Today was a fun day after school. Sadie performs in the school choir and today they had their first performance of the year. It was at the Goleta Union School District's annual craft auction & fair to raise money for the district's music program. It's amazing that we even have a music program left! Sadie thoroughly enjoys having the chance to sing! She is also in a french class once a week. That is a great experience also.
Sadie and Tyler both participate in twice weekly 'friendship groups'. The groups were set up by the school psychologist to mix special needs kids with 'normal', peer kids to help integrate them into regular classrooms and situations more fluidly.
Tyler is in as a special needs kid & Sadie does excellent with special needs kids, helping them with games, teaching them to share and proper ways to interact with other kids. It is a great program and they both enjoy their time in 'friendship group'.
On another note, the next week coming up to our Christmas vacation is going to be ridiculously busy. Tomorrow we are spending the afternoon/evening with George's sister Karen and her family up in Santa Ynez (no dad, it's not santa why-nez!). Sunday is a normal day, church then just relaxing. That means a lot of knitting for me! yay! Tuesday George has us volunteered to host a Christmas party for his male 'friendship group' that meets monthly. Okay, they don't call themselves a 'friendship group' but they do call themselves the SSS and they have monthly 'meetings'. The SSS stands for Scripture, Smoke and Scandal. They think they are so rebellious having a cigar & hanging out while they philosiphize over the hidden secrets in the scriptures! Funny boys! Back to the point, the party is Tuesday night and it's the group and their wives (or soon to be wives) here at my teeny, tiny house. I think it will be fun but I am just not happy with the timing and just hostessing a party in general. I don't do parties. I rarely partake in them & even more rarely host them. Laziness partly but also a lack of desire to entertain other people. I suppose you could say a good party would not take much work to keep people entertained but no matter what I don't enjoy it. So there you have it!
After the party that leaves me 3 days to our early Christmas here at home on the 17th (my bday) before we leave for American Fork, UT and St. Anthony, ID on Sunday morning, 4am. Washing, packing, wrapping, hiding, organizing. You name it, I have to do it. Not to mention send last minute packages out to other family members. That is even more wrapping, driving, standing in line, paying, grumbling under my breath at peoples lack of common sense, and generally just being a part of the holiday rush.
I really do enjoy the holidays. Christmas in particular. My birthday seems to be overlooked due to the closeness of christmas but that is just fine by me. My parents did an exceptional job of keeping the 2 separate! Thanks much!
So this very well may be the last time you hear from me while still here at home in sunny, warm Santa Barbara, CA. It's more likely that I will post from my parents house after Christmas with all the wonderful joy of Christmas pictures!
MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!
Enjoy your families and bask in the love of Christ in His season of joy!