I know we're not alone in this but we seem to prefer to buy presents for our kids that do more than entertain.  Lots of project-oriented stuff, science, art, Legos, that kind of thing.  I outdid myself this year as far as this subject goes though I still kept within a reasonable budget.  What I didn't count on was that our children would want to complete every project gift they received - like, right now!  On Christmas afternoon, 8 yo Alec was running from one project to the other, asking for help, getting frustrated when I told him he shouldn't try to do everything in one day.  Things finally settled down but then the next day, they really went into full swing.  So I spent most of the day after Christmas helping with projects.  And you should see my house - the Christmas clean-up is MY project!  I digress.  I'm glad we like to give educational gifts that my children enjoy, I just wish I had a housekeeper doing the cleaning while I spend delicious stress-free time helping my kids.  Oops, I've just revealed a deep dark wish I've been harboring for several years now.  Maybe I'll add that to my wish-list next Christmas. 

     Listen to this:  Last Thursday (4 days before Christmas) I received a letter from the local school board, stating that I should have had my kid tested this year, that they had requested test scores and, since I hadn't replied to their request, I was now listed as "non-compliant".  You're a homeschool mom - I'm sure I don't have to explain how the pit of my stomach felt.  Questions:  WHEN did they send a request for test scores?  I had him tested in 2005 and sent in the scores.  I don't need to have him tested until 2007.  Who is in error, me or them?  I immediately started looking for his 2005 test scores and, of course, they weren't where I thought I'd filed them.  I was in a panic when my husband got home.  I prayed and worried all night.  Next a.m., my husband said he'd take care of it, called the school board and got this cold, unfeeling message:   they had sent out these letters in error and if our kid didn't need to be tested in 2006, we were to ignore the letter, sorry for the inconvenience.  SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE??!!  I nearly fell over.  We also received a letter the next day, stating similar wording and reassuring us that our "compliance" status would be reinstated.  Thank you, God, for allowing this to be a false alarm.  But it made me mad to be thrown for such a loop over something so stupid.  And just before Christmas!  Such awful timing.  I mean, they've had months, why do something like this now?  We all now how delicate our right to homeschool is and how much every government in every state would really prefer us to not homeschool for various reasons - I won't elaborate here because my personal feelings will surface.  I'm just so thankful it was their error, not mine.  This time. 

     Christmas is over.  Time to look ahead.  We had a birth in my extended family, 1-1/2 weeks prior to Christmas.  Then, a death in my extended family, just a few days before Christmas.  Being separated from my family by 1200 miles makes these events difficult for me so Christmas was bittersweet at times.  And, you'll laugh at this:  My in-laws were gone on Christmas Eve, husband scheduled to work Christmas day, so we had our big meal on Christmas Eve and made plans to have my husband's mom and husband over on the 26th, or so I thought, though I never confirmed this with my mil.  My husband got put on stand-by so had Christmas day off after all.  Then my inlaws called at 1:30 on Christmas day, asking if they could come over now.  NOW?  My house was a disaster, I had no meal planned as I thought we were meeting the next day.  But, I winged it and served turkey sandwiches and various leftovers and pie from our big dinner the night before.  They were happy.  I'm glad it's all over.  Now, on to the Christmas clean up that will probably take as long as the Christmas preparations!  Thanks for all your nice comments.  I hope you are all taking the week off of school to relax and enjoy the last week of the year.  I'm going to be up to my knees in dino-dig dust and Chia pets (Ch, ch, ch, chia!!)