Valentine's Day By the Numbers

Some interesting facts from History.com - 

For more check out the history of Valentine's Day.

Count it down....

Hope you have a safe and happy holiday!

You Tube Monday - Holiday Edition - Rudolph's Shiny New Year (((HD)))- Posted a day early!

Thought I would post this one a few days early so you could enjoy it!!!

Unplug from “Holiday Stress” - That is JUST what we did!

Unplug from “Holiday Stress” and… memorize your children…

Really REALLY liked this post from Laurette. We had a really great holiday long weekend and enjoyed it just the way we wanted to!
Here are some of my favorite pics from the weekend -

You Tube Monday - Holiday Edition - Barbie In The Nutcracker (Full Video)

This is KM's favorite version of The Nutcracker!

Merry Yule to One and All!!!

Our yule was a bit different this year because CJ had to make a deliver and we decided to each open one present on Wednesday before he left. KM was rather estatic when she found out that she would be getting her room made over. We will be heading to our local hardware store to pick out paint next week. This is going to be a bit of an ongoing project since she has a lot of stuff that will need to be jostled and gone through and CJ will have to find a stretch when he is home to do the painting. She has been waiting for this for quite some time as she felt she had outgrown the shades of pink that adorn her walls a few years ago.



This morning I slept much later than usual - CJ calling to check in at 9:20 is actually what finally got me out of bed - but I felt SOOOO good when I woke up. I don't remember the last time I slept that well without CJ here so I must finally be adjusting. After a late breakfast I began the delightful task of baking, baking and more baking. I really enjoy baking especially when I know we will be bring things to our family friends that will put a smile on their faces! KM jumped right in to help out and got very creative with the cookie frosting. We made two different types of chocolate chunk cookies, prepared the Brioche dough from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, cranberry bread from scratch and gingerbread cookies. The house smelled so good!!! 

Also when I was preparing the Brioche dough I needed to double check the recipe and came across this fabulous recipe for sufganiyot - HERE - a fried doughnut that you make with the brioche dough that was INCREDIBLE and is going to be our new fried dough!! We didn't do the jelly filling, but just dusted them with powdered sugar --- mmmmm...so good! 

Hope that you had a very Merry Yule today and celebrated the solstice in a way that befits your family!

You Tube Monday - Holiday Edition - Snow Miser Song

This is one of my favorite Christmas movie songs. I can't stop myself from bopping whenever I hear it! babum bum bum badum, babum bum bum badum....

Week 4 - Deschooling and Book Break Update

So our week is running a bit differently this week, as we are not doing "lessons" again until after the new year, instead we are working on some projects, getting ready for the holidays and trying to help DN understand that learning is a part of life and not just something you do on certain days, at certain times, and on specific predetermined topics set out by someone else. So he spent the weekend at home and we met up with him on Sunday evening so that he could join KM at the Smash Brothers Tournament at the Library on Monday. Since we didn't need to be there until later in the afternoon the kids had the day to do what they wanted.

KM choose to be on the computer, work on some Snap Circuits Projects, play on the computer and used some of the turkey bones that were leftover from soup making this weekend to try out a bendy bone experiment that she has been meaning to do for a while, but always seemed to think of AFTER I had disposed of the carcass. DN choose to read, read, watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer at lunch, read and read some more. KM tried to get him into some of the things that she was working on, but he was really into Battle of the Labyrinth - book 4 in the Percy Jackson Series, he read the first 3 in record time and was really glad I was able to get the 4th through our library network and even happier that I grabbed the final volume while they were in the tournament - luckily thing too since he finished the 4th within minutes of us returning home.

KM has been feeling a bit under the weather, sniffly and coughing at night, so we decided to put skating off until later in the week to not subject her to the cold and hit the movies instead to see Arthur Christmas. I had heard mixed reviews, but was really happy that we decided to go. It was super funny and both the kids really liked it. I was glad to see that it was rated PG as there were a few parts that I would think could be a bit disturbing to little ones. After the movies we dropped KM off at home to rest while DN and I went to run some errands. The beans we had setup last week to determine if direction of helium mattered needed to be transplanted and DN got to see how the bean transforms into the leaves. We spent the evening making ornaments with Sculpey and then at 9ish I had a surge of energy and decided we NEEDED to clean the fridge. Glad I did though because it took just less than an hour to scrub down everything, with the kids helping and they got to sleep in the next morning while I went grocery shopping. Teamwork and cooperation went a long way on this one!



