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Twenty-ten is here! Whoo-hoo! The kids are back to school! Glory be
praised! It's time to get back on it with the usual, crazy juggling act
that goes on in this circus life of mine. I'm training for my very
first half marathon because what else is one supposed to do to
celebrate her birthday? My darling daughter #2 is eagerly waiting for
and fretting over the where she will go to college after she graduates
this Spring almost as much as she is counting down the days (50) until
she turns 18 and can then get the tattoo she has been dreaming of.
Darling daughter #3 is looking forward to taaking her behind the wheel
test for her license and is ready with arguments of why she should have
the car and not her big sister. My #4 daughter is ready to jump into
her 3rd competition dance season on the road to her dream of dancing on
So You Think You Can Dance and then performing with the NYC Rockettes
as well as prepare for her big transistion from 8th grade to high
school next Fall. And my son? My amazing boy is counting doqwn the days
until his 8th birthday (5) and taking the test for his yellow belt in
Tae Kwon Do. It's crazy. I told you.

But before we can get back
on it, I felt like we really needed to get Christmas packed up and put
away for the next time. I announced Sunday morniong that today would be
the day that "we" should pack up and put away Christmas. Yes, I said
"we". Yes, that means us all: mom, dad, daughters and son. My darling
hubs surprised me by jumping right in and haauling the Christmas trim
boxes from the garage back into the house.

"Wow! He's on this!"

By
lunch time, the ornaments were off the tree. The wreaths were packed
up. The linens washed, folded and packed away. All my snow globes were
boxed up and carefully tucked away. Even the outdoor lights were taken
down. 

What? The outdoor lights too? Usually they stay up until March because of the rain, the fog, the sunshine...

"You inspired me.", is what my darling husband told me. 

Somebody is sucking up! Yes, it is working, too.

That
afternoon as we put away the last of the our Christmas boxes into
storage, I couldn't help but be so proud of the way we all worked
together. We got it done. Sure, we had to bribe the older kids with the
promise of no movies or mall until this project was done. Nevertheless,
we got it done. 

I went to bed that night satisfied in our
accomplishment together as a family. I also found myself full of the
excitement of anticipation as we would be starting the crazy juggling
for 2010 first thing the next morning.

Early that Monday morning,
while Bill and I were sipping coffee together, he suddenly started to
laugh.  "Laura, check it out. We forgot one."

"What? Forgot what?"

"Look!"

There it was. The mistletoe.

We forgot the mistletoe again this year. Last year we didn't discover the rogue Christmas trim until February. I guess we have improved a little. 

I was sorely tempted to leave it up there...all year...just like we did last year. What can I say? I was just too lazy last year. 

No, this year I got out the step ladder and before I climbed up to take it down, I kissed my husband again. Well, it is mistletoe, you know.

So now, at last, Christmas is packed away here under the Big Top. We are ready.

More Adventures in Juggling can be found at http://adventuresinjuggling.wordpress.com