Advent Calendar--Day 24 (Christmas Eve)

This deserves a post all by itself.  Our Christmas Eve tradition is gyoza night with the Mecham's.  Grandpa served his mission in Japan and learned how to make gyoza (pot stickers).  We all get together and help make this yummy dinner. 

After dinner, Grandma and the kids made Christmas mice out of cherries and kisses. 

After some visiting, we had a Christmas program.  Some of the kids played a Christmas song on the piano and some sang.  I think it is so funny that Faythe joined Jeremiah's family in their song.  Then we opened presents.  We got a lot of fun games and a new family Book of Mormon.  This night was also when we presented Grandma and Grandpa with our service project. 

Another Christmas Eve tradition is new pajamas for the kids.  They love this.

Art Class

A mom from our homeschool group offered to teach a 4-week art class for the kids.  She took a class from the Phoenix Art Museum and got posters of art work and activity ideas.  She taught the classes back in November on landscape, texture, portraits and still life.  The kids had fun and learned a lot. 

landscape art

still-life art

Advent Calendar--Days 22 & 23

Day 22--Pretzel Wreaths.  Take 7 twisty pretzels and "glue" them together in a circle with melted white chocolate.  Top melted chocolate with chocolate candies or red hots.  Embelish with fruit leather. 

Day 23--Draw a Christmas picture and write about it.  We didn't do this activity either, but we did a journal writing prompt about our favorite Christmas memory.  I wrote about when my seminary class adopted a family and we did the 12 days of Christmas with them.  The kids wrote about favorite presents and favorite vacations. 

Advent Calendar--Days 20 & 21

Day 20--Braedi's activity day program.  Braedi and her friends from activity days put on a cute Christmas program.  They told jokes, acted out stories, sang songs and shared treats.  Braedi was super nervous, but after a little practice she felt better and the girls did a good job. 

Day 21--Christmas story and activity.  This is another activity that got away from me.  I don't think we read more than 3 Christmas stories all month.  Too bad!

Advent Calendar--Days 18 & 19

Day 18--Christmas Packet.  I said before that the kids didn't like the packets I put together so I had to change this activity.  We re-watched the bible stories shown at the Christmas devotional and a few other mormon messages.  The kids loved the one about the boy who gave away his coat. 

While I was at a meeting Jonathan and the kids carved our pumpkin.  I had one pumpkin that grew before the frost came, but I didn't plant soon enough to have them grown before Halloween.  I promised the kids that we could carve this one anyway, even though it was late.  They carved a Christmas tree on the pumpkin. 

Day 19--Nativity Scene.  It seems like the month just got so busy.  We never did the nativity as a family.  We did it with our cousins at the various activities, but not at home.  I did find some really cute printables, though.

Advent Calendar--Days 14 &15

Day 14--Make presents for grandparents.  I found a link for cute Christmas tree ornaments that the kids could make.  Take oven hardening clay and roll it out to 1/4 inch.  Use Christmas cookie cutters to make a shape then use your thumb to make a design.  Some of the kids just did a thumbprint and some used their thumbprints to make reindeer or snowmen.  Use a straw to poke a hole near the top.  Then bake the clay according to directions.  Use a crayon to color the thumbprint then add ribbon or yarn for hanging.  The kids also made cards that said "Thumb-body loves you!" 

Day 15--Service Project.  This activity actually took several days.  Every year we do a service project for Jack and Lola in lieu of presents.  I love this!  Christy came up with the idea--her family crocheted beanies and my family made goodie bags and then we delivered them to the Cancer Center in Goodyear.  Then we presented Jack and Lola with a picture collage and a letter explaining what we did.  Here's a copy of the letter:

To: Jack and Lola OR Mom and Dad OR Grandma and Grandpa

From: Jeremiah and Christy and Matthew, Spencer, Maggie and Kendal AND Jonathan and Ashlee and Braedi, Corbin, Dyllan, Ephram and Faythe

Merry Christmas!