Wednesday was shopping and chore day - I went grocery shopping and the kids needed to get their rooms organized and tidied up before the holiday.  They also spent some time painting the ornaments they had made the night before. We were hoping to get to the BSU observatory for their last public viewing before winter break, but the clouds just didn't cooperate. We did get to the discount store so that KM could pick up the fabulous dress for the formal New Years Eve party she will be attending with some of her youth group friends. She is VERY excited as this is her first formal. She picked a gorgeous flowing gown. We got the dress, shoes, and  shawl all for under $35! WOOHOOO for bargain shopping! The kids finished up their christmas shopping online, since CJ got stuck out on the road longer than expected this week. DN learned how to play Wii Music, set up his profile on Wii Fit Plus and played the new Zelda game he got from the library.

We made it to skating Thursday and they had a great time. We met up with DN's Uncle so he could spend the rest of the week home with them. Then KM went to a jewelry making class at the library - I just love how many activities she is getting involved with over there! I managed to find some time to get the last of the footage edited from KMs theater group and to finalize the majority of their winter session lesson plans. I always feel so much more at ease when I know they are all set. I am open to tweaking and twisting them around and I have a few more things to iron out, but just knowing they are there and ready makes me feel organized and ready to go. I will post about our upcoming plans next week!



All and all it was a really great week. We got a lot completed and had a really good time. DN seemed to really catch on with what we do around here, he was interested in most of the things, but passed on a few, which is to be expected - don't we all want to pass on some things.  It is weeks like this that remind me of why I started this blog in the first place - it is just a great way to see what it is that we have done. Even when it seems like it wasn't very much. Hope you all had as much fun this week as we did!

You Tube Monday - Holiday Edition - The Smurfs Christmas Special part 1

This is one of my all time favorites!!! I love that I find them all on You Tube to share with the kids!



See Part 2 - HERE
See Part 3 - HERE

You Tube Monday - HOLIDAY EDITIONS - Charlie The Christmas Present

Trimming the Tree and Jamming out -

In addition to tree trimming the day after Thanksgiving it has become a tradition in our home to have guitar hero jam sessions -

It is rather hysterical and everyone gets in the mix - luckily, I am the only one who thinks of grabbing the camera!!!! 

For more hysterical guitar hero moments be sure to check GCKstudents You Tube Channel - Bunniestar97

Another Busy Week Gone By

We got back to book work over this last week and all went well for the most part, although we have decided to do away with the Music Alive Classical Connections to U.S. History, as she thinks it is rather dry and I can't disagree with her on that one. Instead she will be using the Annenberg Media lectures Exploring the World of Music and selecting a composer, musician or group to do a biography on each month. I think this will be much more suited to her interests and style.

Other than that everything else went smoothly... Mon KM got the rest of her top wire on her braces attached and we got some shopping done. Tues KM went skating, visited with a good friend, and in the evening we went to see Gulliver's Travels - CJ even came along! Wed was ice skating again. Thur SC came to visit, as she wasn't feeling up to daycare that day and the afternoon was taken up by Theater. Fri we finished up the bookwork and KM got a LOT of reading done! Saturday KM had bowling, we had to pick up the truck from the shop, and DN got to visit AG's reptiles. Then Sunday was CJ's birthday party- He will be 36 on Wed!!!

As we come off of another super busy week it seems we are all paying for it -

• KM has a wretched cough and I am worried that her asthma might be rearing its' head again, so we will be off to the doctor's first thing in the morning
• CJ is stressed and exhausted from regular work slowing down, the weird hours plowing and the anxiety over his truck being fixed - which has went much better than we expected!
• I just can't get rid of this weird postnasal cough thing and I have begun having some sleep issues because of it.

I feel the need to remind myself that we do truly NEED more rest in the winter and that we NEED to recognize the body's signals to nature's cues. Here is a really good article on some reasons why we need more sleep in winter. So this week I am cutting back A TON and listening to our bodies. For real! I swear we are going to!!!

