For Life Group, I made a list of my "priorities"...the things I do outside my home on a volunteer basis. I, myself, was shocked to actually read the list. And I kept adding to it. Everything I do is important to me. I don't really have the issue of saying yes out of obligation or hurting feelings. I used to but it seems like I don't get asked to do those things anymore. Instead, everything I say yes to is everything I want to do. Unfortunately that list is just getting too long. I volunteer so my kids {kids in general} can be afforded the privileges they have. With budget cuts and non funded activities, without volunteers kids wouldn't play league sports, belong to after school clubs, be able to go to youth group...there would be no fundraiser money to buy new equipment. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I have friends who do plenty of this also. Often I do what I do because there doesn't seem to always be a big surge of others to help out and it is oftentimes the same people over and over again doing the helping. The difference, I guess, between those friends and myself is they know when enough is enough. I really have to work on knowing that same thing. My boys are getting older and Caleb will be in high school next year. Ideally, I want to be able to volunteer less and enjoy more because in my heart I believe other parents will want to also help early so they, too, can enjoy later. {doing work for the high school before our kids are in high school} I know I will always volunteer no matter what but in my fantasy world, I can give some of it up because others will want to take over. In reality, however, I don't think I'm wired that way. I've had this convo with KR and she knows where I'm coming from. I'm going to try to use her as a model and choose what's most important. I doubt I'll succeed successfully {does that even make sense?} but my goal is to start small and eliminate three things from my list.
So here it is, December twenty first, the shortest day of the year. It's foggy, rainy, dreary and...blah. There's no snow and it just doesn't feel like Christmas is in four days. It's time to start thinking about the resolutions I will make but will most likely not follow through with. No, I need to make the resolutions more meaningful. I'll make them ongoing goals...nothing I can fail at...only work to succeed at. I vowed to make my thirtieth year my best yet and it was...at the time! I think I'll take sort of the same approach for my thirty eighth...Merry Christmas to me!
Sooo...
The run down of the week went a little something like this...
Monday...it"s all the same...practice, practice, practice!
Tuesday...I set my alarm for five a.m. so I'd have time to pick up the bagels for the staff. Of course I woke up at four twenty and couldn't stop watching the clock so I got up a bit earlier. All kiddies had to be up by the time I left at five thirty so they'd all be ready when I got back. My Kyle woke up at five thirty, arrived at the school at six thirty and made it til noonish when Mr. Huizenga did me a favor and gave him a ride to school. The breakfast and lunch went perfectly fabulous and I am, again, so grateful for the friends and acquaintances I have for all the wonderful help provided to me. After, I started my week long gig as Santa's helper, delivering gifts to all good girls and boys. I was beat for practice but clearly made it through.
Wednesday...Got ready early so Kyle and I could deliver gifts to all his "specials" teachers. Aside from the office ladies, only the librarian was there. He did not want to leave gifts in the office so I told him we'd try again Thursday. K took the day off to do his annual shopping trip. Don't think he did too well this year. After work I headed to Caleb's ball game. His team rocked the house the first half. I mean they slaughtered the other team. However, the other team came balls out {lol} and that's all she wrote. I think I know what coach had them working on the next day. It was a sad loss with what they accomplished in the beginning. I dropped off a friend to youth group, hauled it to Muskegon, in the rain, met my seester at VS, paid for her purchases and headed home to pick up from youth group. Oh, yes I did. And I totally know what guys feel like hanging out in that store. I was totally Kristin's boyfriend that night. I looked at nothing. I just hung around, arms crossed, waiting for her to be ready. then I pulled out my card, swiped it, signed for the purchase and walked out the door. I think I felt a little used. ☺ That's what I get for bartering. By nine thirty, K was called into work.
Thursday...Got ready early again to play delivery girl. Not only were the teachers still not there but it was their holiday breakfast. I told Kyle we need to leave the gifts so we snuck in the mail room {I'm sure nobody at the breakfast noticed} and placed the gifts in the appropriate mailboxes. Practice as usual. Keith arrived home {from his call-in} sometime after I went to bed at midnight. Yowza.
Friday...Had our office Christmas lunch and gift exchange. There's definitely shopping in my future! {thanks, NIS} I had to skip out early to make it to Kyle's sing-a-long at school. My super mom got there early and saved me a seat right up front...and in front of Kyle. {thanks super mom} after singing, the class had a little party and then the kids all sat around while Mrs. J. opened her gifts. It was very cute. She made me cry twice. I'm not a teacher. But I sure do admire those who are. Then the kids all got to open their gifts from Mrs. J. The original story of the Gingerbread Man. The kids all loved it!
{Friday continued}...I chaperoned the dance that evening. Drama! At least I got to laugh {and make faces} with all the girl drama. I don't believe for one second girls were so whiny when I was in junior high. {it's my story and I'm sticking to it} You won't believe this though...a boy's fist went through a window {blood everywhere} and one boy's uncle dies {in an accident maybe} and another boy's grandpa had a heart attack and died. UNBELIEVABLE!!! I don't think any of that is the kind of excitement the kids needed! I was supposed to drive after the dance then go out with friends. Instead, another parent drove and the "out" plans were cancelled. I stopped at the hut to eat with a couple moms whose kids were all sleeping over together {Andrew was one of them} and headed home.
Saturday...Kyle's second soccer game was all for show because he had a crowd there to see him. It totally worked in his favor because he scored his first goal indoors!! He was asked to go out for pizza and cookie baking afterward so K and I spent some time {apart} shopping for gifts. Still not done but one step closer. Went home and wrapped more gifts.
Sunday...Pat and Jen visited our church. Both the adult choir and the children's choir sang. I could tell Kyle was singing his heart out. His shoulders kept raising every time he sang the chorus to The First Noel. Loved it. Although I know I made the right decision for my family when we left our former church, I also know I made things difficult for the Tallquists. We were all together in one church with our kids and I changed all that. Even though I had Pat's blessing, I still felt a little guilty for making it harder for them to attend their own church because of the boys. I'm not sure how they felt leaving the service. Hopefully they enjoyed it at least a little. ☺ And how can you not when the choir sings Christmas music?!☺ That evening we took the boys to the Christmas concert in the basement of the church. It really was a younger crowd...thought about leaving the bigs there and heading home, but we decided to stay and it was a fun time. The music was played by a church band. They played traditional Christmas carols in not so traditional ways and added a few original songs to the mix. There was dancing, pizza, pop and lots of fun. I can confidently say all my little guys had a good time.
Whew! Caught up. I took Monday off and Tuesday was my regular day off. Took the boys shopping yesterday for gifts for each other. needed to cut things short so I could get home to bake cookies {didn't I swear off that?} for the Friends and Family night we hosted for our competitive cheer team. I was so nervous. it's been a slow season and I was actually impressed with the girls last night. Their nerves got to them...in a positive way. We've got such a long way to go but it was all good. K, Caleb and Kyle made it. Andrew stayed home. No more practice til next Tuesday! I wish you could totally feel my excitement!☺ We ended the night with Jim Carey's A Christmas Carol.
I am a very lucky girl. Very lucky. I will try harder to remember this and to be more thankful for the gifts I have been given. Life is short. And precious. And not worth wasting on pettiness. Or grudges. Why can't we all just get along?! ♥
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