New Years Eve 2012

2012 is winding down as I type ~ less than 6 hours until 2013 is welcomed in.  Our boys are having fun with friends while Kevin and I chill.  Animals are use to the new folks around and sleeping.

Looking back at the year, high lights would be:

JANUARY ~ boys turning 12 and 9, friends over for a party, making a tye dye cake
FEBRUARY ~ Thing One earned his green belt in Tae Kwon Doe, Valentines Day Party with our co-op group at a bounce house (big bouncy things, indoors!), Kevin and I celebrated 15 years of marriage
MARCH ~ finally saw the Cherry Blossoms in Washington, D.C. after living in the area most of my life; Thing One learned to ride a two wheeler; Thing Two began the Spring season of kid pitch baseball
APRIL ~ celebrated Easter at our church home of Burke Community Church and had a friend and her daughters over for dinner after; boys continued to be busy with baseball, TKD, scouts and life; we began wrapping up the school year.

Three tangerines & a lime!

MAY ~ brought the end of the school year; gearing up for VBS (yes it wasn't held till July, but when there are hundreds of kids and volunteers, lots of time to plan is needed); the year end party for co-op; sports and scouts are still going strong
JUNE ~ baseball winding down; Thing One earned his advanced green belt in TKD
JULY ~ biggest events are Boy Scout Camp and VBS!  All three guys are in the same group this year.  Dad leading, Thing One assisting, and Thing Two's group!  I was off with the wee little one's this year.
AUGUST ~ brought the start of a new school year with a 7th grader and a 4th grader;  there was a trip to Florida (by van even!);
SEPTEMBER ~ fun ways to celebrate back to school for the public schools, this year we all went out for lunch in Parent 1, Parent 2, Thing 1 and Thing 2 shirts; fall ball is in full swing, scouts is still going strong

Steven Tomlin's foot!

OCTOBER ~ we took a trip to Skyline Drive;  school pictures being sent home (oldest wore his orange VBS shirt and youngest wore gray for the 2nd year in a row); choir practice begins for Children's Christmas Choir; Hurricane Sandy hitting the upper east coast; Thing Two tested for Advanced Green Belt in TKD and passed - great pictures from that event (that would be the foot of my friend's husband); field trip to Cox Farm - annual event for our co-op
NOVEMBER ~ end of the season for baseball; youth retreat for Thing One; Thanksgiving at home; ending of an era - reading the Hardy Boy series, all 58 of them;
DECEMBER ~ brought bronchitis for me and lighter school for the boys; lots of extra movies, books, and mad libs loosely tied to Christmas; staying home on the 24th and 25th ~ first time since Kevin and I have been together; a lot of time goofing off and hanging out; wrapping up 2012 with the boys and a couple of their friends.

And with as long as it took to write this post, there is about 4 hours 20 minutes lefts.

 

T minus 10 days and counting

December 15th ~ what is it for you?

   ~ just another day ~

Was it another Saturday full of chores, shopping, and sports (if any are going for you)?

                            ~ a lot to reflect on for me today ~

Most of the time, the 15th is pay day (unless the 15th is a Saturday or Sunday, then the Friday before is payday), so a few bills needed attending today.  Not to bad though.

Went to a few stores looking for Christmas presents for the boys.  They've been heavy on my heart after the shooting, in an elementary school in Connecticut yesterday!  Was often reminded of when they were so much smaller than now.  Found myself going to the toddler or young boy section to look for things for them.  Hard to grasp that they're growing up so quick.  Oldest is excited to be almost taller than mom and will happily tell you he is growing facial hair.  Youngest is just happy to be double digits!  Parts of me so misses the little baby stage, being able to put them into a sling/vest thing and carry them around! I do enjoy the young men they are becoming though.  To see them step out in their talents, is such a blessing.

