Try Again and Try Something New

As the new year quickly approaches, I've been giving some thought to a few endeavours I would like to attempt. First off, I would like to TRY AGAIN on the whole idea of photographing the year. Most people do a project 365 - take a picture each day. That is a LOVELY idea. But in my world, it is just not realistic. I am maybe THE most forgetful / easily-distracted person God has ever created (well, maybe aside from Pastor Mark). To expect myself to do ANYTHING on a daily basis other than brush my teeth & shower is just expecting too much. I don't even take my daily medicine on a daily basis (I have 3 kids to prove it... think on that one a minute, lol). So I'm not holding myself to a rule of having to take a photo EVERY day. If I miss one here & there, then I miss one. Move on. Also, I think I'm going to TRY SOMETHING NEW this year. For the past few years, Ali Edwards has hosted One Little Word. It was something I thought of doing last year, but didn't ever commit to. This year, I think I'll give it a try. I've given a fair amount of thought to it, and my word to focus on this year is going to be INTENTIONAL. I want to be intentional with my life, not just waist it or let it pass by haphazardly. I want to be intentional with my words, my decisions, my actions. I want to be intentional with the things I choose to eat and drink, with the way we use our finances and resources. I want to be intentional in relationships - with Lucas, with our kids, with friends & family. I believe that our lives are comprised of the results of our decisions. I want to be intentional about the decisions I make. So this year, that is what my focus will be. I am excited to see where this project will lead me and how it will impact my life. Here's to trying something new!

About Today

This morning I took a half-day. What do I mean by that? I mean, I got up, fed people, and then plopped in front of my computer and intentionally did nothing but play for the first half of the day.

I enjoyed myself immensely.

While I was off-duty, my house exploded.

*Sigh* I am constantly torn between taking a little bit of time for myself and working non-stop. I know there's a balance to be found. It just seems that whenever I sit down and take an hour of down time, I spend the rest of my day chasing the mess.

I was back on-duty for lunch. But Lucas helped me clean up the breakfast mess in the kitchen. I then proceeded to reheated leftover pizza for lunch, and the kids cleaned up after lunch. That is a beautiful thing!

You know, come to think of it, I might have pretty much just taken the whole day off. Other than cleaning the kitchen, planning a menu of sorts for the week, sorting & filing receipts, and picking up a bit here & there (oh and washing a load of laundry), I didn't do much today. I actually abandoned my family around 4:00 for some alone time walking through the aisles of Target & Pier 1. I then ordered carry-out from Chili's (thank you Sue & Keith) and picked it up on my way home.

After dinner, we played board games - Blokus and How to Train Your Dragon. Very fun. I like Blokus quite a bit. After games, the kids watched a movie & I plopped again.

Yup, I think that pretty much can be summed up in this statement: I took the day off today.

I like that.

Tomorrow I have work to do.

Rearrange

Well, we had a WONDERFUL Christmas! I took almost 500 pictures on Christmas Day alone... not counting the pictures I took at the Christmas lights or our Christmas Even celebration! Yes... a few too many to post on the blog *lol*

The aftermath of Christmas took a toll on our house! The living room was buried in cardboard, and under the cardboard was a MOUNTAIN of toys and clothes and books and other various goodies. It was a fun mess!

So, Jane, the kids and I spent the better part of yesterday sorting through toys in the basement and clearing out the junk ones, choosing ones to be donated, and making room for new gifts. And today, before they left, we began to tackle Isaac's room... the pile of stuffed animals and random randomness in his closet floor was beginning to get a little out of control. I am SO happy with the results... and so is he!

We added another shelf, hung up some new posters, and cleared out the closet! He LOVES it! So does his sister... she was mad that it wasn't her room. Funny girl.

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Yesterday & Today

So much to do today. Today is our travel day for our first of many Christmas celebrations (well, really our second, since we already celebrated with Shane... and Tina, although in her absence, but we talked on the phone).

