The Other Christmas Baby

That would be my mother, born on Christmas Eve.

I don't have a baby picture of her, but I've always loved this one.

The twins have her eyes, don't you think?

Hardly aged at all, this is the birthday girl today (or actually, back in September).


And since we can't be there for the birthday song.....

Happy Birthday!

We love you!

O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

Why, oh why are you in my living room?

Something that troubles me today is the recount of how "all things Christian" are often attributed to pagan beginnings. Take the Christmas tree for example.

The legend of the first Christmas tree goes something like this:

The "Apostle to the Germans", Winfrid, also called Saint Boniface, was sent as a missionary to Germany. Around 723 he was said to have happened upon a pagan ceremony where a young boy was to be sacrificed at the foot of "a holy oak tree" . In his anger, Boniface took an axe to their oak. With pagans looking on, he called on their god, Thor, to strike him down if he cut their so called holy tree. Of course, the impotent god did not strike Boniface dead and it is said that he won some hearts for The Kingdom based on this display. He is also said to have used the wood from the oak to build a chapel at the site. So, where does the Christmas tree come in? Well, legend has it that a little fir tree grew in the roots of the felled oak and was claimed by Boniface as a symbol for Christ. He cut in down and told the others to do the same and to place it in their homes.

"This humble tree's wood is used to build your homes: let Christ be at the centre of your households. Its leaves remain evergreen in the darkest days: let Christ be your constant light. Its boughs reach out to embrace and its top points to heaven: let Christ be your comfort and guide.”

Did Boniface call on a symbol familiar to the pagans to reach them on their level? Perhaps.

And, yes I know that tree worship was very common and very important among the ancients and that the evergreen tree represented eternal life, rebirth and replenishment during the long winter months.

I don't live under a rock.

But let us not forget who created those trees long worshiped by the pagans! God was here before the world began. Above all the wisdom and ways of man, He was here before the world was even created. And, He made the trees! Evergreen trees and all other trees were perfectly created on the third day, by our loving God and placed on the Earth to serve many purposes for us. For us! He created them for us. Beautiful to behold, they provide shade and shelter, food and clean air. For His purposes, regardless of what man would later do!

So take or leave the legend of Boniface and the Christmas tree. That is up to you. I'm sure you can go looking for all sorts of stories about ideas of where Christmas trees came from and how trees were once a part of pagan traditions. But, don't tell me about it. The evergreen tree was here before the pagans, and it has long served to point us to the Mighty Creator. My Christmas tree serves as a symbol of Christ for me and my family.

A Post Within A Post

I decided that now would be a good time to show you what pre-Christmas activities look like at our house! We have been very busy, but I have caught some of it on film.

First, we had some towns people training. That is when your slightly dramatic kids, decided to be in the Christmas Nativity at church on Christmas Eve, but don't want to be angels! Get a gander at those outfits and I'm sure you can see the draw.

Then we had a little pre-Christmas trip to see my parents and best friend. You know, because I was just sitting around with nothing to do and thought, hey ROAD TRIP!

Not

But, it was fun!

This is Claire and Casey, but I can't remember if it is before or after they fell INTO the Christmas tree! Oh, yes they did!

Claire immediately starts hollering "sorry Meme, sorry!"

Then they had a wrestling match!
'Cause that is what friends do around the Christmas tree!

Next it was off to The Festival of Lights. No, not a Hanukkah celebration. One of those light shows where you drive around and look at a gazillion lights and think, "boy I'm glad I'm not paying that electric bill!" Claire oooooohed and ahhhhhhed.

A posed for pictures here!


We roasted marshmallow




And, ate them!

And rode the carousel!




Then we had some company in the form of cousins from out-of-town.

Presents were exchanged!

And fun was had by all!

Today we will have a family lunch, go to church to watch our towns people, finish watching It's A Wonderful Life and watch The Nativity....while we eat the all-natural kettle corn our wonderful neighbors-who-know-me-so-well sent over for us!

Then we will tuck our sweet babies into their beds and enjoy the peace and quiet...for a few hours!

Merry Christmas!

