MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I'm sitting here waiting for Ed, Jon, Katie, Ana, and their Bangi (Grandmom) to wake up. Who would have ever thought that the girl's would sleep in on Christmas! Becca and Ben can't wait for the younger kids to open their presents. I'll be taking pictures. Merry Christmas Everyone!!

Snow, Snow, Snow!!

We got about 8 inches. Our parents who are around 1 + 1/2 hours away got close to 2 feet (Mom, let me know if I was wrong). Our son Eddie who is about 1/2 hour away, got 1+ 1/2 feet. That's ok. 8 inches is enough to go sledding.

Ben, Becca, and Tom are on their way to shovel the cars out at the senior home. They never ask for a certain amount of money. They will take what ever the people give them...even if it is nothing. This has not happened though.

Jon is on his way to work at the Eagles game. Praying he makes it safely there and back again.

Just now, I saw on the news that they are calling for a wintry mix on Christmas. I'm hoping that forecast changes to all snow!

I have a mouse in the house. This is not good. If I see the thing, My heart will feel like it will explode. If I have hamsters or see someone holding a mouse type thing that's ok...they don't run around or climb on my counter, I'm usually the one in control....~smile~

I have to get myself moving. I just made breakfast so now it's my turn to get dressed and get the 2 little ones ready to go out and play. I can't wait to take more pictures of them. They have so much fun. If you noticed our pictures I posted last night, the dog even loves to be out in the snow. Sometimes we have to pull him back into the house.

Bye!!
Margarete
P.S. If anyone visits here, leave me your blog name...I'll visit you back!

Christmas Season

Waiting For The Snow

We woke up to it snowing but it has now stopped. We have a coating. That is not good. It is getting rather dark outside. I hope it comes down in buckets! Can't wait to go sledding with the kids. My camera is ready.
Right now I'm getting ready to make gingerbread cookies with Katie. I'm hoping this is the recipe I used last year. I had changed it to gluten/casein free and it was delicious.
Have a great day and I'll write later.

Margarete

Another Busy Day

First, I needed a break from cleaning...so, I decided to post real fast.
Poor Tom. Ben took him to choir, he got to the door and it was locked. I either forgot they had no meeting today OR, they had a concert. Oh well, sometimes mistakes are made.
I've been cleaning up the homeschool room. What a mess. I had papers and books all over the place. My kids have a zillion books to read and so much coloring/crafting paper it's amazing. I'm hoping to take Monday or Tuesday of next week and just have fun crafting.
Tomorrow we have a cookie exchange to attend. I have some dough made so later I will be baking.
I can't wait for Christmas. I also can't wait to show you what the two girls will have. Ed went on Craigs List and found a large wooden barn and a smaller barn with fencing for $50. It is gorgeous. It wouldn't surprise me if this had cost $100 or way more than that. We also found on C.L. a wooden farm doll house for Katie. It is almost 3 feet long....that was $40.00! It needs the windows and doors put in (included and easy to do). We will also repaint the outside. The inside will be left alone for now. Katie can decorate it with our help as the days go on. She will have a lot of fun.
I'm also finishing the fairies. The boxes turned out so pretty and I have a few fairies left and I'm done. They took quite a while to do. I have been staying up to about 1 am working on these things. Granted, I couldn't do anything until the girls fell asleep.
I was trying to think of a box for Tom. I'm not sure If I will tackle that right now. Unless....I put some type of soldiers on the lid. Hmmm..... He could store his revolutionary, civil war, and other paper soldiers, in his box. I know he is 12 now but he still enjoys playing and I don't blame him. Kids are growing up to fast.
Gotta go. My mess is still here.
~smile~
Margarete

UGH!

I put up our Christmas picture for the header on this blog. Ugh! I look so fat. It's those pants. Seriously!! I'm asking for new clothes. Yuck!
Unfortunately, Bob and Bethany were not there for the picture. :(

Busy, Busy, Busy

My goodness. I haven't written on here for quite a while. I've been quite busy.
This week will be 1/2 day week. Everyday we will stop school at noon...except Thursday. I have shopping and a Christmas cookie exchange which I hope we get to. I don't even have cookies baked yet.
I'm making lists for everyday, I still have to get wrapping paper, a few more gifts, and get this house clean.
I have decided to do lapboooks "next year"....January. ~smile~ It has been to busy. We will just be doing the basics this week and they will have to read throughout the Christmas break. (Maybe even do a math page).
I am changing Becca's history class. This history (For Such A Time As This), is boring and she's not learning anything. She has seen a tutor (to keep her accountable). We will skip the textbook (boring) and use the reading books. She does better writing reports, vocabulary words, and projects on her own.
Katie is reading on her own. She does need help with long vowels but we are taking our time. If I push her to hard, she will not want to do it. Her math is excellent. She has done so many math pages and is remembering everything that it would make your head spin. ~LOL!~
Ana is tracing her letters (writing a few), and writing numbers. She also writes her name and almost knows how to spell her last name. LOL!....Her fist name is quite easy. Sometimes when she is asked what her name is she says, "Ana....A....N....A...Ana!" She is moving along very well. I don't even want to give her what she is doing but she insists. She is only a young 4.
Tom is moving along. He just loves his history. I will be changing his work around also. We have been doing way to much busy work and not enjoying lapbooking. That is where he does most of his learning. And he does a good job at that.
He started "Tell Me More Spanish and "Breaking The Barrier" Spanish. He already can speak some. I'm wondering if it is because he is learning Latin also. He is only on Latina Christiana 1 (Ch. 11). But he really likes it. I will not stop this subject. He seems to catch on very fast to other languages. I would think that in another year or 2 we will start German. I know he wants to do that also.

Oh, I would like to say, Merry Christmas to Rachael Kligmann's family (I know I spelled the last name wrong!! Can't remember how to spell it :( ). Rachael passed away last year. I have to try and get a purple bow on my page here.

Hi, Michelle! I haven't read your blog lately. Hope the children are doing well. Seriously, if you need a dinner or someone to visit with.....give me a holler! My blog is just a click away! And I'm just a few minutes away!!


Have a great day!
Margarete

Wonderful Fairy Paperdoll Puppets

I found a website to print, color, and make fairy/unicorn (other) paperdoll puppets (these are free and are not to be sold). They are beautiful.

www.pheemcfaddell.com

I am using these for Christmas presents for the 2 girls. The puppets are turning out beautiful. I would like to post a picture but I do not want the girls to see them. I color them, cut them out, paste them on another color paper, cut them out again, laminate, and then put in the little colorful brads from places like AC Moore or Michaels. I also bought the photo boxes (about $4.00) which I will decorate with fairies and flowers. The dolls fit in these perfectly.

There are also a few pirate puppets which Tom is using for his explorer/pirate lapbook. I will post pictures on the lapbook blog at another time.

Have a good night.

Thanksgiving SlideShow

Here are pictures from Thanksgiving day. Unfortunately I do not have any pictures of our son Bob and his wife Bethany...They are quite a few hours away. Also, I forgot to take a picture of my Uncle Elmer and Aunt Nancy!! Sorry!! (No music either)

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Stellan needs Prayers

Stellans blog button is on the right of this blog. He is in the hospital and needs surgery as soon as possible. Please pray for him.
Thanks!!