one of my favorite Christmas traditions

25 Days - 25 Books

 

 

Tomorrow is December 1st, where did the time go? Honestly, it feels like we just celebrated Christmas a few months ago and here we are doing it again.

 

With the beginning of December on the horizon, I'm sharing one of my favorite holiday traditions.

 

We started doing this a few years ago and have been doing it ever since.

 

 

Gather all your children's Christmas or holiday related books

 

If you don't have very many, visit your local library and borrow some.  Every year, we have been buying new ones, so fortunately, we don't need to borrow as many.

 

Wrap them in some festive paper.

 

 

If you use a countdown to Christmas or an advent calendar, this makes a fun activity for your whole family. 

 

You can incorporate crafts or activities (such as light up night, or your town's Christmas parade, a family movie, baking cookies, etc.) and share some great story time with your children.

 

 

Each night have your children choose one book to open and read it together. 

Even though my children are old enough to read on their own, we still enjoy this little ritual.

Need some ideas for fun activities or crafts, check out the Kids Arts and Crafts page.

  

'tis the season!

 

 



turkey day + science fun = cool project

As you all know by now, I am a college student.  My major is early childhood education (pre-k through 4th grade).  This semester, one of my courses is a field experience class.  I was assigned a mentor teacher and classroom to observe for 30 hours.  I loved every minute of it.

 

I got to observe an awesome teacher in a third grade classroom. 

While I was observing the class they were learning about fingerprinting, rubbing and wicking in science class.   They did a lot of cool projects.  They played a fun fingerprinting clue game, rubbed various objects like lace, leaves and other neat things and they also did a really neat wicking project, which I will blog about one day when me and the boys do it. 

 

 

To celebrate Thanksgiving and to tie in all their lessons, the teacher came up with this cool turkey project.  She had a body of a turkey printout that she had the kids rub while coloring the body.  It was fun seeing what they chose to rub...most of them chose to use their chairs, while others used the bottom of their shoes, the side of a basket and even the air conditioner/heating vent.

 

Next, she used a red ink pad and had the students stamp their fingerprints on the turkey as the gobbler.  The children wrote down the words "rubbing", "wicking" or "fingerprinting" on their turkeys.

 

 

Then, she had them color a few lines on some coffee filters and the kids used water droppers to make the colors wick together in a super cool design.

 

And the final result were these really beautiful, colorful, fun turkeys.

 

 

What an awesome way to tie in all those cool science lessons!!

 

I'm going to miss 'my' kids now that my observations are finished....luckily I get to do it all over again next semester - only this time I will be observing a preschool class.

 

 

May you all have a blessed Thanksgiving full of family, joy and food

from our family to yours.

 



made these tonight....

 

Harvest Pumpkin Cupcakes

(from 101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes)

1 box spice cake mix
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Mix together cake mix, eggs, milk, vanilla, pumpkin, chocolate and butterscotch chips. Pour the batter into paper liners, filling ¾ full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until the cakes are light golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

*Frosting Suggestions: Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Buttercream, Cream Cheese or Vanilla Buttercream

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and light. Stop the mixer and add sugar, and vanilla extract. Start mixer on slow and gradually increase the speed until frosting is fluffy. Frost and refrigerate. Sprinkle with grated nutmeg for added flavor and presentation. 

 

I used white chocolate chips instead of the butterscotch and chocolate, because I didn't have any....I know how shocking, huh? My baking supplies are dwindling.  Note to self: must restock supplies with Christmas baking coming soon.

I also didn't add the nutmeg for garnish and opted for leaf shaped sprinkles.

 

These cupcakes are so delicious and moist...super yum!

 

I have the recipe posted on my recipe page.

 

 

I Want My Mommy (Book Review)

 

I Want My Mommy is a sweet story about a little guy named Arthur.  The book is about Arthur's first day apart from his mommy and how much he misses her.  Even dressing up in his dragon suit and playing with grandma's stuffed dragon doesn't help to cheer him up.  He is one grumpy, grouchy little guy who jumps and runs to the door each time the doorbell rings, thinking his mommy is coming back to get him.  Each time he is disappointed by the visitors, until his grandma gets a special delivery...this leads them to a fun adventure of play until his mommy comes home.

Arthur learns that spending the day with grandma can be fun after all, but nothing beats hugs and kisses from his mommy.

This book reminds me of when my children were little and I had to leave them for the first time - it's just as hard for mommy as it is for little ones.  I loved this book, it is so cute!

