Play-Dough

Truth be told, I am not a big fan of Play-Dough. Somehow, it ends up ground into carpet, stuck on clothes, and just plain messy. However, in a weak moment, I said yes to the pleas of my little man and his little sister. Now I am proclaimed the judge of "Family Cakes". My princess has now joined in the fun and the three of them have been playing for quite a while in the kitchen making their own cake designs with Play-Dough. I think I have even seen them rolling a bit of fondant. Too funny. The biggest blessings – listening to their pleasant conversation, seeing their creativity worked out, and having a few minutes to myself to get things done before we head out to art and basketball. Who would have thought . . .

The Making of a Snowman

Take freshly fallen "sticky" snow,


A family of six all bundled up,


Three well rounded balls of snow,
A scarf, hat, carrot nose, and chocolate chips for a mouth,


And you have the best snowman in Lake George.

A Perfect Reading Spot

Have you ever found a spot to read that seemed so perfect you could spend hours there? I found one of those on a visit to my most favorite store, Barnes and Noble. My little one and I ventured to a cozy spot in the children's section, one that was set off in a corner with windows from ceiling to floor.

The floor was piled with books, inviting you to dive into reading. The décor, one of trees and animals, provided the aura of imagination. The light of the noon sun streamed in bringing warmth to a dreadfully cold day. My little one collected a pile of books, mostly of princesses, and we settled on a bench to read.

The time went too fast, and we were off on to our next engagement. Spending a moment with my little one in an environment so enjoyable is one of the blessings of this Christmas break.

Messiah

I miss a song in my heart. One piece of music, however, that always stirs me like nothing else is Handel's Messiah. No one is at home at the moment, so I am enjoying the awesomeness of the words and powerful music of this amazing oratorio. My mom and dad enjoyed a performance of this piece in New York City, and they reminded me how so many sing the words without ever thinking of the Scriptural origin.
It doesn't take much to bring tears to my eyes. To think that God went to such great lengths to prepare to send his Son to earth as a tiny baby who would grow to be a man who then would die blows my mind. His purpose - to make a way to spend eternity with me. Crazy love.
Merry Christmas friends. May your joy be full in the remembrance of the tiny babe who brought us salvation.

Polar Express

Have you ever tried lapbooking in school? I was introduced to it last year, and I have enjoyed experimenting with it. Unit studies have their pros and cons, but for special occasions, they work exceptionally well. This Christmas, my little one worked with my little man and me to complete a lapbook on The Polar Express. The material for the lapbook is available free online. I was amazed at how much my little one could comprehend in the way of vocabulary, geography, biomes, and figurative language.

Today we climaxed our study with viewing The Polar Express movie. Of course, we had to pop some popcorn and mix up some hot chocolate "as thick as melted chocolate bars".

It was kind of a nice way to spend a sunny, snowy Monday before Christmas.

White Stuff

Not often seen in great amounts in my neck of the woods. The official count by my 8yo son is 20". That translates into going nowhere yesterday or today. Churches are even closed. Not a bad thing for me, necessarily. I know that makes me sound like a heathen, but, honestly, church can be difficult for me on varying levels. Too much to say here so leave it to say that it is a good thing that I am home today.

It is quiet in the house right now. Outside – another story. Our snow blower works. Enough said.

Our big girls are going to try to make some money shoveling/blowing the neighbors' driveways and sidewalks. I hope they are successful. In any case, they are working together well which is always nice to see.

For my East Coast friends, I trust that your snowy day is enjoyable. I plan on it. Hopefully, the wrapping will get done.

Now for my cup of hot chocolate . . .

Tree House

A friend introduced me to a special treat – a coffee shop settled on the quaint main street of a small town nearby. The fact that this comfortable hangout is owned by a young Christian couple who do not appear to be fearful of being obviously Christian adds additional charm and appeal.

Having only been there three times in the last month, I have not gotten tired of this treat.

My friend and I have shared tears, stories, and a good cup of mocha latte. All the while, the little ones played (There are toys provided so moms can talk), read books, or sat and enjoyed Swedish Fish.

I brought my mom along recently. What a blessing to talk, share, cry, and laugh together. We don't have a problem talking together, but I have enjoyed sharing my time with her without the bigger kids who have listening ears.

This past week, the Tree House calendar stated that homeschoolers would meet for board games. The kids and I were intrigued and tried it out. Unfortunately, we were the only ones there. No matter. The kids enjoyed their hot chocolate and I my tea. My mom came and challenged me in Farkle, and the kids played among themselves. As the games wound down, the kids found the comfy couches and books that lined the storefront window. I think we will try again at meeting some other homeshoolers. In the meantime, one cannot go wrong with a cup of chocolate, a book, games, good music, and good company.