Good Sunday Morning

[tiredmommy]

Good Morning.

I haven't been on the good morning thread in a loooong time because Duckie has been difficult in the morning for a loooong time. Well, difficult throughout the entire day, actually. Things finally came to a head last week and hopefully life will now calm down some.

It's the 4th Sunday of Advent so that means today is the the children's Christmas play at church. Duckie is playing an angel; it's ironic. Keep a good thought that the kids remember their lines and speak loudly and clearly. Oh! And that our shepherds (three siblings under age 8) don't hurt each other with their crooks...

We had a little Christmas party for a few of Duckie's friends last night. We kept it quiet because I told her that she could only invite six friends... that leaves out about 20 other girls, if you Know what I mean?? But they had fun singing, making crafts, and playing a pass-the-gift game set to "Twas the Night Before Christmas. Duckie even created her own "Christmas Quiz" to see what type of Christmas girl each friend is (think Cosmo quiz, but clean, lol!). It was fun. And the best part what that she sincerely thanked both her father and I for the party.

So today is my last truly crazy day before the Christmas holiday. I have some wrapping to do, cleaning to do and the in-laws come to dinner on Wednesday. So the stress of the holiday season seems to be passing for me. Merry Christmas!

 

[Marguerite]

G'day for Sunday.

TM, oddball nativity plays seem to be an essential ingredient of every Christmas. I think it's sensible to limit the number of friends to these sort of parties, it's best to have a success that isn't perhaps quite so exciting, than to risk a major meltdown because it all is too much for them to cope with.

We've had a fairly busy day today.
Church this morning (for me) and for husband, a lot of odd jobs including for his mother.
This afternoon we had the technical run-through for tonight's carols event. Technically it was a mess. Things that didn't work were just left with, "OK, we'll get it right tonight" which of course they didn't. We have a professional guy doing light and sound, I dont know how he stands it. I worked out where to seat my choir, carefully arranging chairs so people could walk through them to arrange themselves around the microphones. I had to repeatedly stop the organisers from bunching the chairs back up into a tiny little corner, which would have had choristers tipping chairs over etc every time they had to stand up to sing... then the choir was dismissed from rehearsal to go home, before we'd even rehearsed, let alone explained mike technique to them. I was given clear instructions on some last minute changes to the program, then when we actually got to perform tonight, things had been changed changed yet again and at one point the choir was left standing there waiting for the cue to sing, all except for one old dear who is blind and couldn't see me waving to her to stop singing, it wasn't our cue - yet. Turned out, the cue never arrived. Time to smile inanely and wave the choir to sit down again.

Overall the event did go off well, but I do find it frustrating sometimes when we make the same mistakes every flippin' time, and each time I try to say, "Let's get it right next time," people have forgotten. So once again I shut up and step back, doing my own bit as best as I can. Tonight I conducted a choir that rapidly shrank as kids departed, despite earlier enthusiasm to be involved. It was an amalgamation of two choirs and the organiser of the kids' choir decided to leave early, after her bit. So of course that meant her kids had to leave as well. Meanwhile I was trying to organise the harmony singers (who didn't know their parts) while still waving my arms to be seen, by singers who didn't even look up and who also weren't even listening to the fold-back to stay in time. One large and loud soprano in my choir (a recent recruit) 'forgot' everything I had told her about when to come in with harmony, when to slow down etc and just went ahead and did what she wanted. So much for singing in a choir - it felt like it was back to a group of individual singers, no longer a group I have been teaching to listen to one another, to learn to sing in a group. In a choir, no one voice should be audible above the others; but I can't teach that to some people, it seems. At some point I had to mentally shrug and tell myself, "It's OK. It's a relaxing evening, no need to stress about it."
I just wish I'd told myself before I hurt my shoulder with all the conducting!

I need to seriously consider - do I want to continue to take a seat way in the back as I did this year (and put up with minor irritations) or do I want to take a more prominent role with organisation next year, and have to feel personally responsible for the things that go wrong because people insist on taking on stuff they can't handle because they just won't learn from past experience?

A no-brainer, really. Which is why I was so far in the background this year, I guess... I've been involved in the organisation in past years, they clearly didn't want me involved this year (they held the meetings on the same night as our choir practices are held) and I seriously don't feel inclined to make any effort to get involved beyond this superficial level.

I've heard it said that banging your head against a wall feels really good when you stop.
I don't feel I've been able to stop yet.

Seriously - it could have been a lot worse. There were a lot of things that worked well. I need to seriously consider where to best expend my limited energies and what to leave to other people who can do what I do to a sufficiently acceptable standard.

Enjoy your Sunday. May it be less frustrating than mine was.

Marg

 

[recovering doormat]

Good Sunday morning, all. I never post on this thread because I just don't do mornings, but today is special because I'm snowed in under a foot high blanket of snow, and all three kids are at their dad's house! Lucky me!

TM, I think you deserve a pat on the back for your successful party. May I learn from your experience that less is more. Hope your Advent celebration goes off without anyone getting a black eye. I have such nice memories of making Advent wreaths when I was a little girl being taught by the Sisters of Mercy (before I became a Fallen Catholic).

Marguerite, so sorry to read about your frustration with the caroling event. This is why I do absolutely nothing that isn't essential these days.

Christmas is five days away, and I still don't have a tree...but all my shopping is done. That's a first.

Time for another cuppa joe. Happy Sunday, everyone.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Good Morning!

TM, hope the service goes well today. Our services, along with 99% of others here in town, are cancelled. Fortunately our children's pageant is scheduled for Christmas Eve. Since we don't normally have big snows like this, there are just not enough plows in the city to even hit the parking lots. It's tough not to get stuck in a foot of snow in the parking lot! Glad to hear Duckie's party went well.

Marg, I vote for the back seat!

Recovering, enjoy your snow day. At least the shopping is done!

Bonehead is supposed to be hosting the family holiday dinner and kid's grab bag event this afternoon. He says it's still on. We'll make a go of it but not sure how many others will venture out.....

I did go out in the snow last night. easy child's roommate's boyfriend was stranded across the river with a hoodie and sneakers, no coat, no gloves, no boots, no hat...... easy child and roommate dug out my car and we ventured across town. Normally the trek would have taken about 20-25 minutes but the round trip was a little over two hours. Most of main roads are clear, but the side roads are a mess. It was an adventure.

Hope your Sunday is peaceful.

Sharon

 

[TPaul]

Good Sunday morning to all!!

Hope this last few days before Christmas are not to stressful on any of you. We are winging it here at our home. Think we will keep the tree and decorations up at least through New Years. With moving in, things are still scattered and we have not really got to enjoy having the house decorated inside as usual. Moving a few more things over today, that much closer to having it all then, I keep telling myself, LOL LOL!!!

Have a great Christmas week
Tpaul