Realized earlier today, also, that I graduated college about 20 years ago.  Thought it was the 15th, but might have been a different date as I thought it was a Saturday.  The 15th didn't happen on a Saturday in 1992!  Close enough to be reminiscent!  I have friends, from college, who have teenagers already, not just young teenagers, like our oldest, but driving teenagers.  Just weird.  Don't feel old enough for that!  Also weird to think, that those freshman in college weren't even born when I graduated.  Anyway, shaking the cobwebs out of my brain now.

Not a whole lot of Christmas type things going on today.  Kevin and Thing Two are up at church, doing the choir thing for the 2nd night of three.  Both are enjoying themselves.  Thing One and I are home, playing with electronics and playing card games.  Hope to get some wrapping done tonight and possibly baking of some sort tomorrow.

Enough musing on my part, hope you have a great evening!
 

St. Nicholas

Thing Two asked about Saint Nicholas today over lunch.  They wanted to know the origins of St. Nick and how it got changed into Santa Claus.  Here's a link we read over, but the highlights are:

• born during the third century
• he was born in what is now the Southern coast of Turkey
• born of wealthy parents
• both died, when he was young, during an epidemic
• he believed in selling off what he owned, giving to the poor, and following Christ example
• Under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, he suffered for his faith, was exiled and imprisoned
• so many Christians were persecuted, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers
• after his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in AD 325
•  he died December 6, AD 343
•  anniversary of his death became a day of celebration, St. Nicholas Day, December 6th

Many legends are floating around regarding with regards to what St. Nicholas did.  Here are some of those:

• three daughters, of a poor man, needed dowries.  It is believed that St. Nick gave bags of gold for each girl to cover the dowry; it is from this legend that some believed a gold ball was used, at times ~ from here oranges were put in the stockings drying on the hearth
• another tells of Basilio being kidnapped during the festival honoring St. Nicholas and being used the rulers cup bearer because he didn't know the language.  Basilio's parents prayed for his safe return.  It is believed that St. Nick returned Basilio, on the eve of the next festival, in Myra with the rulers cup still in his hands
• "Today he is venerated in the East as wonder, or miracle worker and in the West as patron of a great variety of persons-children, mariners, bankers, pawn-brokers, scholars, orphans, laborers, travelers, merchants, judges, paupers, marriageable maidens, students, children, sailors, victims of judicial mistakes, captives, perfumers, even thieves and murderers! He is known as the friend and protector of all in trouble or need.

 

Info used from: St. Nicholas Center Copyright © 2002-2012 St. Nicholas Center

Candy, Cookies, & Caffeine

Totally going off subject before I even get started.

     Bwahahahahaha!

Off subject item - read that catchy titles bring readers in.  Did this one work?  Let me know in the comments!  Thanks!!

Back on topic now ~

   Feeling a smidge more like a functioning human being today and wanted to get on to some Christmas sweets.  Usually, by now, we're on our third Christmas treat.   Not so much this year.  But it was time for some cookie making. 

 One tradition we have is Toll house Chocolate Cookies 

made with M&Ms instead.  Very easy and so good!

Just follow the directions on the back of the Toll

House back and swap the chips for the bag of M&Ms.

While the butter, eggs, and vanilla were being whipped together

it was time for a bit of caffeine!  My favorite source tends to

be coffee ~

 Pretty green light meaning it's on.  Yes, old school coffee pot;

even without a timer!

Coffee, over ice ~ great tasting any time of the year.

May I ask how this looks like coke?  I often get asked

how my "pop" is or if I am enjoying the fizz!  Huh?

It's coffee!

 The M&M's poured in.  Next time, I might still add a

cup of chocolate chips.  As much as Thing Two loves just the batter,

I love it over loaded with chocolate.

I used a small cookie scoop because I wanted a lot of cookies

when finished.  Believe I got about 80 cookies out of this round.

That would be just over 7 1/2 dozen and these still won't last all that long.

Oh!  Just a heads up, not sure how to keep the M&M colors from bleeding

into the dough and I used light brown sugar, so these look really, really faded.

Happy Eating!!!!

 

Christmas fun, please come back!!!!!!!!!!!