Today we are going to Mom & Mikes. Spend the night. Hang out. Get up tomorrow and have a family lunch / Christmas event! I'm excited to see my sister and her husband and my sister-in-law (although my brother will be working *sad*) and my nieces and nephews. I'm excited.

This morning I got up and baked one last batch of cookies. I had mixed up the batter last night, but I was all cookied out, so I stuck it in a baggie in the fridge and waited 'til this morning. I am sure I enjoyed the baking much more by waiting. Positive.

Oh, last night I finished up the rest of my baking - I made gingerbread cookies for the first time ever. Shaped like angels because we have no 'man' cut-out. They are good. Really good. But I will share and not eat them all.

Then after the baking (and WAY TOO MUCH prompting and instruction for the kids to pick up their messes... I thought maybe I was gonna start ticking I was so frustrated... sometimes that happens with kids and moms.... last night was one of those times for me), we loaded into the van and drove over to the church for a light show. They have several thousand lights strung up all around, and the lights are synced to Trans-Siberian Orchestra music. The kids loved it. We all did. What I loved most though was sitting in our van, with the music playing on the radio, and the kids piled up in the front seat with us, or just behind us. I loved watching Isaac try to watch everything at once. I loved hearing Meagan's ideas of how the lights knew when to blink. It was cool. Good stuff.

Anyway, this morning I still had Christmas wrapping to do. Got it done. We're ready to roll on Christmas morning! I can't wait! Maybe we'll just open presents today!

No, but really, this year I am going to haul the presents down and set them out under the tree... torture my kids a bit & build up the anticipation. I am SO excited to give them their gifts! SO excited!

So I still have to make a trip to the store because we are almost out of milk, which we will be needing on Christmas morning... now is my only chance to get it before the stores close. And I have to fill up the van with gas. And I WANT to get all of our cardboard recycling out of the garage to make room for the Christmas boxes and such.

But still, I thought I needed to take a minute and sit down and take a breather. No reason to get all up in a bunch. I just want to enjoy this day and relax and take it slow.

Have I ever told you I LOVE Christmas? Because I do.

Christmas Yummies

I would say I am in the middle of baking, but I haven't actually BAKED much of anything yet. Started out mixing up some Muddy Buddies (followed the recipe right on the side of the Rice Chex box). Kids love it! Then saw a recipe on the side of the box for a non-sugary mix... It has garlic powder & chili powder & parmesan cheese. I used the general recipe, but used mixed nuts instead of peanuts, and I added 2 cups of white cheddar cheez-its. Pretty tasty. It stunk up the house, though... once you mix it all up you have to bake it for 15 minutes.... closest thing I've done to actual baking all day, but I'm not sure it really counts. And then there's a Christmas favorite. I have NEVER really figured out what hamburgers have to do with Christmas, but for some reason, these guys have been a part of Christmas for me from way back in my childhood. Mike used to make them each year, and they were my favorites then. Now, my kids request them as Christmas cookies every year. I don't make them really any other time of year... just Christmas. The original recipe uses Keebler Grasshopper cookies for the hamburgers. Sebastian & Isaac don't like mint at all, though, so I've had to improvise. Last year I used chocolate covered fudge cookies. I couldn't find them this year, though, so I used peanut butter-filled chocolate cookies from Meijer. We'll see how they turn out. Recipe (if you can't figure it out from the picture *LOL*) Vanilla Wafer cookies Chocolate hamburger-looking cookies Icing (I made cream cheese frosting... I'll put that recipe below) Food coloring Shaved coconut Optional: sesame seeds & honey or Cairo Syrup to top the buns

• Mix food coloring in small quantities of separated frosting to make red, white (no food-coloring needed), and green; Mix green food coloring with shaved coconut


• Cover bottom Vanilla wafer with white frosting


• Next place the cookie


• Put a small amount of green icing on top of the cookie


• Cover the green icing with green shaved coconut


• Cover bottom of a second Vanilla Wafer cookie with red icing & place on top of the coconut shavings


• If you want, put a DAB of honey or syrup on top of the top vanilla wafer and sprinkle with sesame seeds


• Refrigerate to set frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 oz room-temp cream cheese

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 stick butter, room temp

1 to 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

• With electric blender on med speed, mix cream cheese & butter for about 2-3 minutes until very smooth


• Add vanilla


• Slowly mix in sugar and blend well

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Let the Celebration Begin!

