Christmas Ornaments Past, Present, and Future December 27, 2008

These are ornaments the kids and I have made over the years.  There is even one that I made when I was a Brownie Girl Scout- can we say ANCIENT…

We read the Story of Jesus and the Manger.  Within the Story it showed Sheep next to the Manger, so we made Sheep to symbolize Jesus and the Manger.

We used Yarn to make Pom Poms, and felt and pipe cleaners for the characteristics (face, legs).

Lastly we threaded ribbon through the pom pom for hanging.

Oh, let’s not forget the googly eyes- just for fun.

Mommy’s Sheep 2008

Sunshine in 2006

Ornaments made from Spare Puzzle Pieces 2006…  2008 Made from Clothespins/ Peppermint Frame 2008

2008 Popsicle Sticks                                                                            2007 Puzzle Piece

2008 Sunshine’s Sheep                                                               2008  Fairy Girls Sheep

Fairy Girl 2006                                                                      Jelly Bean’s Monkey 2008

Sunshine 2008                                                                      Sunshine 2008

Jelly Bean 2008                                                                    Mamaw Sue 2006

Sunshine 2008                                                                      Mommy in Ancient Times- When I was a Brownie Girl Scout

Jelly Bean 2008                                                                    Fairy Girl 2004 made when she was a Brownie Girl Scout

Lego Boy 2006                                                                     Fairy Girl 2008

A picture of Fairy Girl 2004                                           Jelly Bean 2008- this year we had 2 tree toppers : )

Christmas Activities December 26, 2008

Let’s see- give the kids multiple colors of paint and see what they can do…

Fairy Girl created a knowledge tree

Jelly Bean is hard at work

Think abstract art

Sunshine went with a Seasonal Portrait of Santa Claus and the presents to come

Lego Boy used Star Wars in combination of his lego darts in his artwork

Sunshine signed her self-portrait

Again- Abstract Art

Jelly Bean assisted me with making these ornaments

and we called these “____’s Mini Muffins” they are my pumpkin muffins.

Homemade Pizza – when it was fully baked it had risen and tasted YUMMY… however, the pizza was eaten so fast I did not get the chance to take a picture.

Fairy Girl says this is her new favorite pizza.

We went to celebrate Christmas at Mama and Papa’s house.  Great Mama and Papa were there too.

Sunshine received the American Girl doll “Josephina”.

You can see the true happiness that Sunshine has for her brother.

Lego boy of course received LEGOES.  Not any lego’s though- he received the knights castle set.

Fairy Girl received the American Girl doll “Felicity” from Mama and Papa.

Jelly Bean received the American Girl doll “Kaya”.

These dolls add to our collection of-

Samantha

Nicki

Julie

Ivy

Daddy and Lego boy sit down to put together the huge set of lego’s.

They were busy for hours.

Me getting ready for a Christmas Party

A visit to Santa’s workshop.

My little Blessings.

Posing with the Snowman.

Singing Christmas Carols as the neighborhood tree lite.

Our Christmas Tree

Nativity Scene

My Little Jelly Bean

Each year the kids get to help with their Homemade Birthday Cake-

This year everyone got to decorate an individual cake for Jesus’s birthday.

Getting Hot Cocoa and Hot Apple Cider

Brother and Sister

Togetherness- the kids were defending their castle against the attack

of the Rescue Heroes : ) Imagination

Is it bad that it is Christmas Eve and we do not need coats to go outside?

Missing the Snow.

Lego Boy

The kids looking for Santa’s reindeer.  I told them before they spread the reindeer food to make sure they did not “Get run over by the Reindeer” : )

Sunshine spreading the Reindeer Food.

Lego boy is excited- IT”S CHRISTMAS EVE!

Wow! What a busy, busy month.  Our Christmas activities included-

Baking homemade pizza’s

Trip to Mama and Papa’s house and visiting Great Mama and Great Papa

Baking Chocolate Chip cookies for Santa

Visiting Santa Claus at a Christmas Party

Lighting the neighborhood Christmas Tree

Singing Christmas Carols with Carolers

Making homemade ornaments

Making Homemade ornaments

Making Homemade ornaments

and Making Homemade ornaments

Selecting a fresh Christmas Tree

Decorating our Christmas Tree

As promised- Fairy Girl got to place the Star on top of our Christmas Tree

Listening to Christmas music

Playing Tons of Board Games

Hosting Grandma at our house

Making Christmas Dinner with the Best Ham I have ever tasted : )

Making Christmas Jewelry

Baking Nemo Girls Mini Muffins

Painting

Making Reindeer Food to spread on the lawn

Playing Flashlight Tag

Seeing Christmas Lights

and the list goes on and on…

Only 364 more days left to Christmas.

