Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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jfugina
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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by jfugina »

No, you didn't fall into a coma and all of a sudden wake up on Christmas morning. :lol:

I just wanted to put this out there for you all because tomorrow after my last meeting of the day, we're hitting the road for this year's rescheduled Disney trip. Woot! We won't be back until January, and aside from using my phone to navigate Disney and occasionally post to Facebook, I intend to leave technology behind as much as I can next week. I'm definitely not bringing my laptop on the trip.

So tonight we've got a bunch of last minute packing (mostly Rob, because he doesn't believe in packing more than 24h in advance), and we've got the last cram sessions for Nicole's finals to work on. But then tomorrow afternoon we all hope to breathe a sigh of relief, load the car, and hit the road. The last three weeks have been super rocky with Nicole, because at one point her grades were to terrible she was in danger of not being able to continue with guard, and would be restricted from Marching Band next fall. So it's been "all hands on deck" trying to get her grades where they need to be. One final that had us holding our breath today has already been posted (she passed, thank goodness) and there's another one tomorrow that she has to get a certain score on. I'm freaking exhausted. She's put in 20 hours of study time over the last 4 days, and a large portion of that Rob or I put in also, running through flash cards with her until she could produce a sufficient number of satisfactory answers. In the meantime, NOTHING else is getting done except getting her through the semester with passing grades.

Many of you are aware that this struggle has been going on for YEARS with her. She has hated the last 4 days so much that she almost seems finally motivated to change her study habits. I guess time will tell. But the school has FINALLY enabled alerts on the parent portal app (been begging for that for YEARS), and we can set up notifications based on a threshold score. So I can get notified if she tanks a test, or fails to turn something in, and we can have a talk about it that very night. It won't change the score, but she's such an "in the moment" kind of kid, that if we don't talk about it immediately, she won't even remember taking said test or getting an assignment. We're still trying to figure out if what she needs is tutoring or counseling. I do know that something has to be done, because I can't continue this same fight every semester until she graduates. I tend to "Bah, Humbug" this time of year anyway, but this year I'm not even Grinchy - I've been in complete denial. The only Christmas gifts I've purchased were for my nieces, who did their gift exchange with my kids last weekend. Other than that, the trip to Disney is all I've got. Kids are likely to be upset, but it is what it is. I'm hoping that the lack of packages is smoothed over by the fact that it's Christmas Day, and and we're at Disney. The others who expect something from our family is getting a (potentially gift-wrapped) IOU.

Anyway... I digress. I wish you all a great Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Festivus/Whatever you celebrate, and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Julie Fugina
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pbp908
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by pbp908 »

Winter Solstice? :lol:

Merry Christmas, Julie. I hope you all have a wonderful time at Disney.

And remember - this too shall pass. One day she's going to surprise you and knock your socks off. ;)
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by mpizzazz »

Disney for Christmas sounds like a great gift! Experiences, not more stuff!
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pamcook
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by pamcook »

Merry Christmas to you as well!

We leave tomorrow to Ohio. All 7 of us in one vehicle. Chris & family arrive on the 22nd. Our first Christmas together with all the grandkids! My mom is spending Christmas Eve with us - first time since I was 8 years old. I feel like I’ve posted all this already but I’m really looking forward to it (in spite of the impending busy-ness).

Tonight Joel & I took Mia & Zain to see the mega light display and for hot cocoa. Christmas seems to be coming at warp speed this year. I’m sure I’ll check in from time to time. Hope you all have the Christmas of your dreams. Marianne is so right - the experiences are far better than more stuff.
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nchoney
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by nchoney »

Merry Christmas to everyone!!

Mike and I will go up to Virginia for Saturday and Sunday this year... the Fire Department is short-handed so we'll be coming back here Sunday night and spend our first Christmas in our house since before we got married. I'm not sure it'll be very different... since we will have opened all our gifts over the weekend.

But... Helen is also spending Christmas at home so she and I will probably get together and do something... so... maybe a new fun memory for Christmas Day!!

Jordie loved the scrapbook I made for him, by the way!! Of course you all knew he would... and so did I. :-)
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jmp1022
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by jmp1022 »

Since my medical problem
Christmas at home then after I get the med pack
we will leave for sons till Jan 3rd

the girls are driving up so there will be 15 people all together
sons birthday is 2nd.