Let the Christmas celebration begin!

Today was the official last day of school. The boys both had their class "holiday" *cough*Christmas* parties... and NO homework for the break! Wooohooo!

Tonight we started off our Christmas celebration with a trip to the zoo for the Lights Before Christmas. The last time we were here for Christmas lights, I was pregnant with Meagan. The boys were still in a stroller (at least Isaac was). Yup... it's been a while!

Yes, they look pretty much the same from year to year. But still so amazing! Gorgeous color combinations! Fantastic job on executing their lighting displays. So much to look at and take in. This is the view from the entrance of the zoo looking down over it all. Doesn't even begin to do it justice because you can't get the panoramic view of all the lights to the right, left, and behind.

We had a tiny hiccup in the night, but it all worked out okay in the end. Isaac asked if he could take a picture. (This one)

Well, he apparently really enjoyed taking the picture because he asked if he could take the picture(S) while we walked. I let him keep the camera for a while. He took pictures of just about anything that twinkled or blinked. Great! He enjoys photography! BUT... as I was stopping to wait on him to take a picture, Lucas, Sebastian & Meagan kept walking. We got separated. You know, in the dark, when everyone is wearing hats and puffy coats, it is REALLY difficult to distinguish a random stranger from a family member. Thank goodness for cell phones. *lol*

It was cold. Can you tell?

What is it about Christmas lights that draws us in? I just love the white lights under the snow that was on some of the trees. So pretty.

Whose kid is that anyway?... the one in the back? 'Cause he's a real goofball!

It took us 2 1/2 hours to tour the zoo (with a stop in the reptile house to warm up... steamed up Sebastian's glasses). The kids enjoyed it, but they were T.I.R.E.D. when we got to the van. Meagan slept on the way home, but woke up as I was carrying her inside.

So tonight they are doing one of my most favorite Christmas traditions that we have in our house... sleeping in front of the tree with the lights on all night. They laid down, snuggled in, watched a Dennis the Menace Christmas movie, and then lights out... all but the tree lights.

I love this! It means we are celebrating the most amazing Gift ever given! I wonder what the lights look like from an airplane as they light up the night sky? I wonder if God thinks they're pretty? As we light up the dark to celebrate Christmas - no matter how commercial it has become - its origin and true meaning will NEVER change. And so we celebrate!

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Isaac is 8!

We celebrated Isaac's 8th birthday this past weekend! Yes, I know, shame on me for just now blogging about it. But I've been BUSY, what can I say!

Soooo.......

Thursday night Lucas' mom & dad came up and stayed with us. His mom is a cleaning machine, and so my house was VERY neat and tidy for the party on Saturday! Plus, we just had a great time hanging out, spending time together, doing a little bit of shopping (well, Jane & I shopped... the men and kids stayed home!).

The party was Saturday - right on his birthday! He invited 4 friends from school, and THEY ALL CAME! I was so excited for him! December is a TOUGH month for getting people together! Understandably. There is always a Christmas party to go to, or a family function, or just rotten bad weather. But it worked out beautifully, and Isaac got to enjoy the afternoon with his buddies! He was especially happy that his best friend Carrie was able to come. So was I. I absolutely love watching the 2 of them together. They just get along SO well, and their conversations are the best! Love it!

As for the stats: The party theme was Army. He had a big army helmet cake and little cupcakes with soldiers on top. Kinda looks like a battlefield from this angle - a chocolate battlefield!
It took him SEVERAL times to blow out all his candles. It must be because he's just so old now that there are too many to blow out *lol*. Or, it could be that he had bad aim. It took him so long, I was pretty sure they were trick candles at one point. But in the end, he got them knocked out.

