Monthly Archives: December 2008

the family that plays together..

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The holidays are coming to a close this week.  Dad will soon be back to a regular work week and the boys are preparing to head back to school.  We have gone over the January chores, schoolwork and schedules. Before long the past few weeks will just be a memory.  It will be a good memory though, full of fun and games – literally LOTS of fun and lots of games:  

The train table has seen daily use since it was opened on Christmas. (a very good gift choice for the little ones, it was!) 

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There have been lots of after dinner board games.  It took some creative teamwork but we were ALL able to play Cranium together.  Tess and Brendan hung around the table playing with the play-do that comes with the game and we passed Abbie back and forth between turns. (Asher had just run in from barn chores which is why he is still in coat and hat <g> Thawing out!) 

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You know brothers can't get together without football being involved sooner or later <g> At least not these brothers…

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Some of the best fun can be had by sharing the game with  a couple dozen of your closest friends <g>  I can't tell you how wonderful our weekend was!  I looked outside when I passed the window Sat night and saw kids from ten to twenty playing football complete with fans on the sidelines. Did my only-child's heart good though I was shivering so hard in the cold that I couldn't even get a clear pic!

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When it got too dark to play outside they all moved into the living room around the piano…

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This is what I will remember about Christmas. 

Simple Woman’s Daybook

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Monday December 29, 2008

(Please visit Peggy's site to participate in the Simple Woman's Daybook project. She is on sabbatical this week)

Outside my window…. the sun is creeping over the eastern horizon spilling golden light over the prairie. Long shadows are cast across the field. 

I am thinking…. Lots of thoughts about how and where to do our family picture in these last few days of all of our children at home.  

I am thankful for… friends who come bearing gifts of food and flowers.  Football games in the field. Dinner in the freezer.

From the learning room…  It's clean!  We are not planning to spend much time in there however.  Dad will be home part of the week.  We will try to do our 3r's a couple days. Meantime I am working out Morning Time plans for January.  What should we include?  I am reminding myself to keep it simple. 

From the kitchen… there is homemade salsa from the Dog and Duck.  Addictive, it is! Leftover turkey, ham and red beans, and crockpot chili line the shelves of fridge and freezer.  This will hold us over til shopping on the first. 

I am wearing… jammies and the famous slippers.  It's early – the only time I can count on sitting here uninterrupted and even then it's not always a good time. 

I am creating…wall arrangements for the living and family rooms (almost done!)  I am dangerous with a can of paint.

I am going… nowhere today.  This will be the only day at home this week. This week we have the final practice for the Epiphany play.  There is a homeschool get together planned. We will be at church twice and will trek up to the mountains one day to visit a retired couple from our parish community. I am so looking forward to that!

I am reading… The Duggar's 20 and Counting.   Actually I just finished it but I am rereading some sections. My kids surprised me with a copy for Christmas and I have had my nose buried in it since.  I love them even more after reading the whole story.  It has inspired me to be ever more diligent, patient, and joyful. 

I am hoping… for safe travel as our sons head back to school, that we can get to the bottom of the baby colic mystery, and for a nap.  (not necessarily in that order ; ))

I am hearing… snoring from big boys still asleep, excited chatter from little boys newly awake, and contented sighs from a baby sprawled on my lap.  

One of my favorite things… see that last line <g>

A few plans for the rest of the week… work out everyone's outfits for the picture, make cakes for the Epiphany project day, hit the grocery store for New Year's eve snacks, finish packing up the maternity and outgrown newborn clothes.  

Here is a picture thought I am sharing…

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bookmarks

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It's been a while since I shared links.  These are delightful:

For starters Rebecca tipped me off to Cindy's new blog.  I had her old, discontinued blog saved on Bloglines and didn't notice when she began to write again.  I have had such fun catching up!  Admittedly I don't read many blogs with words. <g>  Dominion Family is an exception.  If you haven't heard of Morning Time then really – go now.  This is a gem of an idea.  Gather your progeny around the breakfast table while they are still hovering over their Cheerios and do your memory work, art study, singalongs and read alouds during this not overly long time together.  

Thrifty Decor Chic – God bless her, she had to tie her tree to the wall like me.  You can't see through her tree though.  What you CAN see is page after page of some of my absolute favorite design ideas. You just have to love a woman who declares that "Goodwill is my BFF"   Amen sister – mine too!  