*check back later for a special Christmas Eve post*

A Crafty Thing

I started this post about three weeks ago, and then some how lost it in the shuffle. Not sure how that happened. But, it's good that I've found it right now when I don't really have the brain cells to come up with something original .....or even complete at this point.

Isabel is in a club with our homeschool group that centers around @merican @irl dolls and the history periods. She loves going to her club meetings and everything that it involves. What girl wouldn't I ask you?

Well, for the Christmas party all the girls were asked to make a gift for each of the other girls in the club. Plus the two amazing leaders. That would be about 24 gifts y'all! The ideas given were to make an ornament or a baked treat for each girl. Seems pretty simple. Except that Isabel's mom really wanted her to do something original. Yet, she is not exactly creative. Hmmmm. Poses a bit of an issue. Ya think?

I racked my brain and I searched the internet. And, for some odd reason, soap came to mind. Soap? I've never had any experience with soap. Well, except for using it, of course! I do know how to do that!

After a little research, it seemed that soap might actually be doable. Now, I'm not talking about the kind of soap where you need 123 different ingrediants to make it smelly and softy and scubby and all that. I'm just talking about something simple. HEAT AND POUR GLYCERIN!

I asked Isabel what she thought and she loved the idea. Duh! It involved craft fun, with her mom, and making a mess. That has Isabel written all over it!

We loaded up the car and headed to the nearest craft store. Which is not actually near at all! You'd think we could get a nice craft store where we live. But alas, it eludes us.

Anyway, it turned out to be a fun and easy craft......now that they have heat and pour glycerin soap! So, even though it's probably too late for you to consider this little craft for your homemade Christmas gifts this year, I thought I would share anyway! Maybe you'll remember this post next year. Maybe not!

Our Supplies

And, since the craft store is not near us, I was not planning to make another run for it, so I bought anything and everything that we might possibly need for this experiment.

I got us these nifty imprints that made the soaps look special. I also bought a bottle of fragrance and some soap color.

Okay, so it really is simple. You cut off a few cubes of glycerin, drop them in a glass measuring cup and melt them in the microwave for like 40 seconds.

Add some color and fragrance drops if you like!


Then you pour it in the molds with the imprints (face up) in the bottom.




Here the soaps are setting up. Takes about 20 minutes and then you pop them out!

Voilà!

All together now!

Ooooooo! Ahhhhhhh!

Can you believe that something this pretty was as easy as melt, mix, pour and pop? Can you?

'Cause it totally was!

Aren't these sooooo cute? Isabel did a really wonderful job. But, there was a little trick to these. You had to make solid colored soaps, cut them into pieces, freeze them and then toss them into clear glycerin soaps in the molds.

She did, in fact make over 24 original soaps to give to her friends. And, it was in fact easy enough for her to do it alone. Except it was fun! And so her mom had to help!

'Cause I'm sweet like that!

Oh, and by-the-way,

God parents should forget they saw this post,

because you are totally going to see these again!

When in Norway

Did you know that ice skating was invented as a means of traveling in countries with long cold winters? Countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland and Holland. The first ice skates were merely bones with leather straps. You didn't so much skate as you glided along the ice. It was not a leisurely sport, but rather a practical way of life. The way that made the most sense if you lived in some place like Finland, that sports the highest concentration of ice in the world!

Why yes! I homeschool my children. How did you know? Doesn't everyone look up trivia on activities before they take their kids to do said activity? Huh?

Okay, I'm a dork.

Whatever!

I guess if we had lived in Norway, my kids would have done okay!

They took to the ice the first time as if they'd been doing it all their lives.


And, now Isabel wants to know why she can't be a figure skater.

Ummm, because we like to eat!

Figure skating lessons and competitions are way out of our budget.


And, hockey is way out of my comfort zone.

But, we can still have fun on the ice once in a while.

After all, it's the closest we are ever going to come to having snow in Charleston at Christmas, I think! So what if it's just pretend. Trust me, when you are in the Ice Palace, you think there are 10 feet of snow outside. It took me a few hours in front of my portable heater to thaw out once we got home!

Isabel is practicing for a future career in the Ice Capades trying to master turns and doing anything at all that might make me think she has a future on the ice.