We did pizza, veggies, apple slices & Chex Mix for lunch. The kids played a lot of Brawl on wii. And generally made a lot of noise. But they were all really good.

As for presents, he got quite a lot. Some fave's were the army lego kit, the army base set that came with plastic soldiers (like the ones on his cupcakes), the book from Grandma B., his lantern for fishing, and the big giant dragon. He also got some money, so I took him on a Toys R Us outing, and he picked out a lego set (one that I am PRETTY sure no one said they were getting him for Christmas... that's always tough when he wants to spend his $$ 6 days before Christmas!).

For a little while after he opened presents, his friends all went back down to the basement & he stayed in the living room to play with his army base (thanks Grandma & Grandpa W.). Finally I had to tell him he would have to go pay attention to his guests... he could play army later.

So Sebastian picked up where Isaac left off. Apparently the set was a hit all the way around. Even Meagan got in on the action, although she didn't appreciate when her people were bombed or engaged in combat of any form because it 'knocked them down and messed them all up.' Girls.

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Cramafartian

Earlier in the school year, Sebastian's class worked on writing Alliteration Creature Poems. Sebastian's poem (one of them) was about a cramafartian. True story. *lol*

This is a cramafartian.

A cramafartian lives crushed between a castle's concrete columns.

A cramafartian eats crunchy crickets while consuming crushed-clam juice.

A cramafartian likes concentric circles, crows, and also conquering commercial clowns.

A cramafartian loves conducting and being the commander of creepy cardinals.

My cramafartian combed my hair in a cold part of Colorado while licking my coins.

With such a lovely poem as that, what more was to be done but to print it, frame it, and give it to his teacher as a Christmas gift! Here's the finished product:

His party is today. I hope Mr. T. likes it! Although honestly, I don't know how he couldn't!

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More Blessed to Give...

This week's Digi Dare is up, and here's my layout for it...

Journaling: “During the year of 2009, Lucas & I were blessed to get to know **** and **** and their family. As we spent time with them each week in small group, we developed a trust & friendship that was, honestly, a bit unexpected. So our hearts broke when Christmas came around and **** shared that they didn’t know how they would be able to get anything for their children for Christmas. Right away, we both knew that this would not do. We had been blessed with so much throughout the year. No way could we sit idly by and watch our friends suffer the heartache of financial hardship during the season that celebrates the Ultimate Gift. We, along with others in our group, agreed to do what we could to help. In total though, not much was collected. Initially it had been my intention to give them a $50 gift card, along with the other gifts that had been given as a group. But when the time came, I knew in my heart that I was not giving my best. At the last minute, I took the $200 of Visa gift cards that were in my wallet, and I slipped them, unmentioned, into the baby seat. They left for the evening, & we knew we would not see them again before Christmas. We wanted no Thank You, not notice. We simply wanted to know in our hearts that we had done our best to give and be an example of Christ in the lives of those whom God has placed in our lives. “

(Click here to view full credits)

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Dear Laundry

Journaling: "Bring on the trash talkin', the attitude, the lip! Because today I earned it! True, there are lots of days when YOU get the best of me... when your endless piles and baskets and hampers are just too much for me. True, sometimes you beat me before I ever get going... or I'll get going only to be stopped - knocked off course - before I ever reach the finish line... washed but not dried... or dried but not hung up... or hung up but not put away. Yes, LAUNDRY, you are a tough opponent. A worthy adversary. That much I'll give you. I would be lying if I tried to deny it... YOU got skillz! BUT... today when the dust cleared, there was only one of us still standing... and it WASN'T YOU! The hampers were empty, the clothes all washed & dried... and folded, hung and put away. Today, LAUNDRY, I WIN!"

(Click here to view full credits)


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Snow Day

Today is a snow day. No school. Which means a house full of kids on a day which I would otherwise have all to myself. I don't mind. I love my kids. But I will admit, it is much more difficult to get things done when they're here. As a result of the weekend, I have laundry piled up, and more to go in the wash, and a kitchen that needs some TLC. Not to mention, I have to generally clean the house for Isaac's birthday party this weekend. But I have 3 Tasmanian devils who blow through the house in a blur and leave paths of destruction behind them.

