So.....................how many days now until Christmas 2014?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

We need a new thread to continue the very successful countdowns of 2013 and 2012.

And before anyone does the face (or face ) take a look at some of the 'Panic Threads' at the end of December when people were "Twitching" and stressing.

Organisation is key.

(I just need to find somewhere that'll work out how many days it is )

I'm sure your dd was a wonderful shepherdess 70s! Still trying to convince dd, she doesn't want to be Mary - she just wants a tinsel halo! I've assured her we can make one at home.

We got the last of dc's presents yesterday. Just need to get pictures for my mum and MIL and we're done. I love wrapping presents, but it must be done with Baileys whilst watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.

And I found a Christmas pudding outfit for baby dd, she will be super cute. Photos will follow in a couple of weeks when we're in full festivities!

30

One month to Christmas Eve!!

I gave DD her fleece blanket last night to use until early January. I'll probably put the sheets on her bed next weekend (when DH will do a at me!! )

I am making ok progress on purchasing. Making space in freezer. Cleaning and decluttering. Sewing. Writing cards. Thinking things through.

But I need to sit down with DH tonight and finally agree diary and check if we are still buying each other a half of a speaker system. And there's still a lot on my lists to achieve about the previous paragraph.

I had to let class rep know today that I won't be at school's Winter Fair, we have to travel that weekend. First fair (2 per year) that we've missed, and both classes in DD's year have been combined to run the coffee shop, so a bit "oops" as that is a really busy one - but I do my fair share in general (including an hour on DD's class stand at every fair so far). I was kinda looking forward to when we got the coffee shop!!

Gotta go do my bits on lunchbreak now. And considering doing an internet food shop this weekend too...although will be in M&S on Wed or Thurs to get a turkey breast to do a mini Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday after work (it's the tiny bit of Yank in me that makes me feel I should!).

My DD has had her winter bedding on since Nov 1st (Not Christmas but a woodland print)

DS will have his put on Dec 1st.

Christmas fleece blankets when they finish school

29

Rudolph Day!!

70 DH doesn't yet know that DD and I bought a duvet set a couple of weeks ago in Primark, and I stuck it in the wardrobe when we got home. It's a blatant Santa set. (I thought about one in Dunnes Stores the week before but that was a bit more expensive and only in a single size - Primark was a double and DD is a kicker!! So she needs a double to hang over the edge, or she'll kick it off).

I got 3 more presents bought yesterday. DH was looking last night for something different for his parents, as we will probably not now get to the races (they have been invited to a family wedding unexpectedly). I still need to organize 5 more in the next week and a half - between bringing family presents "down home" (to both sides) so they are under the tree for 25th, and sending 3 separate parcels overseas, I need to be done by weekend of 5th Dec. And that unfortunately includes another day of sewing....ugh. But at least a lot of those already bought are wrapped.

DH is threatening to take a day off work on Friday - I already have appointments, but I will send him off to pick up a few things.

lost Shepherdesses are great - as girls are always the best organisers, they will be organizing all the boy shepherds as well as the sheep. So obviously your DD's teacher thinks she is someone who will organize everyone properly and is good enough for a more grown-up job. (And perhaps she could be a shepherdess with a tinsel halo under her teatowel?!).

28

On the home straight now, the last week of November

The old decluttering is going to plan.

DH is getting his face on when I mention getting the decorations out the attic and discussing (well, I prattle , he doesn't listen -typical- about my decoration plans for the hall/stairs)

Lunchtime saw me sort another present (I backtracked and will now send the Sanctuary set to DSis so cheaper postage, and a Lush bath bomb and shower gel set to DBro and DSIL farther afield). While there, I found a new Santa bath ballistic, so I got that for DD (she'll use the regular Santa one another night, no problem to her!).

I got a couple of more pieces for other DBro. Just need maybe 1 or 2 more spices for him.

And I got my Thanksgiving turkey breast, so I can set that up in the oven tomorrow to be done shortly after we get in from work!!

27 days to go on the 27!!

Apparently a letter has been dispatched to DD, so I'd better get her writing the letter that this will be a response to!!

Last night, there were tears when she realized we will miss the school fair - we've attended all 8 so far, DH has been to about 3!! But she wanted to do "Secret Santa" (the DCs pay in advance €3 per present required (1 or 2 only) and get to go into the Elves Workshop on the Fair Day to choose a present in secret, and wrap it - help from Elves (6th Class) is available but they can do it themselves once older - but it means they have a secret and a surprise (for as long as they can keep quiet!!) for their parents who are usually the ones buying with/for them for the other parent - it is sweet!).

