Finished, yet hardly begun

I finally finished my class. I took my final exam last night and now it is over. I have been so busy with so many things that I haven't really even started Christmas shopping. We are extraordinarily busy today. Jeff has tomorrow off from work, so I have decided that we are going to get up early, make lists and knock out all the shopping in one morning. We will wrap in the afternoon and get it all in the mail. It would be nice to have that done, I am hoping our marathon shopping day does the trick.

I am really looking forward to doing Christmas crafts with Lily. I am thinking of stringing popcorn and cranberries, of making those paper chains, making some ornaments, and making some of those pine cone, peanut butter and bird seed things for the yard. Having a four year old at Christmas time rocks.

We have been working hard to find ways for Lily to play with other children. I was not successful in finding her a pre-school, that we could afford in our area. They are all either full or well over $100 per week. I have found that the children's museum offers a class one day per week for $25 per year. Several of the local libraries offer a story time including crafts. I joined a playgroup which meets once per month. We found some indoor and outdoor playgrounds for the days we don't have a scheduled activity. Lily gets a star on her chart when we get home if she successfully makes it through our outing without crying or hitting. Most of the kids at these things are two or three and most of the time they are sick, with snot noses and coughs, mothers discussing which antibiotic they are taking. Lily and I keep catching their crud, I just feel like asking the moms to please stay home when their kids are contagious. Is that too much to ask?

We do keep busy though, Lily and I. She is still very interested in time. We plan out our week, she likes to know what we are doing each day and at what time we are doing those things. We go over our schedule until she has it all memorized. She knows what time we are going to get ready to go, what time we are leaving, what time we are arriving, what time the activity is scheduled to begin. However, nothing ever starts when it is supposed to start. This bothers Lily to no end. We arrive at the scheduled time we sit down in the designated spot and wait for 15 or 20 minutes for these things to get going. Fifteen or twenty minutes is hard for a four year old, especially a four year old who likes things just so. I think it is a phenomenal learning experience for Lily, life isn't always laid out for you just the way you like it honey, deal with it. She has me trained and her little life at home is laid out all nice and sweet, so I drag her out into the real world and make her deal with people. This is why we have a star chart, cause she tends to get a tad upset. We have only accumulated four stars in the last two weeks of going out twice per day. When she gets 20 she gets a prize. I am thinking Easter.

I am hoping to get more of a chance to read and comment on all my favorite blogs, too.