Reader Kris sent me this nifty idea. It is a pattern for a fabric liner for plastic milk crates.  Milk crates are extremely practical but not so cute. Til now!  Check this out.  While you are there you should really make a cyber visit to the author's bright cheerful home. 

And just for fun – every couple months I go catch up on Brocante Home for my comic relief.  I send you with the disclaimer that some posts are, um, PG-13, but things like this just crack me up.  I am a Doris Day fwiw.  Not that you asked. : )  

Ok off to clean something.  If the snow doesn't hit too hard we have three families coming to celebrate many years of fun and friendship tomorrow night.  

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"I got a Nikon camera

I love to take a photograph…"  - Paul Simon

'Tis more blessed to give than receive.  It really is.  Still I am embarassingly overjoyed by my husband's gift this year. Digital SLR. Oh…my…stars.  I am beyond words.  And as soon as the software is loaded I'll bore you all to tears with new pictures.  

Meantime, from the old camera, tell me this isn't the cutest Christmas dress?   The little ones had such a splendid time.  

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Montessori and homeschooling videos

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If you have read about Montessori but it left you wanting more then check out this  video series. A Montessori teacher explains how different materials are used and how subjects are addressed in her school.

This series of reading and writing tutorials looks outstanding.  He covers areas such as making your own books, keeping a daily journal for children (and how to go about correcting it) and more.  

A Charlie Brown Christmas tree

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"I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love…"

-Linus

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My husband felt the same and I am pretty sure he was paraphrasing Charlie when he got back from the forest:

"I don't care. We'll decorate it and it'll be just right for our play. Besides, I think it needs me." [picks up tree; a lot of needles fall off]  - Charlie Brown

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So we did just that.  We loved it as best we could and here is the end result. It is hard to get a good picture of the tree – both because of the glare from the wall of windows and because of well….. the tree. It's a peculiar tree to be sure.  Allen thought we just needed to turn it to show its good side.  Some of us aren't convinced it HAS a good side but it is definitely one of a kind.

It has made the living room festive with all the sparkly though. In fact Alannah was saying it was her favorite room in the house and I have to agree.  The sparkly part came from this years's gold theme. Last year's 'natural' theme posed some real problems with our "Snoopy". He was thrilled to death with the wood and clay ornaments.  My solution was to paint everything that wasn't already.  He won't touch anything painted or glittered and it all matches now.  Problem solved <g> We filled in with a box of metallic shatterproof balls.

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The garland came out well enough on the tops of the larger pieces of furniture.  The cats weren't impressed by the decorations we left in their sunning spots however. 

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See what I mean?  It's almost as though you can hear her "hmmph". Either that or she agrees with the kids that the woodland angel has wings that look like spider webs….

And look who started smiling.  Actually you mostly have to take my word for it because the camera can't keep up with Abbie's smile so we have several 'almost' shots.  We now compete to see who can get her to grin. Tess is determined <g>

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Wonderful offer to Starry Sky readers from Montessori Concepts!

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I received a note today from Johann at Montessori Concepts offering readers of our blog three FREE Montessori animal or botany puzzles.  All you pay is the shipping ($12)  That is a value of $21 for a fantastic resource.  To take advantage of this offer you just need to type in the coupon code SKYHOLIDAY (you know, like Starry SKY)

You can see the lovely wooden puzzles here.   While you are there you might want to look around.  You will find that Montessori Concepts has about the lowest prices around on traditional Montessori materials. Not to be missed. : )  

Thank you so much, Johann, for making this generous offer available to us!  

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howdy

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Just checking in.  Things have been moving at the speed of life around here.  Lots to share.  Lots to quote.  Lots of lots of things.  Time not being one of them.  We did get the tree up – twice now if you count the rescue when it hit the window.  Don't you worry though.  It is now tied to the ceiling. : )  What were we thinking, putting up a tree and not tying it to the ceiling right off?  

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They way we ensure they don't redecorate the tree?  We gave them their own.  I saw this idea on My Montessori Journey and had a eureka moment.  WHY didn't we think of this sooner? 
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Abbie watched the hustle and bustle in her Christmas wardrobe…

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We intended to do one cookie recipe per week for advent.  We got the 'one recipe' part down! Around here it is a toss whether the biggest challenge is getting them made or hiding them adequately. 
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and finally, Tess turned two. How could that happen, sweet girl? It was surely just a minute ago it was you in those Christmas jammies.  Her birthday pictures were less than spectacular. This one the kids took after she found these old glasses captures her silly newly two year old self better than the obligatory cake shot anyway. 
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