I had to laugh this morning when I saw Lilly lying on the basket of what WAS clean towels. *Sigh* At least someone is enjoying the messy house. I shall be rewashing those towels when she is done with her cat nap. *LOL*

Even though it is VERY cold today, the kids wanted to head out to play. I went out to attempt to clear the driveway (let's just say, I have NOT mastered the art of using the snow blower... it kept blowing up in the air and landing straight back in my face, no matter which way I pointed the blower). They played outside while I cleared snow. Then I went in... they stayed out.

Finally, I had to yell (yes I mean YELL) out the front door for them to come in for lunch and warmth.

THIS is the aftermath of having a snow day. The front hall, which is hard wood, is covered in towels and rugs to keep the snow puddles off of the floor. Adds to the general messiness of the house I think. But at least they got to enjoy their snow day.

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Winter Wipeout

First snow day of the year. First day for playing outside, building snow fort walls, and playing for hours (yes, hours) with neighbor friends. Well, Isaac only lasted for about 20 minutes. He is really not one for being cold and wet, so he can only take snow in short doses. Meagan and Sebastian were out for quite a bit longer - Meagan for about 2 hours, and Sebastian for about 3. They, along with 2 little boys down the street, built a big snow wall, a big snow man, and made up a game called Winter Wipeout (loosely based on the tv show Wipeout). At 4:00, I finally had to go in search of Sebastian and haul him home to warm up and eat lunch (no, he had still not eaten lunch at 4:00). I think he would have stayed out all day and into the evening. I think he had been out there for so long that he had stopped being able to feel the sensation of being cold. I figured I better bring him in to warm up. Hot chocolate, of course. I'm so glad, though, that they had such a great time playing. These are the memories that build a great childhood.

Chop Chop

We've been dancing around the task of getting Meagan's hair cut for quite some time now. For months we have talked about it, threatened it when she didn't want to have her hair combed, and even almost went to have it done. Today, though, she ASKED for it. Not like "she asked for it" as in she got in trouble by being naughty... nothing like that. She literally ASKED for it. I think she finally got tired of the tangled knots, regardless of how much conditioner we used on her hair. Tired of the static taking charge (no pun intended) and making her hair fly away and cling to everything. Just fed up and ready for a fresh start.

This was her earlier today. Post-bath, pre-hair cut. Even when it was clean, dried and brushed, her hair looked like a crazy mess. Long, but crazy.

In a spur of the moment situation like this, there are no appointments to be made. So we went to the nearby First Choice (I think) and just did a walk-in appointment. As we were heading into the shop, Meagan said, "Mommy, can I get it REALLY short?" When I asked her how short she was thinking, she pointed to her ears. Um...No. So we talked about it and both agreed on chin-length.
Yes, that's a lot of hair to be getting rid of all at once, but sometimes a girl just needs a new do. Don't you agree?

She did a great job sitting still. And she was really well behaved through the whole thing... well, other than when she asked the lady if she washed her feet because something smelled bad. "Or maybe it's just your breath" she said rather casually. I about died. Again, with the lack of a filter on my child's mouth. What can you do? She says what's on her mind.

And the after shot:

She is SUPER happy with her new look. Loves how smooth it is... which I think translates to "easy to brush." It is rather cute on her. It will take some getting used to... I'm used to seeing her with all that long hair.

It will grow back.

It always does.

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Spoiled

Can you believe this spoiled creature? She is something else! Meagan brought her quilt downstairs from her bed and left it laying in a wadded up pile in the corner. Lilly decided it would be the perfect place to take a cat nap. But it wasn't enough to lay on top of the blankets. Oh no! Not this queen kitty. She took about 10 minutes to burrow down into the blankets, get all turned around, and snuggled up just so.

She laid with her head poked out like that for a while, keeping one eye on us to make sure we weren't going to disturb her precious sleep. When she finally decided it was safe, she tucked all the way in. Now she is laying with nothing but one ear poked out (listening for danger I suppose *lol*).