 

The book is written by Tracey Corderoy and illustrated by Alison Edgson.

I Want My Mommy and other great books are available at Tiger Tales.

 

*Disclosure: I received this book for review purposes only, I was not compensated in anyway.  The opinions herein are my own.

 

Wise Old Owl

nathan was itching to make a craft,

so i borrowed a few 'new to us' books from the library to inspire us.

 

then we made this little craft

(it's been all over pinterest and it was super easy to make)

 

 

you will need two paper plates,

brown paint,

orange, yellow, white, and black construction paper

scissors and glue

 

 

first paint the plates brown

 



 

while the paint dries, cut out circles for the eyes

two black ones

two slightly larger white ones

two big yellow ones

and three orange triangles for the beak and the feet

 

once the paint dries, cut one plate in half (for the wings)

 

 

cut a small indent at the top of the whole plate to make some ears

 

next glue the eyes, beak, feet and wings to the whole plate

i thought about using some brad fasteners instead of glue so the wings could move, but we didn't

 

 

 

we also read two books about owls

 

tiger with wings

the great horned owl

 

by barbara juster esbensen

 

 

this book was all about the great horned owl

from how they live and take care of their babies and more

 

it was a very informative book

 

and

 

owls

 

by julie k. lundgren

 

this book was about the different types of owls.

 

both of these books are geared towards older children (7 and up).

 

 

 

 

this wasn't a major project, but nathan enjoyed himself as always

 

funny thing is i used to hate owls

probably had something to do with growing up in the 70's/80's when they were super popular

my mom had a million of them

and it was one of my saturday morning chores to dust all those suckers

 

so i guess if she had collected something like kittens or horses, i would have felt the same way

 

hahaha

 

now i think they are kinda cute again.

(but you couldn't pay me enough to dust them)

 

 

 

pretty little jars

It's so weird when your kids get older

I didn't realize it much until today

 

I mean it hits me at the beginning of the school year, when I'm taking pics of fewer kids. 

 

But since Anthony still lives here and Amanda is home a lot and they indulge me by letting me take annual photos of them, well, maybe it's more like I bribe, err ok nag them and they just do it

 

The feeling just doesn't faze me until I start looking at old pics. 

 

Tonight it hit me...I used to have 6 little ones to dress up every Halloween.

 

 

Now I just have two and Nicholas is really phasing out of it too.  He doesn't really want to dress up, he just wants a mask to wear.   Damn these kids - why don't they stop growing up already!

 

 

 

 

I said it before and I'll say it again, 

I wish I could bottle up all the memories and put them in pretty little jars on a shelf and take them down when I want to remember all those precious moments. 

when the kids are little, you are just in survival mode
you feel like you are walking through the fog
and then just like that, the fog lifts and it's all over.

where does that time go.
where did those little babies go

it's not like parenting gets any easier....believe me.

it's just different.

instead of worrying about why they are crying and if they are eating enough...
you worry about whether they will be safe driving for the first time on their own or how hurt they will be when their first real crush dumps them.

you will never stop being a parent. 

 

 

so, while I sit here and think about all the holidays and happy moments and the pics that have fewer and fewer kids in them...I realize that the amount of people in those pics might get smaller,

but the memories and love just grows bigger.

 

 

the stretch marks were worth it

these two turned 16 today.

 

can you believe it?

it seems just like yesterday that they were born.

it was probably my scariest pregnancy...from almost miscarrying them, to bedrest, to premature labor, to life flights, to hospital bedrest.

from tests, needle sticks, shots, blood work, bedpans

these two were worth it and more

worth the varicose veins,
the stretch marks,
the shots,
the ivs

 

yep, i'm thinking they were worth it and then some.

a long time ago rich wrote a letter to the twins and one thing that he wrote that stood out the most is "nothing made your mother as happy as carrying you in her belly."

he was right

 

double the fun

double the trouble

double the mess

double the love

 

i thought having two kids one year apart was bad...until i had 4 under 5

 

 

happy sweet 16 

 

 

 

i couldn't even imagine a day without the two of you in my life.

 

 

 sarah always says "i'm sorry for all the stretch marks mom."

i always reply

you were totally worth it

 

and they truly are.

 

busy, busy, busy

yadda, yadda, yadda...

 

i know you heard it before, but wow life is super busy here.

 

first, rich went to florida to have his surgeon look at his back, because he fell and injured himself and was in severe pain...the doctor said yep, you are going to need surgery.

