More Christmas Fun Ideas

1.  Make a Christmas tree present for the birds and squirrels.  Roll pinecones in peanut butter, then in birdseed.  String popcorn.  Then hang the pinecone and popcorn ornaments on a tree outside your breakfast window.  For a couple days of viewing pleasure.

2.  Let your kids string Christmas lights all over a room, back and forth and turn off all the lights and just sit in the room with only those lights on.

3.  Use the pre made sugar cookie dough.  Roll it out.  And let your kids use the cookie cutters and cut them out and decorate. However they want. No rules.

4.  Make a fun juice bar.  Different types of juice (orange, cranberry, grapefruit, apple, etc.)  Some seltzer water.  And fun drop-ins.  Sugar cubes, raspberries, strawberries, orange slices, lemon slices, lime slices.  Everyone will love making their own juices.

5.  My kids each have their own Christmas tree in their rooms.  So, I put the lights on their trees.  And then just lay their ornaments all over their beds with the hooks already on.  Then, I help the kids decorate their tree.  But, they put most of the ornaments on the tree, because I'm usually pulling the ornaments out of the box at the same time.  We usually will get a tree decorated in like 30 minutes and everyone is happy.  They are proud of their own trees.

6.  My sister does a cool thing of every other year, it seems.  She just leaves all the regular ornaments in the attic. And she just gets out construction paper and makes all the Christmas tree ornaments for the year, homemade.  She gets a live tree with cheap Christmas lights that she doesn't feel she has to keep.  Then when Christmas is over, they can just toss out the tree and everything and not feel bad about it.  Thus, the next year she is more energized about decorating.

7.  After Christmas I miss all the decorations, so in January I make snowflakes with my kids and then string them across the top of the room.  I also decorate my mantle in silver, and candles and white lights.

8.  Every morning, I boot up my lap-top and go to www.biblegateway.com and I read the bible verse of the day.  During the Christmas season, it usually relates to the Christmas story.

9. We used to make graham cracker houses (aka Ginger bread houses).  That is always fun.

Great Christmas Activities with Your Kids

Today I got a Facebook message from one of my dear friends.  She was asking about good Christmas activities with your children, that might make the time more memorable.  Well, I decided to post it, thus making it easy to share with others. So, here are some ideas, I'm sure there are better ones out there, but these are some that I do, have done, or plan on doing this year.

1. Advent Calendar or 12 Days of Christmas Calendar countdown.  -  I take a traditional advent calendar with doors for presents and kick it up a notch.  Everyday, I wrap up a present, hide it around the house, and then shove a scavenger hunt clue into the door.  Clues are things like "Shake it up" and hid it near the snow globes.  Or "your stocks stink"  hiding them in their stockings.  I found an old clue this year that said "case del elvis"  and obviously, I had hidden it on our little Christmas Graceland replica.  On days I'm busy, I just shove the present in the door, if it fits.  But, be aware, if you start this tradition, they will love it and will demand the full sha-bang and want you to be prompt EVERY day.  
2. Hot Cocoa.  Just add hot cocoa and little marshmallows with anything and it makes the day a little more special.  Hot Cocoa, popcorn and a Christmas movie. WOW.  Hot cocoa, driving around the neighborhood looking at lights, and turning on the Christmas music station. AWWW. Hot Cocoa wrapping presents together and watching the old claymation Christmas movies.  Too CUTE!  Hot Cocoa, breakfast, and reading magazines in front of the fire. MAGICAL.  Hot cocoa.  that stuff is amazing.
3. Every year, after I have done all the shopping.  I lie all the presents out on the bed.  Then I let each child come in and "shop" for their sibling and their dad.  When they were younger, they would earn tickets that they could "redeem" for different value presents.  Now, they could care less about the be good ticket system, so they just pick out their presents.  It cuts down on the stress of shopping with kids, but they still feel like it's from just them.  

Sunday Morning

Oh, I wake up by 7 a.m. every day at the latest.  I'm sure many of you wake up even earlier every day.  Yet, this is my natural alarm clock time.  I must say on Sunday mornings, I really enjoy the little bit of time to myself.

