Filling the hours

We are busy making lists of things to do over vacation.  If the lists don't get made, then boredom sets in and things can go downhill fast (just like Chevy Chase in Christmas vacation on the super sled)!  The lists include things like: baking cookies, Wii Fit, walking Lily, building a Lego city, board games, crafts, playing in the snow, baking banana bread, reading, journaling, playdates,  and a few fun things for me like laundry and dusting and cleaning the bathrooms.  It works for us.  We have blown through most things on the list and the boys are working on building a lego city right now while Grant naps.  I think they have an airport, a jail, a hospital and some sort of boat dock so far. Here are just a few pictures from the week:

From Lori's Side of the Story

Lunch at Target after shopping for Daddy's presents.

My nephew, Sam's, 2nd birthday party!

Shaving cream and elmer's glue snowmen.

 

Having some fun in the snow.  The last picture is Jack with the snowman and his 'new brain' ;o)

And last but not least, baby Granty:

Peace to you and your family throughout this holiday season!

Snowmen

I saw these extra cute snowmen outside of Jack's classroom and couldn't wait to get home to make them.  We stapled two sheets of brown wrapping paper together and stuffed with paper.  Then glued on buttons  and drew faces.  A couple of scarves and they're ready to go. Grant drew his face on so you can't see it that well.  Oh, almost forgot, color the paper with chalk.  We did it after they were stuffed, but you could do it before...

Christmas candy

A family favorite- Christmas Candy.
5 Cups Cheerios
5 Cups Corn Chex
2 cups salted peanuts
10 oz. small pretzels
2 12 oz. bags Nestles white morsels
1 lb. M&M's (red and green)
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Combine the oil and morsels in a microwavable bowl and put in microwave for 2 minutes stirring occasionally.  Cook for 10 second increments until melted, stirring in between.  Pour over cereal mixture and mix until covered. Pour onto 3 wax paper lined baking sheets to dry.  Store in airtight container.  Ta Da!

P.S. Don't forget to  use a pretzel to scrape the leftover white chocolate out of your mixing bowl, yum!

For the love of egg cartons

My Nan, my dad's mom, was a re-user at heart.  She re-used everything she possible could (and some she couldn't).  She used styrofoam meat trays, butter containers, bowls, and egg cartons just to name a few.  Every Easter she would make a bunny cake with 2 styrofoam ears on top of its head lying on, guess what, a styrofoam tray.  So yesterday in honor of Nan, when I emptied an egg carton, I handed it over to Grant and this is what he did with it.

A boy after his Great-grandmother's heart.

Nicole, close your eyes!

I mean it,  do not look at this post, Nicole!  O.K. ?  No, you may not have even just one peek!  Oh, well go ahead, this blanket for Lena turned out so cute I may just have to give it to her early! It is a taggie blanket that I saw on Uceate.

The pictures do not do it justice.  One side has the softest pink material ever and the other is a flannel with pink posies on it.  One of the ribbons has blue and pink butterflies on it, so cute!

Blessed Savior

This was a conversation at our house this evening:
Jack:  Mom, do we know any babies who were born on Christmas day like Jesus?
Mom:  Well, no, but your cousin Sam was born pretty close to Christmas day.
Jack:  Is Sam a Blessed Savior too?
Mom: No honey, there is only one Blessed Savior.  Just because a person is born on Christmas day doesn't mean that he is Jesus.
Jack:  Why didn't God pick our family to have the baby Jesus?
Mom:  I'm not sure, but I'm sure He had His reasons (oh yes, He had reasons all right :o). 

What could be better?

 

White Christmas on T.V. tonight and an ice cream snow man for a snack!  My favorite movie and a snack from my childhood.... perfection.   My grandma's milkman, Mike, used to bring these right to my grandma's house every winter.  My cousins and I loved them and I was lucky enough to find them at the grocery the other day, oh happy day! Where did all the milkmen go?  My mom and grandma used to get bread, milk, ice cream, cheese, and eggs from the milkman every week, doesn't that sound wonderful?  No more mornings without milk for the cereal -  handy Mike could bring it right to the door.....:o)

Teacher's gifts

Thanks to Beneath My Heart for this great idea.  Monogrammed coasters for the teachers.  Turn your head to the right to view, I don't know why some pictures won't turn the right way when I post them...?