Woke up still feeling kind of miserable today! Made an appointment for myself. Turns out I have Bronchitis, so the OTC's I've been taking are not cutting it. Couple prescripts later, I'm starting to feel a bit better. Hoping that by the weekend our house will be smelling more like Christmas. Hope to be doing some fun activities beyond watching movies with the boys. Hope to feel good enough to read! Today, we did watch "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" and Kevin read more of "The Christmas Carol"!

How is the Christmas season coming along at your house?  What activities have you enjoyed best?  What about your kids?
 

Christmas Choir

Burke Community Church's Kid Choir preformed their Christmas Program this evening called "The Christmas Puzzle". It was fun to see our son perform. He seems to truly enjoy being on stage and hamming it up.  Here are a few photos from the evening:

 Four cousins, snowed in and bored.

Grandma gets them putting a special puzzle together.

When certain portions are put together, music starts playing.

 The prophets sing of Jesus coming!

Who's the cute kid on the left?

 Angels singing!

 Mary's turn to sign.

Camels, wise men, a star, Harod!

Admiring baby Jesus!

(or saying "Cheese" as the cameras where going!)

Fun evening for our budding actor!  He is hoping for more shows soon.

On the 6th day of December, my . . . .

true love gave to me, six geese a laying!  Well, maybe not, but he did go by Costco on the way home from work.  That is even better.

Today's activities have been low key again today.  Still hoping to get to some of "A Christmas Carol" and possibly a movie tonight.  Here's who visited though:

A pretty red cardinal.  To bad I had to take a photo

through the screen.

 

Better late the never! Right?

Wasn't certain we'd get to any sort of Christmas themed activities today. Been a "real" day here. We've all had them, but we just don't talk about them much. These days sort of just exist.

Fortunately, there were some good highlights today.  Here's the run down:

• our Five in a Row (FIAR) book, "Snowflake Bentley" and Beyond FIAR book, "The Saturdays" had a similar lesson ~ snow!  Was able to incorporate both lessons into one time and use a science activity to make snow!    Really like being able to do that!
• got the boys rounded up after dinner and finished chapter one of "The Christmas Carol"!
• Thing Two had his last Wednesday night Christmas Choir practice.  He preforms this coming Sunday!

Unrelated to the above, my little Charlie Brown Christmas Tree has a new pot, new location, and lights!  :)  Kevin's parents have been sending us live wreaths the last few years (very awesome gift!); this years came with a set of lights that are battery powered.  When I read the directions that came with it, it said that do to weather and being outdoors, batteries may only last 7 hours.  Well hello, I'm not going to plow through a bunch of batteries for that.  It fit the little tree nicely and hopefully the batteries will last more than 7 hours.

What are the Christmas happenings at your house?

4th day of celebrating Christmas

begins! Today's festivities are not totally firmed up.  Tuesdays are crazy days here, very crazy.  2 1/2 hours of therapy in the morning for one child (with the half hour appointment starting at 10 or 10:30 depending upon week), Tae Kwon Doe, Scouts, meals, and oh yeah that thing called an education.

Tuesdays, may turn into an easy celebration of sorts, not a lot of time required like a short movie or something easy to bake.  Today is likely to be a short movie like "Frosty the Snowman" or "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer".  We'll sprinkle in some Christmas Mad Libs, which I was able to locate yesterday and continued reading of "The Christmas Carol" ~ assuming my voice holds out.  Might just firm up a short wish list too.  We're trying to teach the boys that Christmas should not be about the amount of stuff you get, but the celebration of Christ.

What is making Christmas special at your house today?
 

P.S. I'll post, in the comments, the mad lib we did and movie watched later today.

A Christmas Carol

Today is the 3rd and I'm thinking we'll begin reading "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, probably as an evening read aloud.  We finished up "Hardy Boys" a bit ago and just haven't picked anything else up yet.  Maybe this is the spark we need.