Both of our families have been touched by cancer this past year.  Because of this, we decided to do our annual service project in honor of our friends and family members affected by that horrible disease.   We wanted to help comfort the patients at the Cancer Treatment Center in Goodyear.  Jeremiah and Christy’s family crocheted and loomed beanies and Jonathan and Ashlee’s family made goodie bags.  Then we delivered the items to the Cancer Center.  We also sent packages (beanies, goodie bags and notes from the kids) to our Aunts and Uncles who live out of state. 

 

We look forward to finding ways to serve others and especially love being able to do these projects together.  Thank you for reminding us of the true meaning of the Christmas season.

Love,

Your Family

In honor of: Shawna Gross, Aunt Brenda Burton, Robert Hoops and many others

Advent Calendar--Days 13 & 14

Day 13--Tortilla Snowflakes.  We've DONE paper snowflakes and I wanted something new.  Tortilla snowflakes were a fun substitute.  We cut a warm tortilla into a snowflake shape then fried it in a little oil.  I tried toasting it instead to be healthier, but it didn't work.  Then we sprinkled the snowflakes with powdered sugar.  They were super yummy!

Day 14--Watch a Christmas Movie.  We got our pjs on and watched A Christmas Carol.  It was a different version, but we enjoyed comparing it to the book. 

Advent Calendar--Days 11 & 12

I'm a little behind and to be honest not every day got done, but I'll share the ideas. . .

Day 11--Christmas Packet.  I found several websites with worksheets and Christmas activities.  I put together packets for them to work on thinking it would be a good quiet Sunday activity.  Too bad the kids weren't interested. 

Day 12--Family Home Evening on the Christmas Symbols.  We ended up doing this earlier in the day as part of our devotional.  I found a site with information on the symbols and some pictures.  I hid the pictures around the room and as the kids found them we talked about what they meant.

Advent Calendar--Days 9 &10

Day 9--deliver Christmas goody plates
Last year after Christmas, my friend gave me a bunch of holiday plates so I used those to put all or our goodies on.  Then we put the plates in Ziploc bags and attached a label saying who it was from.  We made a list of who to deliver plates to (primary teachers, home teaching families, presidency members, etc).  and loaded up the van. 

Day 10--Christmas packet
I wanted a quiet activity for Sunday mornings.  I found some fun Christmas worksheets on-line, printed them off and made packets.

Advent Calendar--Days 7 & 8

Days 7 and 8--Make Christmas goodies.  I knew this would take more than 1 day. . .
We went to my sister's house and she helped me make cake balls.  (I will never make these again!  They are more work than they are worth.)  We also made cookies and chocolate candies. 

Garden Update

I am pleased at how well my garden has been doing this season.  I've gotten several green peppers, some cucumbers, a pumpkin, radishes, beans, some herbs, and a few carrots.

We had a couple of nights of frost and I covered my plants, but the frost still got through and killed my bean plants, tomatoes, squash, and cucumbers.  Thankfully everything else is doing well. 

Corbin found one teeny-tiny pumpkin on the plant after the frost killed the vine.  He picked it and carved a mini-pumpkin.



United States--Idaho

On our trip to Idaho last week we learned that it is known as the gem state because more that 80 different kinds of precious stones are found there.  Idaho has the most white-water rivers in the United States.  Idaho is known for it's potato crop, but it also raises the most commercial trout than any other state. 

We decided to celebrate the Idaho spud and make some potato dishes. 

Idaho Pancakes
1 pound Idaho russet potatoes
1 c. chopped onion
2 Tbl. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 eggs, beaten
vegetable oil

Shred the potatoes, then wrap them in paper towels and squeeze to get any extra liquid out.  Mix potatoes, onion and flour.  Add salt, pepper, and eggs.  Mix well.  Put a little oil in skillet over medium heat.  For each pancake, put 1/2 cup of the potato mixture in the skillet, and spread it out to about 4-6 inches.  Cook on one side till brown (about 5 minutes).  Turn it over and brown the other side.

We ate them with ketchup, but a friend recommended eating them with applesauce or sour cream. 

