The First Two Weeks of Advent, Sans Pictures

December 1:
*Gordon asked why The Little Match Girl had to be a sad book.

December 2:
*Gordon and Teeny chose to give some of our Christmas budget to go toward a well in a third world country. I think the picture of the little boy with the bloated belly in the World Vision Catalog really made a strong impression on Gordon. He tears up a bit every time we talk about the need for clean water in other countries.
*Painted Christmas cards for family and friends. Better get around to mailing those, huh?

December 3:
*Bud-Jack after reading and talking about Proverbs 15:1, "Those are harsh words!"

December 4:
*Failed yet tasty attempt at a chocolate icecream "yule log". Gordon called it "bark".

December 5:
*Wrote letters to Santa. Gordon asked for either a Creepy Crawler bug making kit or an outdoor survival kit (with an axe. . . um, no). Teeny asked for *another* 18" doll and more doll clothes. Bud-Jack asked for a mountain. When pressed for something a little more doable, he jabbered out something I really couldn't understand at all. Mary is asking for what "Santa" already got her: Little People (thankyou Craigslist).
*Made gingerbread men.

December 6:
*Woke to find bundles of gold-wrapped chocolate coins in our shoes. Happy St. Nicholas Day!

December 7:
*Began brainstorming "gifts that don't cost money."

December 8:
*Out to eat for a Logos fundraiser. Had fun seeing one of Jason's co-workers and her husband and daughter (our wonderful babysitter).

December 9:
*Jason's friends from York Young Leaders over for cookies and coffee. Kids helped make Triple Chocolate Chip cookies.

December 10:
*Hit my mid-Advent slump. But enjoyed stroganoff and pierogies for dinner. Yum.

December 11:
*Brainstorming how to spread Christmas cheer.

December 12:
*Went to local Christmas tree farm to pick and cut down our own. It was cold; we made our choice fast.

Also:
*Shopping for eachother.
*Gordon finished up his "The Three Little Wolves and the Big, Bad Pirate Pig." To be illustrated today by Teeny and then scanned, and printed in photo books for the Grandparents.
*Wrote down my 2010 goals.

25 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs

After a week or two of cold wetness outside and hacking feverishness inside, my whole family was a little stir-crazy. If it hadn't been for this recent warm spell, we might well have lost our minds. I sat down a few nights ago and made myself a list of things that I think I can do to help myself and my family beat the usual winter blahs.

1. Make praise and worship music be your background noise, broken up by bits of classical music, or whatever else your family likes. . . BUT. . .
2. Carve out an hour of pure quiet time every day -- some time to get away from eachother, breathe, and listen to yourselves think.
3. Spend more time on your beauty routine, especially in the area of moisturizing -- condition, lotion, pamper. . .
4. Invest in a good computer game, deck of cards, or puzzle book. . . or just clip the crossword puzzle out of the paper every day.
5. Read at least one chapter of a good book each day. And by book I mean something with a cover and pages made of paper, not an e-book.
6. Memorize a good poem, passage of Scripture, or piece of literature.
7. Do one creative thing each week.
8. Spend some time talking with your spouse each evening after the kids go to bed. If he's not the talking type, then sit and enjoy a snack and TV show with him.
9. Reserve one night every week for a "date". If you can't afford dinner and a sitter, then just do something special at home.
10. Limit screen time, both for yourself and your kids. It may seem like the only thing to do some days, but too much TV or computer will only lead to headaches and bad attitudes.
11. Read, aloud, at least 6 picture books or 3 chapters of a children's chapter book to your kids each day. There's your TV alternative.
12. Take your kids out for at least a 30 minute walk at the warmest part of each day. If you have a heat wave, get the kids playing outside as much of the day as possible; you take a book out and enjoy the fresh air as you read your obligatory chapter.
13. If the weather will just not permit a walk, do some pilates, yoga, or dancing with the kids inside for 30 minutes.
14. Sit around and tell family stories whenever the kids get bored. See if they can tell any family stories on their own.
15. Sit down and sing with the kids. Get out the Mother Goose and go over those good ole nursery rhymes. And, of course, sing Christmas songs from the end of Thanksgiving all the way through the first week of January.
16. Read poetry -- all winter. Jot down each child's favorites, and then help them each put together their own anthology. Let them decorate each page using a variety of art forms -- collage, paint, pencil, rubbing. . .
17. Help each child start their own scrapbook full of their favorite memories and pictures.
18. Have each child start a nature notebook. Spend time each day observing, identifying, and sketching critters in the backyard.
19. Put together a winter craft supplies bin, and don't be afraid to use it. Whenever you have some spare cash, head to the dollar store for supplies and coloring books.
20. Bake something with the kids each week.
21. Make every moment special. Whenever you turn on the TV, snuggle up together with a bowl of popcorn. When you have a snack, get all the kids to the table to chat over the goodies.
22. Plan next year's garden! Google seed companies and order a catalogue from whoever will send you one for free. I find that those that offer heirloom seeds are especially fascinating and lend themselves well to dreams of lovely cottage gardens. Then get out some graph paper and plot away!
23. Deep clean a new room of the house every two weeks. Stretch your tasks out over the two weeks so you don't feel overwhelmed. Then, you won't have to spring clean when the time comes!
24. Have dinner guests over once every week or two. Get the kids excited and involved in helping with food preparations and setting the table.
25. Write a hand written letter or note on paper to a friend or family member every week. Stick it in a paper envelope, put a postage stamp on it, put it in a mailbox and send it on its way.

Care to add to the list?

Welcome Fall!

Brilliant reds, oranges, and golds against hazy gray skies.

Browned fields ready to be harvested.

Smoky fires offering up their sacrifices of the past year's leaves.

Spicy apple and pumpkin goodness in the kitchen.

Hot soups and chilis beconing at the end of cool days.

Geese in migration, winter trailing behind them.

Crunch, crunch and laughter as kids jump in piles of leaves.

Cold wind tossing unruly hair.

Familiar warmth of wooly sweaters waking from their summer slumber.

* September *

September's Special Days

• Monday, the 7th ~ Labor Day


• Sunday, the 13th ~ Grandparent's Day


• Monday, the 14th ~ Exaltation of the Holy Cross


• Friday, the 18th ~ Rosh Hashanah (begins at sunset)


• Tuesday, the 22nd ~ First Day of Autumn


• Sunday, the 27th ~ Yom Kippur (begins at sunset)


• Tuesday, the 29th ~ Michaelmas

September's Seasonal Activities

• Back to School


• Apple Picking and Preserving


• Autumn Family Yard Work Day (followed by a special annual dinner and dessert)


• Decorating for Autumn

September's Decor

• Apples


• Fall Flowers (mums, Michaelmas daisies. . .)


• School Supplies (glass jars of pencils, rulers, and paintbrushes; chalkboards or slates and chalk. . .)

September's Food

• Last few chances to grill out


• Pesto


• Fresh apples, applesauce, apple pie, apple cake, apple cider. . .


• Casseroles


• Harvest stews


• Stuffed poultry


• Winter squash (pumpkin, butternut, acorn. . .)


• Nuts (whole or in baked goods, oatmeal, or icecream)


• Warm biscuits with butter and blackberry jam or honey


• Baked potatoes