Here are some pics from the week -

Welcome 2011!!!

Sometimes you should just listen to your instincts!

Something told me that I didn't want to go anywhere this holiday. I don't know why, it wasn't that I wasn't feeling merry or in the gift giving, joyful mood of the season. I just knew for some reason that I didn't want to go out and about. I pushed myself through this train of thought, thinking it was just me getting way to deep into my own head, missing Noni and wishing for times when things were a bit easier and less stressful at this time of year ~ but really what would the holidays be without at least a little bit of stress? Any-who - I now know that I should have just listened to my gut, because if I had, my whole household wouldn't have come down with the wretched norovirus that is running ramped around here!
We went to my sister's house on Christmas Eve and everyone who was there that evening went home and had a wonderful Christmas morning, but by Christmas night we were all far from well. We got a call from my wonderful sister, the nurse who after calling in sick to work was told by the hospital that she works for to make sure that she notifies everyone that she came in contact with to quarantine themselves for 72 hours after their first signs of illness! Yeah - so we have done very little besides trying to keep some sort of food in our systems the last few days! Luckily - and very strangely I must say - CJ did NOT get sick, so he was able to plow and make some money during the blizzard that hit on Sunday!
Thankfully KM and I were able to get out and about a bit today, because I think one more day in would have driven us all KOOKY! DN will be here until Thurs and is under lock down until then as he didn't start vomiting until Monday afternoon. Lots of laundry and disinfecting will be done today and tomorrow and hopefully that will be last of it.
Next time I am just going to listen to my instincts and STAY HOME!!!!

Hope you all have a very....

Christmas Glitter

A Very Merry Yule To One and All

Baking, Baking and More Baking...

I began feeling better just in time to start baking for our Bonfire Bash this weekend. We spent the day filling the house with the sweetest smells of the season....rocky road & butterscotch chip brownies, chocolate chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles & challah bread! 

Preparing for Thanksgiving

We are joining my sister and her family for Thanksgiving this year and since they are opening up there home, we are opening our oven to help out. KM and I spent the day making all sorts of goodies...

from spice cookies to pumpkin and apple pies


from boiling eggs to be deviled to snipping marshmallows because the mini ones just don't cut it here!

Today we made pumpkin spice cookies, apple pie, and pumpkin pie. Tomorrow I will be finishing off the deviled eggs and making sweet potato casserole and KM will be making her wonderful green bean casserole, with EXTRA French Fried Onions.

We also got some rather interesting news today. We have known for a few weeks now that I will be becoming an Auntie again, but the SHOCKING news is that there will be TWO new "Littles" arriving in early June. Just another thankful blessing!

Hope you all have a wonderful and very Happy Thanksgiving!

General update....

Things have been flowing rather nicely lately. We have found a very steady groove, but we are both getting at the point where we just want some down time and needing some time at home. This upcoming holiday week should be just the start that we need. We will be finishing up some lessons for the end of our fall session and will be beginning to work on our holiday gifts. KM will be making all her gifts again for her grandparents and aunts. One lucky relative will even be receiving her first attempt at knitting. Postings may be a bit slower than they have been lately, but I will try to stay steady over the holidays!

New Traditions!

Over the last few years, as our family lifestyle has changed and shifted, we have moved our holiday focus from Christmas to Yule. We have always celebrated Yule, but now it is more about OUR family and celebrating what is important to the three of us. Then we spend Christmas with our extended family. We had the Littles so SC and I made pancakes, bacon and sausage for breakfast and let KM & CJ stay snuggled in bed a bit later than usual. Then SC and KM opened up some presents for the classroom...

then played with the Moon Sand before heading out to the SNOW!!!

I have to clarify that SC is walking on about 18 inches, it was just so cold that she didn't sink... here is a picture of what CJ spent most of the day doing....
After the Littles went home KM and I made a cake to call back the sun:
and finished off a braid loaf - three strands coming together to make one - just like us!
Then we finished up with presents!!!
CJ's favorite gift was his Stewie shirt from KM....
KM's was her MP4 with touch screen...
and mine was my new phone for the classroom!
We had a fantastic day! It was so nice to all be together and have fun! Hope you are all enjoying your holidays as well!