After a big glass of water.  I make a tasty cup of coffee, today I splurged and put in flavored creamer and whipped topping.  I mosey upstairs to the game room and shut the door.  I turn on the morning news station and then at 8 a.m. flip over to the CBS morning Show.  Love that show!!!

I sit on my couch next to the window, using the window sill as a coffee cup holder.  Thus, every time I reach for a sip of coffee, my eyes wonder out the window seeing the turing red leaves and the berries on the holly tree, while the sun slips between the green tree leaves in my neighbors well manicured lawn.  It is really quite glorious  It makes me grateful to God for this moment in time.  I'm thankful for my family and my friends.  I'm thankful that all my needs and wants are covered.  I'm thankful that I have time to pause and time to work.  It is just a nice moment.

I also will peruse my magazines that i have received in the snail mail lately, as well as my email. And I'll take a few minutes to update my monthly calendar.  And today, since it's close to Christmas, I'll review my Christmas list of names and see who's been bought for and who is left.

Ho, ho, ho.  Have you ever noticed Hope starts with ho?  I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas season and finding moments of time to relax and reflect on the good things God has given you, such as how I am thankful for you.

Merry Christmas!
later-cb    

Christmas at the house

serpentine

montgomery Christmas parade

i might be outta milk soon.

I might be outta milk soon. You know, pour the milk out of the gallon milk jug into the sink, while stating, "we're outta milk.  i'm going to run to the store." 

"Mom, are we going to Kohl's?"  "Mom, are we going to Khol's?"  They must be selling 13-year-old equivalent winning lotto tickets there this week. 

Me:  "Big Kid, blow the leaves off the driveway for me and i'll pay you $10."
Big Kid shakes his head no.
Me:  "How about $20?"
Another no headshake.
Me: "How about you just do it because I said so and no money."
Big Kid:  "But I don't know how."
Me:  "Well, here you can figure it out."
I hand him the blower and he blows the leaves here and there.  A few make it off the driveway. I go back inside.

I had left Little Bit inside to do her homework.  I come back in and she is no where to be found.  I found her in the bathroom. She had been in there probably 30 minutes.

Me:  "You have to come out and do your homework.  I know that game."
I hear her turn off her Nintendo DS.
Little Bit:  "O.K." in a whiny voice.

Again, Big Kid comes in after putting the blower away.
"Are we going to Kohl's tonight?"

I need some to buy some milk.

The Hawg & Hawg tree

This little piggy might be my favorite Christmas gift that I receive this Christmas season!!!
He was dropped off in the middle of the night.

It was a mystery. Who done it?
For days we saught out our giftors.
Finally, our good friends came forth and told us the stelth operation story.
M loved the Hawg so much he decorated our tree in white & red lights.
I love looking out every morning and evening at the beauty!

busy

it's been a busy time lately.  band concert was this week. had trouble loading the footage.  will work on that later today. may have to load it on a different site to share.  We'll see.  In the meantime, how about some nice still shots of recent events. later-cb

The Christmas tree. Still has no lights or decorations, yet is very nice and natural.

Warming up before the concert.

This is the one Big Kid will let me post.
He worked with me on getting the right lighting for the photo.

After the concert. can you see him in the middle?

Getting ready to walk out after his performance.

Colossal Cobra- aka Student of the Month

The Boot

We lost the Boot.  But we had a great time!!! Good fried fish in the new fish cooker. Yum.

bottom braces

Big Kid got bottom braces, the day before Thanksgiving.  I wasn't thinking.

He had a good Thanksgiving, but didn't get to eat everything like usual.  

His mouth is feeling a little better now, and his dog bite is healing up.  

Big Kid hopes his dog bite will scar because it will say "Pi"  Which my science kid loves.

But, it's looking like it might heal up without a scar.  

He looks like he's growing up in this picture to me.  But, I was just looking at hunting pictures of he and his daddy and in those pics he was like 4.  Oh, Big Kid you are growing up. 

Planting the Tree in honor of M

Getting the tree out.

The hole and prepared.

Trying to get it in the hole

Everyone putting some dirt in the hole and saying a good word about M.

More good words. 

All planted and has a certificate to commemorate the moment.

Twirling at Lighting of the Doves