But apart from needing to go see DH's uncle who will probably be still in hospital, I WANT to go "down home" for a weekend before Christmas as we are not there over the hols. I want to get to the Farmer's market for goodies. I want to drop presents to both sets of Parents' houses (DH and mine) for them and our siblings etc. It is soooo frustrating when everything is always about DD and never about DH or my wants/needs. (And breathe - remember, it's ASD not personal - and we are playing a long game to get her to learn the social skills she needs in life......oh hell, )

26

Sounds stressful Biddy. Is there no there other wkd you can make trip home? My dd is also missing her Christmas fair due to a hospital appt, she is very annoyed as her class bookmarks will be on sale! I sympathise with what your saying my Dd has a physical disability which takes it's toll on the family - everything seems to revolve around her procedures and appts.

We are well and truly almost in December. Weekends are filling up nicely with different activities, just discovered there is a Santa hat run for a local charity so we'll give that a go.

I have also now bought Christmas duvet cover for dc and Christmas jumpers for the whole family. Unbelievably the jumpers were DH's ideas!!

25

Last day of November approaches, busy December

24

I have washed DS Christmas Bedding and I'll wrestle it onto his bed tonight while he's in the shower, so he wakes up on the 1st with his new bedding (it's reversible. Red on one side, red with snowflakes on t'other.) When we put the decorations up, he can go snowflakes

23

And so the countdown can officially begin

Advent calenders (for DC and my No7 one) and our little tree advent all in place, and the first one opened.

23

Lost I know. DD is HF Aspergers/ADHD, so mainstream school but still plenty of challenging behaviours, and loads of sports activities to keep her energy levels at bay. Weekend of 13th, we have a party at our neighbours (before they travel for the holidays - and it's a great party, we all get on very well in our street!) and also DD has the last day of hockey training on Sunday Morning (which is a fancy dress event with prizes) and she "graduates" from the Academy to underage level in one of her sportsclubs on Sunday afternoon. Weekend of 19th, DH and I both have our work parties on Friday night, so are not going to be fit to travel on Saturday (and would have to rush back as I have work on Monday). So this coming weekend is our only option - but we've now agreed that we'll leave quite early on Sunday morning to get to the fair for a while at the end - but I was not going to compromise by not going at all - DH and DD were down 10 days ago but I wasn't, we need to drop off presents and I want to see both sides of the family, and I want to get to the market locally too. DD can't ALWAYS get her own way (just 99.999% of the time!).

I love that your DH instigated the jumpers!!

I put DD's bedding on last night while she was engrossed in tv last night. Laid out last year's Christmas PJs (which were a festive pair), put a Santa hat on Max the bear sitting up in her bed, and set up Happy Christmas Radio on the iPod for when she got up to bed. She wandered in after her bath still grumpy about bedtime, but once she saw them out, she got so excited and jumped into bed for a Christmas story! (And then was still awake when we were going to bed 3 hours later!).

Advent Calendar is out, and DH filled it last night (he took an item from DD's Santa letter - she talks as if she knows full well what the story is, but she plays the game; and she certainly knows that we fill the calendar). We need to re-write the letter tonight to add THank You's for last year!

But overall, progress is being made and while I am not finalized for today, I am so much farther ahead than normal, it's great!! Although I need to sort packages this week (eek!) and international cards. And write an application form for promotion that was issued on Friday - just to ruin the run in to Christmas for senior people!!! But I will still do it! And at least my planning ahead means I have some headspace TO do it

22

I opened Day 2 of my Advent Calender (Boots No7) and it was EMPTYYYYYYYYYY

Hopefully it's rolled into another compartment and I'll get two gifts one day.

at an empty door in an advent calendar.

The DCs have a few calendars of different types. One is a picture one of a cosy looking house and we are buggered if we can find door number one on it. It's been 2 days now and still no joy.

21

Some online shopping on the agenda today.....................

20

Yesterday, I was home with DD as she had a hacking cough (but not quite into chest crackles). We went to the toyshop in the morning and got the last of the toys needed, and I persuaded her to get the last few things she needed to buy.