They turned out well and it was pretty easy.  I just modge podged their last initial on 4 x 4 ceramic tiles and glued cork to the bottoms and then sprayed them with a sealer.  I only had to peal off the letter a couple of times....:o(  Jack just has to write out his tag and they're done, yea.

Christmas cookies

One batch of sugar cookies and a whole lot of sprinkles!

Don't you just love 'the old man look' with the glasses!  This year I made the cookies and got everything ready while Matt played leggos in the basement with the boys and I called them up one by one to decorate the cookies.  It worked out great!

Here is something Jacky boy made: Santa and his sleigh with some reindeer!

The :North Pole

This weekend we went to my mom and dad's house for a big event. The boys along with their cousin, Sam, took a trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express.  They board the train and then head to the north pole where they pick up Santa.  They drink hot chocolate and eat cookies while the Polar Express book is read over the speakers.  If you bring your book along, Santa will sign it.  I think Mrs. Claus was aboard this year and signed our book as well.  Grant was excited to give Santa his letter which included his list:  lots of leggos, a noisy truck, a knight horse, and kleenexes! 

They came home with a lot of loot.  They got bandanas tied up with candy and trinkets, a conductors hat, a train whistle and of course "the bell".  I think this was Dylan's last year :o(  He read a book during most of the trip.  Lena will be big enough next year to take his place, life goes on....oh bla dee- oh bla da- life goes on-oh la la la la- life goes on....

Deck the Halls

We're busy getting the house ready for the big day.

We decorated our tree earlier this week.  The boys helped and I think actually enjoyed it this year.  We always get an ornament on vacation, I have some ornaments that I made when I was little as does Matt, some are from grandparents, some made by the boys, but every single one has a story.  I read a blog this week that stated every tree must have a theme.  I guess mine is the story tree.

We have a playmobil nativity set this year and we placed it under the tree along with Thomas the train and a few horses and even 2 reindeer.  The other morning before school, the boys were placing the reindeer and poor baby Jesus on the train tracks!  Now that is just WRONG!  And Grant announced today as I found Mary knocked over that he doesn't like Mary!  Yes, the virgin Mary, the mother of Jesus!  God, please forgive us!

On to the mantle.  A took apart my advent cards and strung them on some twine and here they are.  I started collecting Santas a few years ago, they're up there too.  My mom has a wonderful collection of Santas.  Mine doesn't compare to hers, but I'm trying.

Here is one of my favorite projects!  I purchased a few little do-dads today to jazz up my old wreath and I think it turned out great.

The other favorite project:  I attached pictures of the boys' past Christmas's with clothespins to these wreaths on my french doors.  The little rectangle in the middle is a chalkboard- love it. 

Where do they go?

Here are seven (yes seven) unmatched socks from 1 load of whites laundered today (yes they're laundered, remember I live with 4 boys).  Where do they go, honestly, where???

Santa Claus is coming to town

Saturday night was the Gahanna Lights Parade.  We had some friends over for dinner and then headed over for the parade.  It was packed!  Nicole's family came, we met up with Jack's buddy and his family and Matt's Uncle John and his family came too.  It was a fun night and a great way to start out the Christmas season.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday to You

Happy Birthday dear Grammy Farmer

Happy Birthday to You!

Thanksgiving Pictures

Matt took Jack and Grant out hunting with the Winger men Thursday morning.  They didn't actually hunt, but they walked and they helped spot the poor unsuspecting birds.  Here they are: pheasants in one hand and the heads in the other:

Next comes the field dressing.  Roger took the boys through the whole process step by step.  I have to say it was pretty interesting.  He showed them the organs and explained how the wings worked.  Jack was the only one to stay till completion.

Next was the dinner.  Grant passed out on us.  He fell asleep right before lunch and slept for almost 3 hours!  When he woke up he wanted meatballs:o)  He would not eat any turkey because he thought the pheasant that was field-dressed just moments before was the turkey served for Thanksgiving dinner.

Jack captured some moments:

After lunch we headed to "the falls" for a hike.

 

The last pic is of Jack's drawing at the farmhouse, an FBI helicopter: