alicia64]

Maybe it's just me, but it was a hard Christmas for me this year. For no particular reason. It just seemed like the baking and buying and wrapping went on and on and on. (I'm making notes on how I can do it a little better next year.)

 

Anyway, I'm thrilled that we're almost to Dec. 26 -- no sadness here.

 

I'm curious. . . how do you do the week after Christmas? My kids -- who I think have a lovely life -- are semi-whining that "Christmas is over; woe is us." I don't get it. I would have loved to homeschool and have had super loving parents and tons of friends. But I don't say anything. They have a right to their feelings. :glare:

 

I'd love to hear how you all spend the week after the Big Day.

 

Alley

[Jenny in Florida]

We've done a variety of things, often including things that we were too busy to fit into the schedule before "the big day."

 

For example, the local state university campus has a big event that runs from mid-December through January 2 or 3. There are lots of lights and music and a ferris wheel and ice skating rink and so on. My son loves it, but between his show and my daughter's and a family birthday and, you know, Christmas, there was no time to get there before today. I've said we can think about asking a friend of his to join us and go one day this week.

 

We are also planning to go to a movie this week.

 

Honestly, we also rest and try to enjoy the quiet time before life kicks back into gear. I kind of love a week with no dance or voice lessons, no rehearsals, no holiday projects to finish . . . Just time to read a book or watch a movie together and sleep so I'm fortified to jump back into things next week.

[-M-]

The swim team practices during the holiday week for two hours every weekday morning, so that and daily music practice give the days a regular rhythm during the winter break. And for the last five years, my husband has had most – and, more recently, all – of the holiday week off, so that’s pretty wonderful.

 

This year we decided that since we make so many trips into the city for our museum, theater, and music adventures the emphasis during the coming week will be local and low-key. For example, my husband and I took a long walk while the girls were at swimming on Friday and promised to do that each morning. How lovely to just stroll and chat with him. Just the two of us.

 

Each of us has a stack of books to finish, a number of games we’d like to learn, and several others we’d like to revisit. My youngest is baking an Andes Mint cake with my husband on Tuesday; my middle child is supervising a couple of art projects. We’re going to return to the indoor archery range we discovered at least once, maybe twice. We’re planning one hike-ish walk in one of our favorite state parks.

 

Stuff like that.

 

We will really relish this holiday week because we all fell victim to some sort of 24-hour gastro-intestinal bug overnight, Friday to Saturday. Christmas Eve was sort of a mess, although it came together pretty nicely by 7 p.m. Still, we were sick, and we’re sick so rarely that being so uncomfortable was a reminder to relish our health. We took a walk – all of us – just before sunset today and were thankful to have recovered so quickly and nearly completely. Sure, we’re a little tired and not at all interested in most of the food I stocked up on, but we’re okay.

 

Anyway, it may seem dumb, but being sick early in the break will certainly enhance our appreciation of the rest of the vacation.

[Tarreymere]

We are actually doing school this week. DH is off, so he is able to participate so it will be a little different and fun. We will play as many of those educational games that just sit on the shelf as we can.

 

We will probably go to a movie one afternoon, and maybe go swimming at the rec center, or ice skating. We gave the kids some new crafty stuff for Christmas so we will be playing with that during the week too. The kids want to go bowling too.

[....]

We also start school again tomorrow.

[Desert Rat]

Dh has tomorrow off. We're going to see a movie. We'll have a relaxing week off playing with all the new loot-breaking in video games, assembling legos, etc. I will start planning for school next week and hopefully get a bit of digiscrapping done. The house will be put to rights on Friday (the longest I can stand the Christmas stuff after the big day). I have to work 3 afternoons this week but we dont have school.

January 2nd will be our first day back to school after a long 6 week break. I've got mixed emotions. If I didn't have to work I'd be thrilled. This work thing is killing me. And I'm finding 6th grade very challenging.

That's all I've got. :)

[MamaAkins]

.

 

We are also planning to go to a movie this week.

 

Honestly, we also rest and try to enjoy the quiet time before life kicks back into gear. I kind of love a week with no dance or voice lessons, no rehearsals, no holiday projects to finish . . . Just time to read a book or watch a movie together and sleep so I'm fortified to jump back into things next week.

 

:iagree:

 

We also have some home projects to work on this week and the kids want to get together with some friends that we don't get to see regularly during the usual busy-ness of everyday life.

[Rosy]

Honestly? I'll probably let them binge on their new Wii games a bit. We'll do silent reading together and I'll probably work through our read-aloud, but we all need a week off after the craziness of last week (and I have no interest in trying to do school while my son is home, anyway...we tried it a couple times last week and it was fairly horrible).

[Daisy]

I'm going to clean and exercise. Clean and exercise some more.

 

Hubby is home this coming week so we'll probably do some hiking, do odd chores around the house (cleaning windows, I hope), and just enjoying each others company.

 

I'm not even going to look at a school book, but we worked right up through December 23rd.

[2cents]

We'll do lite school because the kids will want to play with their new goodies and hang out with their friends that have the week off.

[Farrar]

Keeping it low key and letting the kids go nuts with their screens. We're taking off school until Twelfth Night. Tonight the kids went to bed late with their new books and looked thrilled. Their grandmother is taking us all to the movies tomorrow and dh is off work until Thursday. I've been more excited about this than Christmas.

[ErinE]

We do nothing the week after Christmas. One year, we spent three days straight playing a video game. Every day, 2 pm would roll around and we would realize we hadn't eaten anything. Oops...

 

That was probably the worst year, but I really try to make the week after Christmas a do-nothing week. It's usually the one week out of the entire year where nothing is planned.

 

This year, I intend to exercise, clean house, and make the kids spend hours outside. Perhaps a couple trips to library and the museum thrown in.

[Jennay]

We just started celebrating the 12 days of Christmas! Now is when the fun starts. They won't have to do any "official" school work until Jan. 7. I hope we'll go ice skating, do some crafts, playing games, do some read-alouds, etc. I'll spend some time organizing and decluttering (and there's a lot to do in that department!)

[laundrycrisis]

I am hoping to get some school, violin practice and vision therapy done each day, un-deck the halls, organize the kids' rooms, pitch some stuff that has become clutter, eat salad, and walk on the treadmill. Oh I am also getting four fillings :glare:.

[Denisemomof4]

your kids are feeling let down that Christmas is over because you make it so wonderful for them! As exhausting as it is, you will never regret that in the years to come.

 

Dh has always taken off the week between Christmas and New Year. We cook a TON for Christmas, and we eat left overs for the week. This week we have Lithuanian food, Italian, and just SO MUCH food.

 

1/2 I will look forward to a healthy diet again.:001_smile:

 

We are taking the girls to see "We Bought A Zoo," dh is helping me get a blog started, and we are taking a family day away. Other than that, I want to focus on relaxing and decompressing. Dh and I really did too much this year. Time to pamper ourselves a bit.:001_smile:

[KrissiK]

Well, Dh has the week off, so tomorrow we're doing some serious cleaning. We're going to try to do something fun as a family one of the days, but other than that.... the kids are going to play, and I'm going to bring order to chaos in our house. Hopefully.

[Mom-ninja.]

I'm going to let the kids play with all their new stuff.

 

I'm going to read, exercise (so looking forward to it), read, and then I have to clean to prepare for our house guests arriving on Thursday.

[happyhomemaker25]

Honestly, I'm planning on a lot of outside play, moving watching, Wii games and just enjoying everything they got for Christmas.

I expect a lot of whining, crabiness, and fighting. For that we'll treat it like we always do and there will be some children sitting in the middle of their beds for time outs. I'm also planning to resume our hour to hour and a half of quiet time every day. It was left out a lot these past few weeks and we need it back! They can read quietly or listen to a Jonathan Park C.D. but there is no noise or playing.

[Myeightkiddies]

My dh is home after being gone for a month. He'll have to leave next Sunday. This week there will be no school. We do need to paint a few rooms. Hopefully one room will get carpet this week. I'm going to try to alternate helpers so that each child has some time during the day to enjoy their gifts.

[Melinda S in TX]

Dh is off until next year, so no school. Monday will be spent getting ready for two birthday's and a trip to the hospital. Hannah will be admitted Tuesday for an overnight chemo stay and will be discharged late Wednesday. Caleb's 9th birthday is Tuesday and Rebekah's 14th is Wednesday so Steven will bring the children to the hospital on Wednesday for a birthday party after Hannah's chemo and she is feeling better. Thursday we will be going to inlaws to visit with them and bil family. Friday is not yet planned. Saturday I will be cooking all day. We have family and friends coming for supper and they will stay until after midnight. Right before midnight we have a finger food party so I have lots of things to make. Sunday we will sleep in. In the afternoon, dh will do radio school, chemistry, and history with the children. Monday is outpatient chemo. Tuesday dh is back to work and we jump back into things.

