Merry Christmas

Snowflakes for Sandy Hook

On day 7 of our countdown to Christmas, I posted about a blizzard of snowflakes that Felicia had been making. She enjoyed doing it so much that she still continues to create even more. We've hung some throughout the house and still have a pile left. I've been wondering what to do with the rest of them when I came across the Snowflakes for Sandy Hook campaign.

The children of Sandy Hook will be returning to a completely different school and the Connecticut PTSA is asking for help to create a winter wonderland in their new school. If you would like to join in you can send snowflakes to:

 Connecticut PTSA

 60 Connolly Parkway, Building 12, Suite 103

 Hamden, CT  06514

For more ways to help, please visit Connecticut PTSA.

 

Heartbroken.

As I got on the computer this morning to continue our 25 days of Christmas posts, I learned of the horrific tragedy unfolding in Connecticut. Suddenly, my recipe for Christmas cookies and our elf craft seemed so insignificant. My mind raced trying to grasp the reality of what had happened. Having two kids in elementary school made this feel so close to us even though it was not even in our state. I felt the overwhelming desire to pick my kids up at school and never let them out of my sight again. 

Over the next few days, while we are preparing for our holiday celebrations, so many parents will be planning funerals for children whose lives were taken in this senseless act. My heart is heavy. In light of this, I will be taking a break from posting for a few days out of respect for the victims and their families. 

Give your kids some extra hugs and God bless.

 

A Joyful Noise {Day 12}

Cookies {Day 11}

Baking(and eating) cookies for the holidays is one of my favorite things to do! The only problem..with six kids they don't last long!

 

A Holiday Muffin Tin Meal {Day 10}

We are feeling quite festive around here lately so a Holiday Muffin Tin Meal was in order! Stella loved it as usual! Check out some more Muffin Tin meals here:

Stained Glass Ornaments {Day 9}

Making ornaments has always been a big deal for the kids. In the past, we baked salt dough ornaments and keepsake ornaments with their hand prints. Last year, after Christmas I found these Stained Glass Ornaments on clearance so I snatched them up and tucked them away for this year.

The girls have pulled them out several time throughout the year and asked to make them, but I kept telling them they had to wait! So finally the time had come to make them and they were excited...maybe too excited. They are not something that can be hurried. The beads are tiny and the spaces to fill are not very big either. It's delicate work!

Madelyn had just finished hers when Felicia bumped the tray and she had to start all over again. Felicia was upset and gave up.

But in the end, she was happy to see them finished. 

Even though the girls had a few moments of frustration while making them, they did turn out quite nice!

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree {Day 8}

Today was the day...we were going on a quest!

Some too short...

But this one was...

Snowflakes {Day 7}

 Every year we haul out a pile of coffee filters, scissors and liquid starch and cover our windows with paper snowflakes. Felicia has especially taken a liking to this activity and has been making a "blizzard" of snowflakes! (I guess she'll stop when she runs out of coffee filters) You can learn how to make them here and if you would like to to turn them into a nice gift, check out this post.

Pizza and The Polar Express {Day 6}

The 25 Days of Christmas on ABC Family is the best! Tonight we are watching the Polar Express with a blanket spread out on the floor where we are dining on pizza. Best moment all day long! 

Toilet Paper Roll Snowman {Day 5}

We've recently had a few unseasonably warm days, but we are still holding out hope for a white Christmas. However, if Mother Nature fails us, we can still have a cute snowman!

   Just grab a toilet paper roll and paint it white. While it's drying, braid a few strands of yarn to make a scarf. After the paint is dry, draw a face on your snowman.

Add a hat and the scarf and you have yourself a sweet little snowman!

Cookie Cutter Prints {Day 4}

Painting with cookie cutters is such a simple and fun way to decorate for Christmas. Felicia and Madelyn made these to hang on the wall, but you can use the same technique to make your very own wrapping paper! Just print on some freezer paper. Easy peasy!

Handprint Reindeer~Countdown to Christmas {Day 3}

Tonight we made a classic craft, hand print reindeer, while watching a classic movie, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. I can't believe that a movie I enjoyed as a little girl is now a favorite of my own kids. I also can't believe that I have been making hand print reindeer with my own kids for almost 20 years! It just doesn't seem possible!

