12/12/12

 As I'm sure you heard a million times today, it is 12/12/12!  Jack asked if there would be more like this and I told him not in our lifetime.  He said that there were people who had lived to be 114, so he very well could see 12/12/12 again.

 We made 12 cupcakes.

 Alice loves to cook!

 Time to decorate!  (A strange coincidence...When Jack asked about 11/11/11 we looked at this entry and noticed that Alice was wearing the same shirt she wore today!)

This afternoon we watched Cheaper by the Dozen.

Happy 12/12/12!

It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas

 At least for a day or two.  We all had coats on the hooks today, which is a big change from the 60s and 70s we've been having lately.  I wish it would last a bit longer.

 Sunday the kids helped decorate at my mom and dad's.

 We're loving hot chocolate.  Well, Jack has been loving it since October, even when it was still 80 degrees.  I was shocked when I read this entry from a few years ago about him not caring for hot chocolate.  Things have changed.  He loves to get the huge assortment at Sam's and must drink it from his TMNT mug.

 Today we went to see Santa at the mall and Alice actually enjoyed it--a big change from her first visit!

 She talked and laughed and didn't need Jack as a buffer.

 This is the same Santa we've seen every year since we've moved back and he's great.  He will talk to the kids for a long time--and of course Jack always has lots to say to him!

 After we visit Santa we always take a ride on the carousel.

Merry Christmas!

Fun Friday: Traditions

 Every year since we've moved back we go to see the Nutcracker scenes at Utica Square.  I'm good at picking chilly and/or rainy days for this.  Thankfully it wasn't too cold and was only misting off and on today.

 Six kids in one phone booth--and only two ended up in tears.  Considering how close they were packed in, that's probably pretty good.

 We stopped by Santa's cottage and all the kids talked with him a bit--even Alice!  They got cookies, too!

 Then it was on to Philbrook for the Festival of Trees.

 Alice liked the tutu tree.

 She also had to smell every. single. gingerbread house.

 This was Jack's favorite.  Isn't that slide awesome?

 We're so thankful for great friends!

 We found a leaf as big as Alice's face.

We wrapped up our evening with Home Alone.  It was the first time the kids have seen it and Jack said it was terrific.  Judging by her laughter, Alice agreed.

Happy Friday!

Christmas Reading

 This year I wrapped all of our Christmas books and each morning we are doing an Advent reading with the Jesus Storybook Bible and the kids are taking turns unwrapping a Christmas book to read.  Somehow we were already behind (perhaps something to do with a couple of long days out!) so today we read more than one!

 Once a book has been unwrapped it goes into the basket by the fireplace.  We haven't had much need for a fire when it's been in the 70s, but hopefully that will change soon!  On the left is the magnetic Advent calendar we have had since Jack was little and the kids are taking turns with that, too.

For my Christmas reading, I'm finishing up The Twelve Clues of Christmas.  If you haven't read the Royal Spyness series you need to.  Now.

And if you're looking for some Christmas books for the kids, check out my post on our favorites at the Homeschool Share Blog!

Fun Friday: Movies, Momentos, and Movember

 Today I surprised the kids by taking them to the movies.  I didn't tell them until we were getting ready to leave where we were going.  I had to tell them then because I was bringing our popcorn bucket and Halloween candy.

 We also put our FIAR ornaments in the mail.  This year Jack decided he wanted to do a lantern for Paul Revere's Ride.  (And some exciting news--for me, anyway--Mark Shasha, the author of Night of the Moonjellies, which we used for ornament inspiration a couple of years ago, left a comment on my blog the other day.  That might be the worst constructed sentence I've ever written, but whatever.  I was super excited.)

Have you heard about Movember?  It looks like Jack has.  This is what he looked like this evening.  That's pudding, by the way.

It seems that he sometimes channels his toddler self, but in a slightly more stylish way.

Read about planning for the holidays here.

Happy Friday!

Festive Friday!

 We set up our tree today.  I love listening to them get excited about the ornaments.  I need to just set the video camera up next year to record them talking about their favorites.

 We stayed home all day and finished up the evening with Christmas shows.

 Somehow I never take pictures on Thanksgiving.  There's usually a random shot or two from my parents' house, like the one above.

 And then a few in my sister-in-law's front yard.

 Alice was nervous about her brother being so high up.

Happy Friday!

(Check out Black Friday Math here!)

Black Friday Cookie Sale!

Kids do what they see, right?  That's Alice, wrapping up some cookie dough.  And maybe she sees me looking a little crazy sometimes.  I don't know how else to explain that look.  In the last month and a half I've made a lot of cookie dough.  And many wonderful people have bought a lot of cookie dough--enough that we have raised over $200 for the Brainerd Family's Adoption Fund!

The holidays are so busy and you know there are going to be lots of times you're going to need some kind of food to bring to a party or get-together or something to give to the neighbors or the mailman--not to mention something to feed your own family.  Let me do the mixing and you can have cookie dough in your freezer ready to go whenever you need it!

Snickerdoodle and Peanut Butter are $3.50 per pound or $6.00 for two pounds.

Chocolate Chip and Oatmeal are $4.00 per pound or $7.00 for two pounds.

Chocolate Chip with nuts and Oatmeal with nuts are $4.50 per pound or $8.00 for two pounds.

Ami is working on a cookie cookbook to raise money for their adoption fund and I have three of her amazing recipes to let you taste test!  If you place an order today through Sunday, for every two pounds of dough you order I will deliver a half dozen freshly baked cookies of your choice--Simply Sugar Cookies, Double Chocolate, or Cranberry Christmas!  So start making a list of all the people and places you'll need cookies for and then add in a few more pounds for yourself.  And you know what goes great with cookies?  Coffee!  Place your order now and enjoy!  Thank you so much to those who have already ordered!