[myfunnybunch]

We clean for the New Year, top to bottom, and play with our new toys.

 

Cat

[Natalieclare]

This year I will be running around like a crazy person as we are throwing a little country dance (with a steampunk theme) on the 27th. What was I thinking???? I am also trying to get my daughter ready to go to Spain on the 2nd. So, everyone will just have to fall in line and do what they can to help the household run. :willy_nilly::willy_nilly::willy_nilly:

[iquilt]

This year we get to clean up Christmas after our company leaves this morning, pick up our rooms and put everything back where it was before company. Then each dc received gift cards that they would like to spend so maybe T or W for spending some $. We get to pack up at the end of the week and travel to FL for a vacation! That is our incentive to clean up the house before we go. Also we always take this week off, even though it's dh's busiest week at work and he'll be gone, because our friends are off and many are usually ready to simply hang out and play. I hope to have a friend over for lunch and tea with her kids tomorrow, that helps.

Edited December 26, 2011 by iquilt

[HSinNH]

Skiing!! All day, everyday.

[bettyandbob]

Kids have to write thank you notes within a couple if days of Christmas.

 

Go to a movie.

 

Let to kids chill at home.

 

Take kids to use gift cards one day.

 

Go see ome holiday thing we couldn't do before.

[Paisley Hedgehog]

.

[Donna]

Dd and I are headed to TX to visit family. Driving there with Grammy and Poppop then flying home next week. She will do some school during the drive and just have fun with cousins and practice violin while there...found a couple Irish sessions to pop into as well.

 

My boys and daddy will be home. Oldest has wrestling practice every day and a tournament at the end of the week. Middle ds has homework to do including finishing up his science fair project and will also have some time to play with friends.

[anneofalamo]

Hubby is home today, and kids have cash in hand!

We are going to do a bit of after Christmas sale shopping, very low key, (the kind the kids run amok and hubby and I sit and drink coffee on bench)

Eye appointments tomorrow in the big city (70 miles away)-so will do Sam big shopping also.

Very low key week, New Year's Eve celebration (potluck) at church.

We go back school on the 9th! ♥ think it we are watching a couple toddlers that week so should be an adventure too!

never a dull moment!

[PrincessMommy]

My husband's company shuts down the week between Christmas and New Year's so it's always been relaxing around here. When I homeschooled, I could never get much done with hubby around, so we just waited until our usual schedule resumed on the 2nd.

 

This is an unusual year because we're moving on the 2nd. The house is going to be in a bit of a whirlwind. I've done a bit of packing in the last month, but mostly planned to have the major packing up done this week. We got some margin because we don't put the current house on the market for another month (19yrs + homeschooling 6 kids = a house in need of a lot of pre-market fixup).

 

Most years we visit family, go to the movies, kids play with their new toys/games, and/or we do odd jobs around the house. Nothing too major but usually the week goes by VERY fast.

[laughing lioness]

We will be staining, polyurethaning and hanging door jambs/trim. We will be moving mattresses upstairs and organizing the 2nd floor a bit. We will continue to eat the good food everyone helped make, watching movies and reading books we got at Christmas, playing Catan, doing crafts from Xmas and (I hope ) my Pinterest DIY board :001_smile: and meeting dd's bf who is flying here in 2 days.

Dh starts an on-line class in a week and I have some stuff for homeschool to get ordered and in order, plus I'm teaching another class this spring and need to get that put together.

This week is a relief, but busy.

[Lady Florida.]

We relax. Dh usually saves the last of his vacation days for this week and doesn't go back to work until after New Year's Day. Dinners are Christmas leftovers or simple meals so I don't have to do much cooking.

 

FIL's birthday is Jan.2, so at some point dh's siblings and their adult married kids (most live in other parts of the state) come to the IL's and we have a day of visiting.

 

Ds is pretty much free to do what he wants. That sometimes means getting with neighborhood school kids while they're off, for an airsoft battle or just hanging out. Sometimes it means he gets more screen time - xbox or computer - than he's normally allowed. This is especially true if he got a new game, which he did this year.