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Today Was Good. Today Was Fun. Tomorrow is Another One.

This has been a great day! We had a great start - everyone got out the door with everything they needed, great attitudes, and a cheerful start to the day. After we dropped the boys off at school, I asked Meagan what she would most like to do today. She said she wanted to play the marble game. So we played Aggravation together. We worked together to get the laundry washed, folded & hung, and sorted into put-away baskets. We even had a lunch date - she wanted a cheese roll up, so we went to Taco Bell. The guy in line in front of me won a free bean burrito but didn't want it, so he handed it off to me. Sweet! Free lunch! We made a stop at Wal-Mart to get a few things here & there, then went to pick the boys up.

The afternoon / evening went smoothly too. Chili for dinner... YUM (and chicken noodle soup for the kids. Gone are the days of opening one little can of soup and warming it up in the tiny pot. Oh no! Three cans of soup in the big pot just to feed my three little pigs).

We got the kitchen cleaned up quickly, the kids picked up their toys, and then put away their laundry, got showers, and still had time to play. I love it!

Meagan had some newly-required Daddy Time. Yesterday she absolutely melted down. I mean, it was nuts. When Lucas went to talk to her about it, she said it was because she just wanted to spend time with him, and she doesn't get to spend enough time with him. So he spent time with her (playing a board game last night). Tonight he had to change the truck battery, so she tagged along. She went with him to get the battery. And she stood outside with him while he did the repairs. Perfectly happy to be freezing cold as long as she's with her Daddy.

Isaac also got two bucket-filler awards today from school (for being kind and helpful to others). All in all, a great day! Here's hoping and expecting for tomorrow to be another great day!

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It's Beginning to Look...

... a lot like Christmas! I've wrapped almost all of our presents. I have a few stragglers. And a few that I still have to finish. But they're almost all done.

I love shiny papers. Bright colors. Fun ribbons. I had to put ribbons on the gifts that my dad & Nancy sent for the kids... that's one of my favorite little memories about Christmas with them. Nancy always had fun boxes with pictures on them, and she always took time to put ribbon on and curl the ribbon ends. I loved that. And it's only fair that my kids should get curly ribbon-wrapped gifts from them also.
I used up some of the left-overs from last year's Christmas wrapping paper stash. It was a a bit beat up, especially from moving from Michigan to Ohio, but it still hides the present that's inside... so it works.

Okay, so remember not-so-long ago when I said that I was taking the minimal approach to Christmas decorations? Well....

My mother-in-law visited. God lover her. She is the QUEEN of decorative lighting. There is just no getting around it. So we went from being the darkest house on the block to looking like Chevy Chase decorated for us *giggle*. But it looks fun and festive. I like the colors. I'm happy.

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2-Hour Delay

This morning, the school had a scheduled 2-hour delay, which meant we didn't have to rush to get up and get ready. I got to sleep until almost 9:00... heavenly. The kids got ready and then took turns playing Webkinz until it was time to go. Isaac also worked on his Megablox ship a bit more.

So we had a different kind of start to the day. Now I feel a little off. I haven't done much that I have to show for. I have gotten all of my pictures filed and backed up on my second hard drive. Now I'm going to work on getting my layout files and my scrapbook files backed up before anything happens. (My laptop has been making a sort of funny static noise when the fan turns on, so I thought I better make sure everything is backed up... just in case.) Hopefully nothing will happen, but it's always better to be safe.


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Spending Spree

Over the weekend, while shopping in Meijer for Christmas decoration stuff (more on that later), I saw that Webkinz were on sale for $7 each. So, I got the kids each a new Webkinz to replace the ones whose tags had been lost in the move (for those who don't know, they are little stuffed animals that come with codes to use online. You put the code in, and your animal shows up on the screen, then you can take care of it online.) Anyway....