So I'll remember to sign her up for lessons, if we ever win the lottery!

This is a good clip of the boys new skillz. Parker is in the brown Gap hoodie and Noah is in the black Old Navy jacket.

Still working on that twirling thing she has going on!

Why yes, she even mastered the backwards skate before we left.

After all, we were there for almost four hours, what did you expect?

She is obviously a prodigy, and we are just holding her back. Oh well.

I guess I'll have to live with that!

Can Can

My Priest posted this to his blog.

Thought I'd share!

Didn't think you'd hear a Can Can at Christmas did you?

Just Smile!

(Oh, and you will want to shut down the Christmas music at the bottom)

No need to thank me for this little Christmas gem!
I accept Pay Pal!

Just kidding.

Getting Up

I went to watch Isabel's basketball practice last night.

It was interesting.

She really loves to play basketball and even decided not to do drama during the winter term, because she wanted to concentrate on basketball.



Her dad is her coach.

Her brothers assist.

It's a family affair.

She enjoys it a lot!

And, I paid attention to her....most of the time that I was there.

But, I couldn't help but notice

Claire.

She was walking back and forth,

between me and the bleachers.

Around and through people.

People that were moving.

And, she did great!

For a child that has only been walking independent of a walker or hand since August.

She is our very brave and determined girl!

And it makes her so happy!

And this little bit is showing off a new skill. She just figured out how to finesse getting from the floor to standing without pulling up on something. As a matter of fact, she only mastered it last week!

We watch her walk everyday. So, sometimes I forget how much of a difference it can be as she grows stronger and learns new tricks!

I am humbled and amazed by God's blessings.

This is the best Christmas present we could ever get!

Cookies and Snot

This weekend there was flour and sugar flying everywhere in our kitchen. We had our annual see-how-many-cookies-we-can-bake-in-one-day-without-losing-our-minds bake off. We got 11 dozen in before I had to stash the rest of dough in the fridge for another day! I do love to bake with my kids, but five in the kitchen at once.....whoa!

We went with four varieties this year, you know, 'cause one is just not enough! Oh no! We had oatmeal raisen (Daddy's favorite), Snickerdoodle (at Lizzie's request), Sugar (because they are most fun to decorate, of course) and Ginger (because you are not allowed to make Christmas cookies without Gingerbread. It's a rule, I think).

I made up the oatmeal raisen sans the kiddos and then got several kids involved with the Snickerdoodle. This was the first time I did Snickerdoodle and I have to say, I really liked them a lot! They are surprisingly quite the Christmas treat. I got the recipe out of a magazine I pilfered from my Mother-in-law last year. A whole magazine for baking cookies! Every cookie we have ever made from it has turned out great.....of course that is only three whole recipes. But, we are 3 for 3!

Anyway, just in case the idea of Snickerdoodles thrills you. You know, 'cause maybe you're strange that way.....like me. Here is the recipe I used:

• 1 cup butter (two sticks at room temp)
• 2 2/3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat the oven to 350°
2. Grease a cookie sheet with butter or use parchment paper (I used the parchment)
3. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar
4. Beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy
5. Scrape the bowl and then beat the eggs in one at a time until combined
6. Scrape the bowl again and then add the flour mixture slowly until incorporated
7. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar
8. Form balls from rounded tablespoons of dough and roll in the cinnamon mixture
9. Place the ball on the baking pan and press lightly to flatten slightly.
10. Bake until golden on the edges and slightly soft in the center (about 15 minutes)
11. Cool and eat!

Merry Christmas. No need to thank me!

All the kids helped out with the sugar cookies and gingerbread men (and ladies). But, I was less than pleased with the recipe I used for gingerbread. I don't like to use shortening, so I found a new gingerbread recipe online and tried it. Not good. The kids had fun making the men (and ladies), we just are less than enthusiastic about eating them. So, if you've got a knock-your-socks-off gingerbread recipe, I'd love to have it! Feel free to comment!

Why yes, since you asked, this is the part about the snot. Lizzie was also here during the baking fray. However, poor thing, she's come down with a nasty cold. You know the kind. Coughing, sniffling, lost her voice, head full of snot. That kind. Oh, you lost your appetite you say?

