Christmas tree is up and decorations are out!
Every evening I’ve been cuddling on the couch with the kids enjoying the soft
glow from the tree. I love this time of year!
From the
Kitchen
Christmas baking is happening around here. We made
cookies for our local librarians yesterday: German Butter Cookies decorated
with icing and sprinkles and McKay House Cookies (combination of cream cheese,
cake mix, coconut, chocolate chips, and butterscotch chips). We are making
these same cookies for our trash collectors as well.
Today we are making Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins,
Banana Chunk Muffins, and Applesauce Muffins for our neighbors and the elders
at church. The house will be full of delicious smells today!
Homeschooling
Chipette finished her Math in Focus textbook, so
we’re moving on to the next book. In January everyone is starting their new
books and our new study: World Geography along with a study of animals and
habitats for science. I almost have all of the planning and aligning of
resources finished. Whew!
On the Blog
Still working on my Math in Focus review and How
to Plan a Subject. I’ve got the pictures I want and a rough draft written out.
Now it’s just a matter of finding the time to get it all typed up and on the
blog. Maybe while I’m on Christmas vacation with extra hands to help with the
littles, I can squeeze in some blog writing time!
Fitness
A brand new 24-hour workout facility just opened
in our town. I have asked for a membership for Christmas since I’m pretty sure
I can get to the gym if I have 24 hours to fit it into my schedule instead of
pockets of time here and there when the stars align correctly that Preacher Man
can watch the kids, I’m not cooking or homeschooling, it’s not too dark in the
morning or the night. I’m one of these weird people who likes to work out; eat
right, not so much.
Reading
After the Sandy Hook school shooting, I’ve become
a little focused on this horrific phenomenon, so I started reading Columbine by Dave Cullen. It’s
definitely a heavy read, but interesting. I am also reading Enna Burning by Shannon Hale for
something more light-hearted when Columbine
gets too intense.
Pinhead
Since discovering the wonderfulness that is
Pinterest, I am busier than ever finding fun things for school, the home, and
to cook. Feel free to follow me on Pinterest using the button in the sidebar. I
wanted to share some of my favorite finds this past week:
- Homeschool: A landform dinosaur (Perfect for our upcoming geography study!)
- Home: Homemade laundry detergent concentrate (128 loads for $1.76!)
- Cooking: Cheesy Sausage Crescent Wraps and Baked French Toast (Perfect for Christmas morning!)
Plans and
Schemes
Obviously we’re preparing for Christmas with a vengeance.
I’ve still got some last minute gifts to purchase and I still have no idea what
to make for our Christmas Day meal. It’s the first time we’ve been at our house
on Christmas, so I’m planning this one by myself.
A Memory
We had our yearly family Christmas outing last
night: hot chocolate and Christmas lights. I found a Christmas light scavenger hunt checklist on Pinterest and we had so much fun trying to find the things on
our list. Even Magpie was on the lookout!
Wishing all of you a very blessed, safe, and
joyous Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the tree house,
Chelli
Sounds like a full week. Love the idea of cookies for the librarian. I might adopt that for a homeschool group service project.
ReplyDeleteI've been making cookies for our librarians at Christmas since we started homeschooling four years ago! They are such a helpful and important part of our homeschool that I feel they need to know we appreciate them too.
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