Many are familiar with this tale of Scrooge, Tiny Tim, the three ghosts, and Scrooges change of heart.  It's neat to hear phrases taken from this book, in everyday language.  Do you hear, "Don't be such a Scrooge!" or "God Bless one and all!"?  I may incorporate a bit of research into this and have the boys read and write about Charles Dickens and the era the book was written in.  After reading the book, we may pick up a copy, from Redbox or Netflix, and watch it (so many good Christmas Movies to watch!!)

What is your favorite version of movie for "A Christmas Carol"?  I'm not to sure for myself, but don't think the Bill Murray one is high on the list.
 

December 2nd

We've spent the morning in church! What a blessing to have a church home that truly feels like home. It is a wonderful thing.  Our youngest, Thing Two, is singing with the Kids Christmas Choir again this year.  Today, they sang one song, as a teaser, to get folks to come to the show next Sunday evening.  (Gee, want to guess what I'll blog about next Sunday?).  His solo was a part of the song too.  We thought he did really well.  Anyway, we're into to the post lunch, week has caught up to us, crash.  Kevin's asleep, boys are vegging, and I'm working on my "December Month of Blogging Christmas".

I am thinking that today's activities, along with Kevin wanting to do an Advent devotion, will be centered around the Polar Express Movie.

We'll probably have hot chocolate, with whip cream (homemade!!) and crushed up candy canes and let the boys sack out on the floor. 

A few things to print out today:

• Luke 2:13-14 Subway Art ~ link here
• Polar Express Ticket - found many on pinterest, but decided to make my own.  Following is a picture of it:

I plan to print these on tan paper and darken up the lines that make the ticket.  I choose mostly "black and white" as color cartridges are expensive.  Also, in my scrapping booking software, the Santa sleigh was the best graphic I could find.

What are your plans today?  Have you done something special already?  Share, if you care, what you might be doing tonight or in the near future. 
 

Happy December

Today has been a busy day around our house. Lots of kid chauffeuring, thanks Kevin, chores, and some fun.  Today, I got a few last decorations out.  One of the more "important" things is this:

 Won't play a rousing game of "Guess what this is!"
Think most know it is the Willow Tree Nativity Mary & Jesus.

Here's a larger picture of the set.  Didn't want to push

them all together to get them into one photo.

Other things that were put out:  a Santa flag, a nativity flag, grape vine wreath snowman, another santa, and our Advent Wreath.

Hope you enjoy these days leading up to Christmas!  Also, what have you done today, to be reminded of Christmas and "the reason for the season"?  Want to share?  Post a link to your blog in the comment section?  Would love to read about your holiday too!

 

Wrap-up and Begninnings

November has felt like a busy month! Lots going on and a desire to take time off.

Quick run down of the month, no particular order:

• redo of boys bathroom (Ugh to the shower install popping off the wall and not wanting to be put back)
• Thanksgiving, at home, just the four of us
• team party for Thing Two's Fall Ball
• An Emmes Event at "The Museum of American History"
• camping for Thing One
• birthday party to go to for Thing two
• 17 school days
• 3 co-ops
• lots of therapy
• lots of church events (church, Sunday School, bible study, Wednesday Night Services)
• TKD for the boys
• Scouts for Thing One

Yes, a short version of life this time!  Wanted to loosely honor my monthly wrap-ups and move onto other things.   That brings me to this,  although I just mentioned I don't do "link-ups" in my last post, I had some new thoughts on one.

Here is what I am thinking ~ each day, toward the end, I will try to write a blog post about some sort of Christmas Activity that my family has done.  I have no formal layout or plan for activities, but will choose activities from my previous blog post about things to do (see here) plus a few other things that Kevin and I have come up with since the post.  We might see about doing some sort of service project and bless our neighbors with a treat.  Though my neighbors may not be my best friends in the world, having and keeping wonderful neighbors is truly a blessing.  What better time to express appreciation than during the holidays.

Since Black Friday, we have already viewed:  How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Nativity Story, Charlie Brown Christmas, and The Nutcracker.  Also I've watched White Christmas.

What do think?  Do you want to join in?  Would love to see what you do to celebrate Christmas!!
Here is to 31 unique activities with my family.