I went in to check on her after she'd taken a little rest yesterday afternoon and came back to the kitchen. Paul asked how she was doing. I told him that she had a head full 'o snot and was going to take a hot shower to clear it. A minute later, I assume after trying to process that information, Claire started running up and down the kitchen hollaring at the top of her lungs "my sister's head is full of snot! My sister's head is full! Of! Snot! Daddy! My sister's head is full of snot!".

That kid cracks me up!

Lizzie was overwhelmed.

Yeah, so she wouldn't let me take her picture. You know, because of the head full of snot and all that. She figured you didn't really want to see it. Did you?

Getting the Dos Done!

I'll be the first to admit that I don't spend bunches of time or money on a beauty regime. As a matter 0f fact, the contents of my bag 'o tricks consists of a tub of Noxzema and a pot of Ponds. Yep. That's the sum of it!

While my teenage self would consume a painstaking hour with customary cosmetic applications and beauty treatments, my almost 40 year old self spends about 10 minutes a day primping. Total, y'all.

And, maybe you think it shows. I'm okay with that.

What I am not okay with is gray hair. Gray. Hair. Gray hair just makes you feel old even when you didn't before you noticed you had gray hair.

Being the frugal-stay-at-home-mom that I am, I tried self coloring kits. Years ago. That didn't go so well. So, I gave in and that is the one expense that I am willing to fork out for. Unfortunately for me, my colorist/stylist/hair doer person skipped out and didn't tell anyone where she went. Yes, she did!

Thankfully, I have some friends with good hair. Friends with good hair = good hair dressers, because I am too old to have friends that don't need hair color!


It was LONG overdue, but I went to my "new" salon today. And just for kicks, I took all the kids. Because doesn't that sound like fun to you? Two and a half hours in a salon with four kids. No?

Mommy loves Isabel's hair growing out!

Isabel loves to get her hair cut!

Isabel won!

She is quite adorable in this sweet pageboy bob type coiffure, if I do say so myself!

And, I do!

Claire is going to grow her hair out, but she got a tensy trim. This was her FIRST time in the chair and she did amazingly well!

Mom has been giving her all her trims until now.

She thought it was great fun to be like Isabel and get her hair did!

And look!

Miss Mary Sue didn't even trim your eyebrows with your bangs like mommy does!

All done!

The girls loved looking in the mirrors!

Isabel thought Mommy needed her picture taken too. Thankfully she did it after the color and cut was performed!

She even made sure to get a close up of the gray-less color for you.

Bless her!

Since the boys were looking a tad bit shaggy, I wrangled them into the chair too!

Noah was thrilled to be having his photo taken during this experience!

Thrilled, I tell you!

But, he kept his humor anyway.

A successful afternoon?

But, Parker is the real test.

His hair is sneakily hard to deal with.

It is thicker than it looks, has a tendency to frizz and holds a head of hidden cowlicks!

So, did she tame the tiger?

You'll just have to wait to see,

The picture I took afterwards came out all blurry.

So I took my newly quaffed family home so we could see if it past muster with the Mr.

Suffice it to say, I believe we have us a new hairstylist.

For the whole lot of us!

Well, except for Paul.

His mommy still does his hair!

Yes she does.

LOL!

A Birthday Boy!

One of our two favorite Papas turned 39......again, today!

Okay, so maybe he's no spring chicken, but we love him!

Happy Birthday to Papa!

with love from

Parker, Noah, Jordan, Isabel, Lindsay and Claire

And that is only some of his grands!

OH SHOOT!

Ummmm, I mean. What-do-you-know, it's time already!

It's time for our yearly familyphotoshoot. In front of the tree. The children are excited 'bout that! As you can plainly see.

Have you ever tried to wrestle 5 kids into a 3x5? Have you?

It ain't easy, I tell you!

You get a lot of this.

And some of this!

And this!

You give into the kids, and you get this!

But, if you're talented (which I'm not) or lucky.....or you just take so darn many pictures that you can't help it....

You might get one of these!

Or these!

And, this one will make it worth all the torture time and energy you went through.

All for the sake of a Christmas Card!