2nd week in December

Home school stuff. The kids (Miles especially) has expressed a desire to learn how to sew. I know some basic things, but not enough to feel qualified to teach him. However, I'm trying to incorporate that idea where I can. Here's miles "sewing" by stringing cotton balls from our snow sensory box onto a string. We have been hanging the full strings by our window and it looks like it's snowing inside. :) Another picture of Gwen keeping Benson company, probably while I was working with Miles.


The kids helping me make little gifts for them to take to their teachers. I love these little treats because the kids can actually do most of the work and they love it!


We wanted to have our nephews over for a sleepover one weekend as a part of our Christmas present to their parents. The 3 boys came over and the kids loved playing with each other. They especially loved the new play-doh sets that Ethan and Caleb gave as gifts! The idea was for the older 2 to sleepover that night and we were going to make "gingerbread" houses the next day. Well plans change, and the boys ended up going home with their Mom and Dad Friday night. However, Saturday night the plan was for our kids to go over to Grandma and Grandpa's so that Richie and I could go on a date. I came down with a wicked case of Vertigo though, and instead of a date, I spent the night going from floor, to toilet, to tub, to bed, etc. I sent the "gingerbread" houses I had already made over to the Garner's with the kids and luckily the James boys were there too, so they all got to decorate their houses after all!



We were watching a movie one morning and in the middle of it, I noticed Gwen getting her snow gear on. I asked her what she was doing and she replied, "I'm going to go shovel the driveway." As if it were obvious! She has never really done this task, so I watched her out the front window for at least 5 minutes. I couldn't get enough of her efforts in her very layered and mismatched outfit. :)


We finished up our study of space for the first half of our science curriculum this year. As a last hurrah, a friend of mine and I took our kids to the newly remodeled Planetarium. They had some really fun new exhibits, including a play place for small kids. The kids and I really splurged this time and saw one of the movies on their IMAX screen. It followed the story of a few astronauts in the international space station and what it's like for them to live in space. The views were amazing! I don't know if the kids thought it was as cool as I did. Then that night at home for FHE, we painted space pictures with the "paint" inside glowsticks (which worked less well than I expected), and ate real astronaut freeze dried ice cream that I bought online. (Less yummy than expected. Ha!)