The appearance of new Webkinz, and the ability to actually play with them online, sparked a new excitement in the kids. They all declared that they wanted at least 2 more for Christmas. I told them that Christmas shopping was already pretty much done, but if they wanted to use their own money that they had been saving, they were welcome to do that. So, I promised to take them to the store after school the next day (which was yesterday), and they could use their money to buy Webkinz or whatever else they wanted (as long as they had not already asked for it for Christmas).

After school yesterday, we came home, counted out how much money each had saved, and then headed over to Meijer with their little zip lock bags full of bills and coins. I told them they would each be responsible for paying for their purchases directly... meaning, I wanted them to actually use THEIR money from the bags rather than just giving me their money and having me pay for them all together. The reason is, I wanted them to begin to understand the idea of tax on items, and also to get the feel for making a decision to buy and then having to hand over the money they had earned. I realized it would be necessary when Sebastian counted out his money and had $28 and a few cents. He said, "Then I can get four Webkinz since they're $7 each." I explained tax, and that each $7 item would actually cost him about $7.50. He wasn't too thrilled with it, but understood and complied.

Anyway, the outcome of the shopping trip: Sebastian got 3 Webkinz and decided to put the rest back in his ATM machine. Isaac bought one set of smaller Webkinz that came 2 in a box. He also bought a box of Megablox dragon / fighter ship something or other. And Meagan got one Webkinz and a Barbie electric guitar that sings Cindy Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" (which I, therefore, have been singing to myself for the past 10 waking hours). They were all thrilled with their choices. They learned about only buying what you have enough money for, and they all had a bit left over to put back into their ATM's for the next time.

Random Project Day

Well I don't know what it was, but SOMETHING lit a fire under my butt today! Seriously! I even started my day out by exercising! No joke (my legs for sure are not laughing)! Then I got a brainstorm, so I went to Hobby Lobby in search of something. While I was there, I saw this plate for $.67. A bit of a quirky color (which is probably why I liked it) and quite a few noticeable defects (which would explain the price tag of 67 cents). So what else was to be done? I of course had to bring it home to see what I could do with it.
So I dug out my titanium metallic paint, a pack of gems, and some tacky glue. All the makings of quite a strange experiment.

I went around the outside of the plate (where all the biggest scrapes were) with the metallic paint.

Then picked out all the gems that were somewhat in the same color family and glued the down around the edge.

Also metallic painted the plate stand I had, so as to dull down the bright gold that it once was. And here's the finished product.

No, I'm not going to hang it on the wall with a spotlight on it, but I think it makes kind of a fun, (yes, quirky) eclectic something to brighten up a bare spot.

That was project #1. Project #2 was one I've been planning to do with the kids... making Christmas ornaments.

A fun stack of ribbon.

Some paints to match.

And some glass bulbs.

We made a few different kinds... some with paint on the inside and some stuffed with with fluffy stuff (sparkly fluffy pom poms, silver bells, ribbon bits, etc.). They had a great time making them (except for the times when ornaments busted... yes, we had 3 casualties in the process... but no one got hurt, and it all cleaned up okay, so no big deal).

As if that weren't enough, I also decided to make this planter / bucket / thing. Whatever you want to call it. And then I proceeded to hang up my picture frames (that STILL don't have pictures in them of actual family members, or even people we remotely know), bring up one of the recliners so there is a chair in the sitting room (novel idea, I know), and decorate the front room for Christmas... by the way, I officially busted out the Christmas music today. Meagan came in while I was finishing up. She wanted to snuggle. I laid down with her for a second, and she was out. So I got back up to finish picking up my mess. Lilly took my place as her snuggler. So this is the scene beside me right now.

How can you not LOVE that?!

(Sorry for the dark pictures... I was working with Christmas lights and a light from the hallway as my only lighting... didn't want to wake her up and miss the photo.)

Anyway. After all that, I feel like I did something semi-productive today. I am very happy that my front room is looking more and more like a room with a purpose rather than a room we have no furniture for. Now the only problem is that I stole the chair from the basement, so the basement is looking a little naked. *Sigh* Can't win 'em all.

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