American Revolution December 23, 2008

Fairy Girl is learning about the American Revolution.  Here are a few items we are using to aid in her learning.  We also plan on assembling an American Revolution Lapbook.

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/

This site also offers lesson plans : )

http://www.amazon.com/Libertys-Kids-Complete-Jill-Anderson/dp/B001B73PO4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1230003714&sr=8-1

Website:

http://www.libertyskids.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Lived-Time-American-Revolution-You/dp/0590674447/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230003809&sr=8-1

http://store.americangirl.com/agshop/html/ProductPage.jsf/itemId/25/itemType/DISPLAYGROUP/webTemplateId/3/uniqueId/127/saleGroupId/237

The Patriot Movie

Homemade Bubbles and Blowers December 8, 2008

Homemade Bubbles-

2 Tablespoons of Liquid Dish Soap

1 Cup of Warm Water

Mix

Lego Boy December 8, 2008

My Lego Boy turning 9 this month : )

Homemade Laundry Detergent December 8, 2008

Today we are going to make Homemade Laundry Detergent.  With a large family this laundry soap can be a huge money-saver.  We have a front load washer (HE) and this works perfectly as it is a low-sudsing soap.  Makes 10 Gallons or enough for approximately 640 loads.  Cost- (less than $5.00 for start-up purchases and there will be plenty left to be able to use the same ingredients over and over to make more- with the exception of needing more Fels-Naptha).

For liquid version- use 1/3 to 1/4 cup per load.

For Powder version use 1-2 Tablespoons (yields 3 cups or approximately 40 loads).

We decided to do this project not only to continue cost-saving but I wanted to show my children how a solid object (soap) can be dissolved into a liquid) for a Science project.

Ingredients-

1 bar of Fels-Naptha Soap (I order mine from Amazon)

1 cup of Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer)

1/2 cup of Borax (20 mule Team)

Water

5 Gallon Bucket

Long Wooden Spoon

Sauce Pan

Start by grating soap bar to a fine consistency.  We use a food processor but I let my Sunshine do some by hand to have a hands on experience.

It should be this consistency if not more fine.

At this point you can mix in the Borax and Washing Soda and be done or continue on to the next step- making it into a liquid detergent (our preferred method).

Pour enough hot water to cover the soap and stir continuously until soap is completely melted.

Should look like this when complete.

Mix Borax and Washing Soda together in a 5 gallon bucket.

Mix soap mixture into powdered  mixture and stir until powdered mix is completely dissolved.

Should look like this.

Fill rest up the rest of the 5 gallon bucket with hot water (should be almost to the top), stir to mix then cover.

Let mixture set all night.  Mixture will appear like a watery liquid at first but will gel as it sits.

I use old Laundry Detergent Containers (96 load capacity)- mix equal parts of Laundry soap and water into containers- shake before using.

The Usborne Time Traveler December 3, 2008

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http://www.amazon.com/Usborne-Time-Traveler-Judy-Hindley/dp/0746033656/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228329973&sr=1-1

Twister Anyone? December 3, 2008

Togetherness

I loved watching the kids twist and turn and get all tangled together : )

Before homeschooling the kids would fight, bicker, and fight some more.  Isn’t homeschooling a wonderful thing… Because of homeschooling my children have grown very close, get along, and are loving towards one another.

Yum-O December 2, 2008

http://www.amazon.com/Yum-o-Family-Cookbook-Rachael-Ray/dp/0307407268/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1228256823&sr=8-1

Family Fun Magazine December 2, 2008

LOVE these magazines! I have had a subscription since my oldest (11) was very young- so for years and years : ) The magazine offers a lot of suggestions/ ideas on how to have fun as a family.  I absolutely LOVE their recipes which are included in each issue.  In addition the magazine often has science experiments in the back.  Definitely worth every penny.  You can access the magazine site (which also offers a lot of ideas) at http://familyfun.go.com/