Friday Funny

Ellie (as we drive past a Panda Express): Look!  Pandas to eat!

*     *     *     *

One of my earliest posts was about Katie talking about this place (in a different state), but for her it was a preschool.

Friday Funny

Ellie: Mama, I like your hair down.

Me: You mean like how it is now, in a low ponytail?

Ellie: [exasperated] No, down.

Me: [pulling out the hair tie] Like this?

Ellie: Yes, it is beautiful-er



Nothing like a backhanded compliment...

Friday Funny

As a parent, you often try to get the kids to play a game to pass the time in the car, Ellie, has created her own.

Every time she spots a water tower, we hear, "Water tower--SPLASH!"  I'm not quite sure what it is about them that makes her love them so much, but she sure does!

Field Trips

We were a bit behind on our school year, due to starting late (putting in floors) and some extra trips to my home town because of my grandmother's death.  We opted to make up some for lost time by hitting the ground running on the first.

Justin was prepping for the semester, so it worked out well.  We are in the midst of the colonial period of history.  I found a fun set of videos that would be good to review what we'd been studying and preview what was ahead in history.  If you're interested in those, here is the link to the YouTube channel.

At the end of the week, the local schools were back in session, so we decided we'd take advantage of Justin not having students yet, and try some field trips.  We went to a local climbing facility.  We weren't sure how Ellie would do, but she loved it.  It took us awhile to convince her that she could just let go when she was finished climbing because the rope would catch her, but she did get it.

Ellie

Gabby

Katie

Nate

Go, Ellie, Go!

On Friday we went to an art museum.  They have a couple of galleries to walk through--one on art surrounding World War I.  The other was modern art.  They also have a great place for creating your own art, so we a good bit of time there--they painted with water colors, made a print, did stop action movies, and decorated finger puppets.  It was a great day too.

On Monday the older children went to a class at one of the local plantations.  Katie and Gabby both took tours of the mansion, Nate looked at arrowheads, and they all learned some family history of the people who once lived there.

Friday Funny

Ellie: I've got some good news!

Me: Really?

Ellie: Yes, Firefighters, they are nice people.

Friday Funny

We were discussing the traditions of feasting and fasting.  The older kids were thinking over the implications of fasting from something, when Ellie says, "A fast day?  It goes quick, quick, quick!"

Christmas Eve

We are so grateful to be celebrating the birth of Jesus.  We don't often have everyone healthy at Christmas, and we don't this year either, but we are here together and glad to have that.  I took the healthy kids to church this morning and Justin took the candle light service with them this evening.  Miss Ellie is quite disappointed to be home, but her fever isn't too high--it may well be the cold that Katie had last week that caused a short lived fever for her too.

 Our December has been full of Advent candles, menorah lighting, Christmas parties,

visiting a reenactment of Bethlehem,

attending a parade,

reading through the prophecy if Isaiah (plus drawing it), and visiting family in Ohio and Kentucky. 

 We made a trip to the zoo on a bright sunny day,

 and we saw Santa at the mall.

We have a turkey awaiting baking and all the fixings, the pies are made, and the presents are wrapped.  Tonight we sing Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, both for Christmas morning and for the return of Jesus to come again.  They will open their Christmas PJs tonight, read The Night Before Christmas and from the book of Luke, open the last of the drawers in our Advent box, and tuck in children with dreams of sugar plumbs.

Merry Christmas to you!  May you find joy, peace, and hope this Christmas.
Kristy