 

so, rich came home for about 2 weeks while we waited for the insurance to approve the surgery, then he flew back down there to have the surgery.

 

and he stayed there (at his mother's) to recover from it, for about two or three weeks...leaving me here to deal with kids, school, activities and more.  i decided that i don't want to be a single parent - ever!

 

the first time he was there, amanda's new baby kitty lyla died.  i got a phone call at 1 in the morning from amanda screaming hysterically - not a sound that i ever want to hear again, let me tell you (the memory of it is burned into my skull).

 

burying a pet is not something on my list of parental duties...dad usually does this one.

 

we had a little ceremony, complete with candles and words and a moment of silence...all the kids cried for that poor little kitty...i must admit, i was upset too, she was way too young.

 

then, amanda got another cat.  the kids are all happy when she brings the kitty to visit.

 

 

*****

school for me is going well.

i started going to field observations...where i visit a classroom and observe the teacher and the students.  this is way more fun than i ever could imagine.

 

the ironic part of it is the fact that i started hating school - particularly math in the third grade....and low and behold guess what classroom and teacher I've been assigned to observe???

 

yep, you guessed it - a third grade math teacher hahhaa - so funny!

i love my mentor teacher though and i really feel like i'm learning a lot, not just about teaching, but about math too - heehee!

 

study, study, study...homework is taking over - ack!

 

 

 *****

another fun class that i have to take is "instruction and assessment in prek settings"...this class couldn't be more fun if the teacher tried.  we play, make playdough, cook, draw, paint, play music, etc. all the fun things you would do in a pre-school setting.  now, doesn't that class sound perfect for me? really makes me want to open my own preschool one day and teach the little ones, because we all know how much i love to play and cook and do arts and crafts :)

it's kinda funny when the kids come home and ask me what i did at school that day and i say...i played dress up or i made playdough and played with it.  hehe...what a life, eh?

 

 

*****

it's also been a busy sewing season, as it usually is right before the holidays....i have two craft shows coming up and people have been placing orders for aprons as well.  i'm wondering if i'm in over my head here on this venture.  i love the creative aspect, but it can be a lot more time consuming than people realize.  especially during busy seasons.  there are so many things i want to try and make, but there never seems to be enough time for it.  but i can't complain.  one day i know i'll catch up to everything life is throwing my way.

 

 

*****

speaking of no time....

i miss my book and craft time with the boys and nathan especially misses it too.  i have so many ideas and no time to get them done.  i hate it.  i just borrowed a bunch of books from the college library to read and craft with and haven't had time to do much of anything with them...we basically looked through them real quick and that was all.  stinky busy schedule...life will slow down soon right? yeah, i know no such luck with halloween, thankgiving and christmas right around the corner.

 

and did i mention that i have been writing for another website - sharing my weight loss journey.  yeah, as if i needed more stuff to do.

 

slow down time....slow down!

 

 

oh, and by the way, rich is now home and still recovering, but he feels much much better.  thank you all for the kind messages, love and support and most of all the prayers.  we truly appreciated them.

 

 

 

 

 



ABC Bread

A is for Apple

B is for Banana

C is for Cinnamon Chips

 

 

Nathan and I made this super yummy bread.  The recipe calls for chocolate chips, instead of cinnamon, but I thought we would mix it up and use cinnamon chips.  It was delicious.

 

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2-3 ripe bananas

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 medium apple

1/2 cup cinnamon chips

 

Now, I'm a dump it all in and stir it up girl, as we know...usually not even measuring, this time I did measure, but I still dumped it all in the bowl and mixed it up and it turned out just fine.  But if you like to follow recipes to the T, here it is....

 

 

turn oven on to 350*

in a big bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

 

make a 'well' in the middle of your pile of flour by poking it with your finger or a spoon

 

in a smaller bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas

 

add the sugar, oil and eggs to the mashed bananas.  beat them well

 

pour this mixture into the well you made in the flour.  mix everything together, try to get all the lumps out, so your bread is smooth and free from bubbles.

 

dice the apple and add them and the chips to the batter and mix it once more.

 

grease a bread pan and pour the batter into the pan.  bake it for 60 mins or until it is brown on top and dry on the inside.  make sure it's cool before digging in.

 

 

I can't remember which book we got the recipe from...

 

 

 I'm guessing it was "An Apple a Day" book...it was full of activities for kids using apples.

We also made two apple pies too, to go along with the book The Apple Pie Tree.

 

 

for another cute book and pie craft check out Nathan's pie here.

 

 

we love baking during this time of year, don't you?