P.S. Will use the tag "December 2012 link-up if you want to look for posts.

Multiple things!

Didn't realize it had been almost two weeks since I blogged. As you can tell, I am not a "professional" blogger, my posts are all over the map, I don't hold "give away's", and I don't do link ups. Surprised I have nine listed followers; eight if you exclude my husband. That's okay as I am not a homeschooling, review various curriculum, blog about awesome field trips for every aspect of school, type person. I do love to hang out with my family and friends; we do enjoy going and doing fun things (related to school or not); mostly, we keep to ourselves.

Anyway, in the last two weeks, here's a run down of life:

• Thanksgiving came and went, nice a quiet like.  Our family of four didn't travel, except to the grocery store all to often.  Have not fully master the art of making a grocery list.
• The house has morphed into a Christmas state!  Meaning that he living room is a bit more cozy as the dog bed got moved for the Christmas tree.  A certain Charlotte was not to happy with the new location, so for a time, it sits in the middle of the floor.
• Just today, I created a travel "Battleship" board for Thing Two.  Quite simple, but efficient and made him quite happy.

 Now it is time to change the background of the blog to more seasonally appropriate design!
 

Beginning to look a lot like . . . .

Christmas!  The tree and a few other odds and ends have been put out.  Not as much this year, but still important things.

A certain someone, no longer needs a step ladder to get the star up!  When the heck did he get tall?  How do I stop him from growing?  He's enjoying that fact that he WILL be taller than me.

Merry Christmas Everyone!
 

Coffee

A phrase that my friend mentioned earlier today and I added the picture!

 

~ 25 days of Christmas ~

Advent: n ~ A coming; appropriately the coming of our Savior, and in the calendar, it includes four sabbaths before Christmas, beginning of St. Andrew's Day, or on the sabbath next before or after it. It is intended as a season of devotion, with reference to the coming of Christ in the flesh, and his second coming to judge the world. {Webster's 1828 Dictionary}

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What traditions do you have for Christmas?  What about for Advent?  Are there traditions just for the month of December?

As of right now, I do not have a formal plan of activities, movies, books, laid out for each day in December, but here are some things we've done in the past, movies we've watched and books we've read.  I also hope to add a few new things in as well.

Movies:  Most of these movies are ones for the kids.  For some reason, I love to watch "While You Were Sleeping" during the holidays, probably because it begins around Christmas.

• The Nativity Story (2006)
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
• Polar Express (2004)
• The Christmas Miracle of Jonathon Toomey (2007)
• The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005)
• Elf (2003)
• Little Women (1994)
• While you Were Sleeping (1995)
• Miracle on 34th Street (1947 version)
• Santa Clause (1994) and subsequent movies
• White Christmas (1954) 
• A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
• Check out this link to ABC's Family 25 Days of Christmas ~ lots of movies to watch, some of what I have already listed.  Check it out down and set up the DVR!

Books:  For these books, I have listed the original author.  For "A Christmas Carol" we may end up reading an adaption of one, which might be a different author.

• Gospel of Luke - the birth of Christ
• Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
• One Winter's Night by John Herman
• The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
• Christmas Day in the Morning by Pearl S. Buck (plan to preview this one, haven't read it but looks good)
• Who is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate
• One Wintry Night by Ruth Graham Bell
• Stopping By The Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Activities:

• Christmas Mad Libs
• Attend Children's Christmas Show at Burke Community Church
• Attend Adults Christmas Choir at Burke Community Church
• Drive around and look at Christmas lights
• Go to National Mall and see the decorated trees
• Christmas Party through our Co-op
• Polar Express Evening:  tickets, hot chocolate/mug gift early, new pj's early
• Advent Scripture chain
• Christmas Camp-Out ~ once tree is up, sleeping around it for the first night

Baking:

• Oreo Truffles
• Christmas Pretzels
• Mint Brownies
• Hot Chocolate (not really baking, but totally home made)
• Cookies
• Coffee Cake Christmas morning or Monkey Bread in a bunt pan for a birthday cake for Jesus

Homework pre-Thanksgiving:

• figure out 25 scriptures related to Christ's birth (have seen a few links to some on Pinterest, but would like to get them from particular versions of a Bible)
• make letter mugs
• decide if traditional Christmas Eve PJ's will be given early
• map out some of the more difficult things to do ~ like going into Washington D.C. or Christmas shows that have specific dates

 

Monumentous Moment Past

A big thing came and passed!  Didn't even photograph the occasion.   It just came and went without a good bye.  How sad!