Julie let the kids pick out a couple of extra gifts for themselves.
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paddlegal
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by paddlegal »

Christmas is already here at my house. My brother, SIL and niece arrived this afternoon after a long drive up from San Diego. We had a great but quick dinner here and then they left for their hotel. They are wiped out after that 11 hour drive (including several stops) and need sleep. But tomorrow Charley, Jess and my niece will spend time together while we “adults” go wine tasting/picnicking/birding. Then dinner and presents here with everyone includeing my step-daughter and her family. It’s been a long time since we were all together for Christmas. It’s especially fun with the two grandchildren.

I’ve been looking forward to this visit for months. Doing the happy dance.

Everyone...I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and hope everything you wish for the holidays comes true.

Hugs and love to you all... :happy94:
FARLEY in Sacramento
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jfugina
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by jfugina »

pamcook wrote:Merry Christmas to you as well!

We leave tomorrow to Ohio. All 7 of us in one vehicle. Chris & family arrive on the 22nd. Our first Christmas together with all the grandkids! My mom is spending Christmas Eve with us - first time since I was 8 years old. I feel like I’ve posted all this already but I’m really looking forward to it (in spite of the impending busy-ness).

Tonight Joel & I took Mia & Zain to see the mega light display and for hot cocoa. Christmas seems to be coming at warp speed this year. I’m sure I’ll check in from time to time. Hope you all have the Christmas of your dreams. Marianne is so right - the experiences are far better than more stuff.
Oh Pam - that sounds so wonderful! What an occasion to celebrate. Safe travels to you!
Julie Fugina
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jfugina
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by jfugina »

nchoney wrote:... the Fire Department is short-handed so we'll be coming back here Sunday night and spend our first Christmas in our house since before we got married.
I'll be keeping my fingers crossed that Mike doesn't get a call and that you can have a peaceful day together at home. My younger sister is a 911 dispatcher, and she occasionally has to work on Christmas. Most of the holidays she's ever worked have thankfully been quiet. I wish the same experience for you and Mike.
mpizzazz wrote:Disney for Christmas sounds like a great gift! Experiences, not more stuff!
I'm so with you on the experiences over stuff! Our problem though, is that we've so spoiled our kids with travel experiences, that they don't think of them as gifts - they're just a way of life. :shock: So they still would like something to open. We've warned them that it's going to be severely scaled back this year, so even if they're a bit deflated, there will still be something. Jake got a new gaming console for his birthday last month, and Rob picked up an additional game and held it for Christmas. So that's what he's getting. We ordered a Viking Marching Band jacket for Nicole, but it's not in yet. I've heard that they'll be in today, but whether or not we'll be able to pick it up before leaving town remains to be seen. She may get an IOU. Then I was at Target last night and I picked up a few stocking stuffers and little things. Target had some fun looking inexpensive games that I picked up and wrapped last night. Oh, and socks. I think that I've put crazy socks in their stocking every single year. They never seem that excited about it, but Nicole has actually asked if they'll at least get some socks in their stocking, so maybe it's officially tradition. LOL.

To everyone welcoming family and/or friends to their home for the holidays, ENJOY! And to everyone traveling, SAFE TRAVELS!
Julie Fugina
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jfugina
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by jfugina »

pbp908 wrote:Winter Solstice? :lol:

Merry Christmas, Julie. I hope you all have a wonderful time at Disney.

And remember - this too shall pass. One day she's going to surprise you and knock your socks off. ;)
Honestly... she kind of knocked our socks off this fall with how well she did in marching band. She didn't just enjoy it - she was GOOD at it. and then when she auditioned for winter guard (no prior experience whatsoever) and made the team, we were impressed. She's always been a bit uncoordinated and clumsy, so we were concerned that she was going to hurt herself in no time flat trying to dance and spin a flag, but it turns out she's good at that too! She must have finally grown into those long legs of hers. :lol:

We've heard advice from people to "let her fail... let her get kicked out of band next fall and maybe she'll learn how important it is to study". And perhaps they're right - but I can't do it. For one, Rob and I have come to know many of the parents through volunteering, and this isn't just her activity - it's ours too. Also, if she doesn't have this, she's basically a hermit. She has no friends or social group that she hangs out with outside of school. She's pretty happy keeping her own company at home, but I don't want her to also have to be a total loner at school. So letting her just fail and be kicked out of that program is not an option for us. It's the easy option, but not the one we want. Rob and I will kill ourselves exhausting every other possibility first.