THen I spent a couple of hours sewing, so all the tote bags that need to travel are now finished. (I still have 2 more to put together, DD has finally finished her pocket designs for those, but I can make those even a couple of days after Christmas in time for the big "family dinner" sometime after 27th).

I still need to finish wrapping a few things for overseas and "down home". And re-start my heart after realizing how MUCH I need to spend on postage even just in the UK parcel. It is going to have to be split I think. And there is another UK parcel and one to Canada that I haven't yet started the weighing on...

Today I am feeling stressed - promotion forms are due in next week at work, I have to come in to work tomorrow (boss wanted me to take my parental leave yesterday), I have too much on my workdesk and still struggling to understand it, I keep waking in the night at the moment and DD very kindly passed on the chestiness to me (with my asthmaticy lungs - great!).

But I know that I am well ahead. I can send things down with my DSis if I need to, on 20th, rather than bring all this weekend. I WON'T get promoted so I need to see this as a practice run. Finances are ok. And I am well enough to be at my desk. So I need to put some rosemary, bergamot and lavender oils into my bowl of hot water (for concentration, uplifting and relaxation), and maybe some eucalyptus (for the chest) - and WOMAN UP!!

20

You are busy Biddy! Glad to hear you reached a compromise.

I hope there was something your calendar today 70s!

Dd1 is off school today due to a hospital visit yesterday so we are going to put the tree up. She is very excited as we made some new decorations last week plus I bought some stickers for her window.

And baby dd gave me an early gift - she slept all night! That is best present I've ever had! keeps everything crossed that it wasn't a one off

19

Into the teeeeeeeeeens

My Advent Calender has produced the goods on the other days I'm still hoping it's in there somewhere

DD hasn't been well this week ,poor soul, mixture of a sprained wrist and a hacking 40-a-day type cough (she's 12,so I don't think it's the tabs ) has left her drained. Pain and no sleep. Awww.

I was going to totter out to the shops, but I'll make my cake today and might go when DH gets home.

18

Had the brilliant idea of going shopping ( I know, I know) today, got there before 9am, parked.

It was fiendishly busy on the way out , but I was on the way home by 12.30 so very smug not bothered.

Getting through The List, need a re-write and we're making progress

17

Today is my lovely DS 15th Birthday

15 years ago I was in hospital thinking "OMG why did I sign up for this"? (I was going into pre-eclampsia ).

Now he's a tall, handsome, impossible little git young man and we all luffs him

How did it get to 17 days so quickly? I need to get my skates on!

Happy birthday to 70s ds! Hope you all have a great day.

We put up our tree, it took me about an hour to untangle the lights! So dd decorated - it had a certain style, but I kept thinking it didn't look right. Turns I had put it up the wrong way, think fat, skinny, fat branches - so we had to take it down and start again! Christmas spirit was quickly disappearing that day!

And the last few I haven't used tinsel o the tree as I thought it was more classy less tacky without it. However dd insisted it went on and it looks so much better. I am now a tinsel convert!

16

I hope your DS had a lovely day 70s, and you did too!

Because DD was sick last week, I had to change my parental leave day and couldn't go to the National Crafts Fair. So I am still on the lookout for 3 presents (2 Aunt and Uncle couples, and 1 single Aunt). But I dropped most of the presents "down home" this weekend. (My DSis is coming up in 2 weeks for a couple of nights and will bring back the last 2 for me - I have lost a brooch that is part of one!! and need to buy something for DH's aunt yet). And we got 2 of the 3 presents we need for a Christmas party this weekend - DD has to find something for €5 or less for a 12 year old boy (who has recently grown out of lego)! I see a pound shop-type trip on Saturday afternoon.

I need to post a parcel to Canada tomorrow or Wednesday (last postage was last Friday, oops). And 2 more to the UK this week as well - 1 might be further split in 2 due to weight (ooops again). And I need to write a lot of cards this week too, to get posting overseas. I thought I was well ahead, but I didn't do close family yet while waiting for DD's cards to arrive back from school.

But DH and DD bought the tree on Friday and we'll put that up soon. I got a new wreath at the school fair yesterday, and I'll add bits from the old one to that (what I really needed was the fresh fir properly assembled, as I can't do that).

All in all, lots done, no more real reason to panic, but as I have to get a form for promotion interviews in this week, I am really glad I had been relatively prepared. But that form was still enough to reduce me to tears yesterday - there is always SOMETHING in December to do that!

15
Good Luck with the interviews biddy