Monday, December 31, 2012

Happy New Year!
We rang in the New Year with a 8:30pm balloon drop.  As the host of the party said, you know times have changed when sippy cups out number beer mugs.

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Sophie asked for mini-muffin papers for Christmas.  Here she is making her apple-banana-carrot mini-muffins (with raisins on top)!
And she decided to make her own creation, that turned out a lot like a raisin cookie.
Waiting for them to finish baking....

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Day 25: Merry Christmas!
Even Indy loves to get a stocking!
Jason with his dragon egg in a sock drawer!
The kids made daddy a book for Christmas!
Sophie and her new doll.
Jason had to immediately draw some dragons.
And Sophie needed to paint her new nesting dolls.
The cousins!
Presents at Grandma and Grandpa's.
 
Jason and Daddy playing twister!

Monday, December 24, 2012

Sophie is ready for Christmas!
The cousins are ready for gifts!
Sophie loves her new playmobil ducks and geese.
Back at home, the kids open their ornaments.
And Sophie's matryoshka (both made by me!),
All ready for Christmas morning!
Day 24: Christmas Eve!  Read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas!
Here's the kids ready to head to Grammy and Grandpa Bob's house!
And Indy, too!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Day 23: Go look at lights after dark!
Here's a shot of our favorite downtown lights display!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Day 22: Finish Christmas gifts and crafts! (Including Daddy's present) And wrap everything that's left!
Everything looks ready!
 
And here is some of our fabric wrapping paper. 
I finally finished the doll I have been working.  I was up until 3am last night finishing her...
And making her a dress to match one of Sophie's.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Day 21: Happy Solstice!  Make sun bread and have a candlelit meal!
Of course we read a few of our favorite books, like "The Longest Night" by Marion Dane Baurer, and "Sun Bread" by Elisa Kleven.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Jason decided to make his own checkers board today.  And after wearing Sophie and I out playing checkers, he played himself, both sides, for a substantial time.  It's fun watching his mind work!
Day 20: Make gingerbread cookies!
We used the recipe from our Gingerbread Man book, substituting the brown sugar for maple syrup of course.  And we made a batch for the librarians at the local library and delivered them this evening.

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Day: 19 Make chocolate covered pretzels and finish Christmas crafts!
I added a little felt heart to the inside of the doll.  It's coming along.  Hoping to start the face and hair tonight!

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Day 18: Busy Bag Gift Exchange with friends!!
Today, we are heading to meet up with our friends and exchange our busy bag gifts.  There are 14 kids participating the exchange.  Here's what we made:
Gingerbread playdough with a cookie cutter
And an Art Dice game.
 
We are also grinding out own wheat and making carrot bread while we are there. It should be a fun day!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Happy Dagon Day!
As I've been informed, Dragon Day is the day that either dragon eggs get dropped down your chimney or your kids turn into dragons.  Guess which one happened at our house?
Day 17: Los Posadas. 
Technically it was yesterday, but we didn't have a chance to celebrate with our trip to Lansing, so today we read Tomie dePaola's book Los Posadas.
We also manged to get all of our friend's and cousin's presents wrapped.  And finish a couple of crafts/gifts for others.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

On the way home from Lansing, Sophie took a 10 minute nap, which means she was up until about 11pm.  Here are her and Daddy passing time reading one of her favorite books.  Notice her "not-a-box" in her lap.
Day 16: Go to Uncle Jerry's to celebrate Christmas!
Every year we head up to Lansing to celebrate with Grandpa Bob's family.  We had a wonderful time visiting with family don't get to see very often.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Dave took the kids to play at his parents, so I could work on this little beauty.
  
Day 15: Read "12 Days of Christmas" and go to Grandma and Grandpa's house!

Friday, December 14, 2012

Day 14: Wrap presents!
We were way to exhausted after co-op to actually wrap presents today, so I took a picture of my new ribbon holder my lovely husband put on the wall for me!  I can't wait to use some of those ribbons when we do have a chance to wrap presents!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Day 13: St Lucia's Day!  Read "Lucia and the Light" and make Lucia buns.


Our Lucia buns turned into ooey-gooey maple cinnamon rolls.  Who can complain?
I couldn't even get a picture in time before everyone dug in.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Day 12: Make ornaments!
We made Eye Spy ornaments.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Day 11: Today is our holiday music concert!
Here's Jason and I playing our violins.
And Jason singing.
Even Sophie participated in her first concert tonight!  Here she is singing.