 

I skip the after Christmas shopping. In general this is a relaxing week for all of us.

 

New Year's Eve- Some years we have old friends who throw a family-friendly pot luck NYE party. Some years we just get fireworks and set them off in the driveway and hang out with the neighbors. This year it will be the latter, as the old friends will be out of town. I do appetizer type food for dinner, and we watch movies until it's time for the ball to drop (then we go outside and set off the fireworks). We have sparkling grape juice to toast. Dh and I don't like champagne, so we'll toast with a glass of wine.

[happypamama]

Well, right now, I'm spending the first part of the week drinking hot chocolate and sitting in my pj's with my baby in my lap and my 3yo playing with Lightning McQueen on the floor next to me. IOW, relaxing and chilling out. :) We had my brother, SIL, and baby niece here last week and my ILs here yesterday; later in the week, we'll go visit my other brother and his family, and then my parents will come for the weekend. DH is off part of this week and probably next Monday, so we won't start back to school until Tuesday of next week. In between, we have some catch-up projects to do around the house, and DH wants to spend some extra time with the kids, since he normally works long hours and rarely has a day off during the week. I'm also working on planning out the next several months' schoolwork.

[Kari C in SC]

My kids play with all their new stuff, eat leftovers and finish up cookies. We might do a little shopping today - can't decide because my dd wants to get the trampoline set up. Tomorrow is 100% rain - so I may do shopping tomorrow instead. I will start working on lesson plans for January. Probably will get the decorations down. We have about 50 people over for New Year's Eve - so I will clean and prep for that. I like that we have no place we HAVE to be.

[HollyDay]

we plan to go skating at least once this week. I'm going to finish my 2nd Christmas quilt this week. The top is done, I just need to pin and quilt it. Dc are busy building Lego creations they got for Christmas. I want to just relax and enjoy my family.

[Jen in PA]

This year is a bit strange for us. For the entire time I knew Dh, he had a zillion vacation days and took off the time between Christmas and New Year's. Then we had two years with him unemployed but in school full-time, and he still had nothing scheduled this time of year. He got a new job in May and has no vacation days yet, so he went back to work today. To add to the mix, DS, DH, and I all seem to have some sort of mild bug. Today and tomorrow I plan to re-establish order around the house, then the kids should have plenty of books and craft projects to keep them busy. In the next couple of weeks we will meet up with friends to swim and ice skate, plus squeeze in some museum visits.

[Parrothead]

Dh is off today. I thought we'd go over to Canada, but my research has told me that it is illegal for retail shops to open on Boxing Day in Atlantic Canada. :glare: Looks like we will stay home since I don't want to drive all day and go to Bangor. The rest of the week will be just dd and I at home doing what we normally when we are off school. Be bored.

[Hockey Mom]

Today, we're going shopping for new living room furniture! I am SO STOKED!!! My couches are a decade old, the microfiber is completely rubbed off on about 30% of the sofa and loveseat, my tables are no longer shiny (thanks Matchbox cars! :p)...I can't wait to go!!

 

The rest of the week will be playing outside, maybe some swimming, hopefully some boating, and definitely some cleaning/organizing!

[MunRoLy]

Christmas for us isn't over yet. We'll have a few relaxing days, then midweek we'll drive 2 hours to exchange gifts with dh's parents, then the next day my family arrives. Christmas in our family just keeps going!

[calledtobehome]

Hubby will return to work tomorrow. He's not off again until New Years Eve and NY day. The boys and I are going to a Kwanzza event today, movies tomorrow with a neighbor and her son. And the next few days they will probably do 1 math lesson, read new books, play our new video games, and enjoy the down time! And how can I forget about finishing the yummy food and cleaning the house.

[SailorMom]

I'm still in my PJ's and it's 11:00 here.....

I need a few days to recover. We play board/card games, kids play on the computer, read, etc.

In 4 days my BiL and SiL arrive for a few days, and then on January 4th, we all drive down to Orlando together to go to WDW....

I'm really looking forward to it all, but there will be 8 of us together for 8 days at WDW, and I'm an introvert.... so I plan on hiding a bit and decompressing for the next few days while I can.

We will do two days of school - on the 2nd and 3rd - before the kids get another week off.....