Microwave Potato Chips

potato
vegetable spray
salt or other seasonings (we like seasoned salt)

Thinly slice potatoes and place on a microwave safe plate.  Lightly spray with vegetable spray and sprinkle with salt.  Cook in microwave for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes.  Turn potato slices over and cook for additional 2 minutes. 

Advent Calendar--Days 5 and 6

Day 5--Decorate the Christmas tree. 

Day 6--Christmas story and activity.  I recently found a blog dedicated to picture books.  We read the book Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree and made paper trees. 

Ugly Sweater Party

Jonathan and I were invited to an Ugly Sweater Party by some friends in the ward.  The kids and I went to the Goodwill to find some ugly sweaters.  Anything that I picked as ugly they thought was cute.  I finally settled on a pink sweater with turquoise birds and glitter branches for me and and ugly golf sweater for Jonathan.  The night of the party, Ephram came up to me and said "That's not ugly!"  It's just the beginning of the differing tastes of parents and kids.  We also found an turtle neck for Jonathan to wear and a wig. 

At the party we visited with other ugly sweater wearers, ate food, and played a fun game of thrift gift exchange.  Jonathan and I made out with a lot of junk gifts!  A lot of it will go back to Goodwill, but Jonathan likes the toaster oven and the kids love the singing frog.  It was a fun night.

Corbin's Baptism

Corbin was baptised last Saturday.  He was so excited.  In fact he has been looking forward to his baptism since before he was 7.  He shared the special day with 2 friends.  A lot of our extended family was able to come and share in experience.  After the baptism we invited everyone over to our tiny house and had food and visited.  I'm so proud of Corbin making his choice to be baptised. 

Corbin's new suit--he almost didn't get a suit.
We had to search all over and finally got a great
deal at Kohl's.

Corbin and his dad

Lindy, Corbin and Xander

Advent Calendar--Days 3 and 4

Day 3--Christmas craft.  The kids took Christmas stencils and chalk and drew pictures on the back patio.

Day 4--Watch the first presidency broadcast.  I loved the music and the stories told by the presidency and the video. 

Advent Calendar--Days 1 and 2

Every year, at Christmas time, the kids and I do an advent calendar.  I make a calendar and each day we do a Christmas activity. 

Day 1--Drink hot chocolate and sing Christmas songs.

Day 2--Memorize a Christmas scripture.
Luke 2: 7
And she brought forth her first born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for him in the inn. 

Dyllan's New Hair

Dyllan has been growing her hair long so that she could donate it.  It has taken a long time, but finally it was long enough.  I was glad that it was because I have wanted to do something different with her hair ever since the comb got stuck and we had to cut her bangs.  This new style looks super cute with her bangs and looks good on her, too.

Sound

The other day, Braedi and I were looking through a science experiment book.  She decided that she wanted to make a string telephone.  We made one and I was surprised at how well it worked.  The book gave a simple explanation of how it worked--sound travels better through solid objects.  Speaking into a cup makes the cup vibrate, which makes the string vibrate.  The vibrations travel along the string to the other cup and reproduces the sound.  The process was fascinating to me! 

Rachel DeMille (in the Home-Companion) talks about teaching kids what is "mine".  I wanted to learn more about how sound worked so I pulled some more experiment books off the shelf and looked through the Core Knowledge books and some body books and started teaching the kids about sound.  Braedi had the most fun with it (besides me) and we learned a lot. 

Our first experiment had to do with seeing sound.  We covered a bowl with saran wrap and put a few grains of barley on top then hit a pan close to the bowl.  The sound waves were supposed to make the plastic wrap shake and barely move, but the barely was too heavy.  So, we redid it with sand.  This time it worked!

We tried some experiments with pitch and loudness and location of sound.  We talked about the speed of sound and tried to find a good video of a sonic boom.  We even blew out a candle using sound.

WE talked about our ears and our voice box and how sounds are heard and made.  We tried to make sounds bounce, but weren't successful.  We also made a banger.  Jonathan couldn't believe that I taught the kids how to make these because he remembered them being loud and annoying, but these weren't very loud. 

I love days like these.