Her struggles are really limited to 2 of 7 classes. PE and French were aced, and those grades are already marked final. Woodworking was an 89%, so she studied pretty hard to try to push that over the line. She's pretty sure she aced that one too. Then came... dun dun dunnnnn... history. Total nail-biter. She had an F two weeks ago. She had a review guide, and she made flash cards, and we drilled her to death on the flash cards, knowing full well that it likely wouldn't be that simple. She memorized the flash cards, but she didn't actually know the overall material/stories. That final was a life lesson -totally smacked her in the face. She said she was full out crying by the end of it, and begged her teacher to grade it immediately so she didn't distract herself worrying about it through her geometry final. She got a 75, which was a total relief. She thinks she aced her geometry final, and thinks she might have actually done enough to bump her just over the line from a C to a B. But she would have needed nothing short of a 95 to do it, so we'll see if her confidence was well-placed. Today is ELA, which she also had an F in just a few weeks ago. She's squeaked her way into C territory since then, but needs to do well on the final to keep it. So that's today's nail-biter. Lastly is science. I don't think she studied for that at all. But she's had a high A all term, and has gotten As on every test without studying. It seems that she legit knows that material.

So it's been rough, and we've had some seriously intense come-to-jesus meetings over the last few weeks regarding History and ELA (English), but it's nearly over, and she's got another clean slate after today. She says she's really learned a lesson this time. We shall see. :-)
Julie Fugina
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Monica
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by Monica »

Merry Christmas to all! :santa:

We're off to Walla Walla Saturday morning and will be coming back home Christmas Day in the afternoon, as we both work the next morning. This Christmas is a bit bittersweet for me, with my dad passing away earlier in the year and my FIL, who also has Parkinson's, exhibiting the same things that my dad did the last year of his life. He is currently in an assisted living facility on a temporary condition, due to falling down as a result of a bladder infection right after Thanksgiving and the doctors prescribing p/t to help him hopefully regain more mobility.

They are hoping to transition him into a permanent room there, so will see how it goes. The facility is a new VA one right across the street from SIL, and about a mile from MIL. My poor hubby and his sister are going through what my siblings did with my parents, and while I can and do try to help as much as possible it's also stirring up my emotions with regard to Dad passing.

I work Tuesday and Wednesday next week, then hubby and I are off to Seattle Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We have a holiday package for the Mayflower hotel, a historical hotel down by Pike Street Market and close to a rail stop, and CityPass tickets to do a harbor cruise, the aquarium, and the Space Needle complex area, along with IMAX tickets for the newly released Star Wars movie. Our present to each other... time together doing something fun away from home. The only 'vacation' we had was seeing my dad right before... and we both need that mental break.

but a very merry Christmas to you all! Or winter solstice, or Hannukah... or whatever you choose to celebrate. :happy94:
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by ChristyB »

Just flew back from Maine to visit with my parents and have to pick up Steve's mom today.
Steve is actually home on Christmas this year and the girls are all planning on going to the movies.



Julie I feel and hear your pain. It is the same course we are navigating with Ry. It is so hard trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. We have done massive amounts of testing and gotten different diagnosis's and treatment options.
In the end it is a constant day to day negotiation battle that some days I win and most I lose.
Also what works one day won't necessarily work the next.
It is exhausting (and since my Dad had his stroke in Aug he is the same way. When I have the 2 together I literally want to scream.)

I know though that letting her fail isn't the answer, it is just finding the right key to getting her engaged, motivated and willing to work.
Debbie J

Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by Debbie J »

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you!

First Christmas without Rod in 43 years, if I can get through all these “firsts” I feel it will become easier.
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by Trixie »

Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all. Safe travels to those who are traveling. I stay home for Christmas and visit with friends. It will be a busy few days, but... I am finally retiring. My last day is the 29th. The Board has still not hired a replacement. Someone is paying the bills and doing payroll. As far as I can tell tHey are just going to let the staff make all their own decisions. What could go wrong? Anyway, I am definitely retiring this time. I was supposed to retire the end of October, but they asked me to stay 2 more months. I agreed and they haven’t even had a meeting since 11/8. I am done!

I hope you all have a peaceful and happy holiday. My heart goes out to those of you who are struggling.

Judy
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pbp908
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Re: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Post by pbp908 »

Between house renovations, George's surgery (and now he's doing chemo cream for his skin cancer), my injuries, and trying to get things put back together, this is going to be a strange Christmas. Adam is in Charlotte at his other grandmother's and won't be back until Christmas day. Chris is scheduled to work. George still can't lift more than 10 pounds, and I'm still gimpy. All shopping was done online this year - neither of us feel like facing the crowds. The bright spot is that my niece is cooking so all I have to do is make my cornbread dressing (it rocks!) and a couple of pies to take. The animals are just going to have to survive without leftover turkey.

I do feel blessed with all of the good things that have happened. Next year will be a bit slower paced and will be more normal, whatever that is!
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