Yup!  That is what happened about October 28th, 2012, if I could even remember the date correctly.  We finished up the last Hardy Boys in the 58 book series.  Don't even recall when we began, but it had been at least four years in the making!  Had every intention of taking pictures of the boys in laundry baskets.  Odd thing, I know, but one of my first mentions of Hardy Boys on the blog I posted pictures of them in the baskets.  Wow, how they have changed in 4 years.

Time to find a new series!
 

Thanksgiving

Another day has dawned ~ well a few hours ago it did!  8) 

I am trying to be consciously aware of things to be thankful for.  It's been hard; it's been a chore in denying my desire to have more and see the blessings of "what is"!  To be grateful for something that isn't exactly right, to be thankful for the act of service that brought something to you.  To be grateful for the gift giver, to receive with joy.

Continuing to count those blessings:

• time to read when boys are sleeping
• cooking breakfast with oldest
• stolen moments with youngest, while waking him up for the day

Audience participation portion of the blog!  Yes, that would be you reader.  Would you share what you like to do to celebrate thanksgiving?  Recipes you love to make?  Traditions? 

For us, there are many different things:

• Kevin's parents would have out paper place mates for the grand kids to decorate (really, it was anytime we got together)
• At my folks, seems like the kitchen table is a battle ground for train dominoes and other games
• At our house, if we're home, we love to watch "The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade"
• Reading of Cranberry Thanksgiving by Harry and Wende Devlin (Wonderful book, back in print by Purple House Press, and one of many books rowed in Five in a Row)

Hope you share your traditions and thankfulness.  Thanks for reading!

 

Voting!

Amid the phone calls and signs everywhere, passing the all the folks wanting to give me their choice of what the ballot should look like, I voted! Stated my choices for who should be President, Vice President, Senator, and Congressman. Thankful for the freedom to do so.

It's my prayer that those, everywhere, who can't make it to the poll easily on their own, will have someone to help them take part in their civic duty. I pray that those in New York and New Jersey, who have lost everything, will find peace enough to take part in this election. I pray for those jurisdictions to be able to set up polling places and help the citizens get there.

During this, I am thankful for:

• being totally checked by the Holy Spirit and being okay with it
• child saying "Batman gets the cool toys" while watching Batman and Superman
• husband and son off to Scouts
• seeing a friend from my neighborhood (at the polls); she was beaming as her son got to vote and has his Eagle Court of Honor this Wednesday or next (that wasn't clear)
• beautiful sunset tonight

 

A Month of Thanksgiving

THANKSGIVING, ppr. Rendering thanks for good received. 

THANKSGIVING, n. The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies.

Every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if received with thanksgiving. 1 Tim 4
(Websters 1828 Dictionary)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanksgiving, the holiday that retailers neglect and grocers LOVE!  We, as shoppers, see Christmas creeping into stores, at times, even before July 4th!  Aisles are taken over with Christmas merchandise even before Halloween.

As I have seen on Facebook, many friends are taking back Thanksgiving.  Taking the month of November and expressing something to be thankful for each day.  Can you do the same?  Join in late, but still be Thankful?  What are things you are thankful for?  Even the little things!

11/1 ~ Presidential Fitness and our boys making an effort to improve
11/2 ~ a not rushed dinner
11/3 ~ a Saturday with not much to do out side of the home
11/4 ~ time to get part way caught up on old chores
11/5 ~ rest to begin the week

Can you list one thing each day?  Consider this a challenge!