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}

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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)

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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!

Just as quick

as September and October seemed to have started and end,  November seems to be following in the same pattern.  November 3rd already.

This was a light week in school for us, we touched mostly on the basics as Hurricane Sandy came up the East coast.  Beginning of the week we did more laundry, stock piled water in our various water bottles, winterized the deck and patio, did some basic baking (who wouldn't want chocolate chip cookies when there is no power?). 

All things considered, we got off easy ~ one piece of siding popped loose and lost power for 15 hours.  No major damage to the house, vehicles, or property.  There are so many more in New Jersey and New York who have lost everything!  Nothing left.  Is one night of bad sleep and a short period of power loss really that bad?  I would have to say no!!!!!!!!!!

Now we are on to planning for Thanksgiving and some Christmas shopping.  Woo Hoo we've bought 4 things so far.