Countdown To Christmas {Day 2}

Countdown To Christmas {Day 1}

The Christmas season is such a busy time. I feel like, in years past, it has gone by so fast the we hardly had time to enjoy it. This year, I am making an effort to slow things down a bit and savor every moment. Tonight we kicked off our holiday countdown by helping to decorate our church. The girls were delighted to get together with friends while hanging lights, bows, and
ornaments. After the work was finished we all sat down together for some pizza and fellowship. It was a good night!

My Three Chefs

Felicia, Madelyn, and Stella. Thanksgiving 2012

The Snowy Day

We awoke to a wintery day....

and this little one was delighted to play until her fingers were chilled.

All while the big kids went off to school. Bummer for them!

Tap, Tap, Tap...Is This Thing On?

Yikes! Has it really been that long since I updated my blog? My apologies! The phrase "busy Mom" comes to mind, but in reality, ALL Moms are BUSY! So I guess that is not really a good enough excuse. Forgive me?

We've been having lots of fun around here with school activities, girl scouts, prepping for the holidays, and all the normal stuff of life. And to be honest, I am most thankful for the "normal" part of our lives now. After the last year of doctor visits and cancer treatments, it's refreshing to just fall back into our normal routines. So, I've been neglecting my little space of the blogosphere. But not for long....

Two Ghouls, a Bug, and a Witch Named Sandy

The scariest part of our week so far was a witch named "Sandy". Not knowing what she had in store for us and waiting for her to arrive was a bit unnerving. The kids had no school on Monday and Tuesday while we weathered the storm and in the end, we had lots of rain and only a little bit of wind. We were lucky. Many were not so lucky and we are praying for those who have lost so much. Sandy was one mean witch!

Wednesday brought us to some Halloween fun. The girls had a Girl Scout party and then we trekked through town (in the rain) for some trick or treating. It was cold...and wet...and fun.

These are my ghoulish girls, Felicia and Madelyn. They have now passed the age of dressing up as princesses and have moved on to the dark side. 

 

Stella, on the other hand, can still be dressed in something sweet and cute. A ladybug is what she was. Although if you ask her, she will tell you she was a bed bug. If all bed bugs were so cute, everyone would want them! 

How was your Halloween?

Thankful Thursday

  I've always considered myself a fairly optimistic person. You know, glass half full and all that jazz. But occasionally, even I get the feeling that things are just not going my way. Medical bills piling up, a sink full of dirty dishes, mountains of laundry, and toys that never seem to make it back to the the toy box. My days are often so busy that I can't remember the last time I actually sat done and did nothing. It's at times like this, that I start looking for the positive in every thing I do. The things that I am thankful for.

  Huge medical bills remind me that I am a cancer SURVIVOR! Without them, I wouldn't be able to say that. Dirty dishes in the sink mean that we have food in our bellies. Mountains of laundry show me that we are blessed to have clothes on our backs, and toys all over the floor, well that is my favorite. Those toys are a reminder of how lucky I am to have a house full of STRONG and HEALTHY kids! I am quite blessed!

So, today I am thankful for a lot of things! Here are just a few:

• The fall leaves that blanket my front yard.

• My girls' pumpkin creations.

•  My sweet Stella and her free spirited way of always wanting to wear her shoes on the wrong feet.

 So tell me, what are you thankful for today?

High on Fall

 ***Saturday***

Once again Mother Nature has dipped her paint brush in all of my favorite colors and painted the perfect portrait. Fall is here and I couldn't be happier! We added and checked off a new event to our fall bucket list, thanks to the Girl Scouts, a train ride through some beautiful fall foliage.

It was the first time we had taken the train ride, but it certainly will not be the last! The kids found excitement in the simplest things. Having their tickets punched brought out giggles from all and let’s not forget the thrill of using the bathroom on a moving train. Now that was a big deal. trust me!

Stella clutched her ticket like it was a $100 bill and she made sure she showed it to everyone.










Needless to say, it was a pleasure to spend the day with this fabulous group of girls.

  

 ***Sunday***

My favorite fall activity is our annual picnic in the mountains.
I missed it last year because I was sick.
I was bummed.
I was not going to miss it this year.

As usual, Poppy made too much food. To be more specific, too much baked beans. (although they were delicious)

The theme of the day...

Leaves, Leaves, Leaves!

We had a great day and we came home with only one pair of wet shoes this year. A record for sure.

There really is nothing
 that makes
 me happier than  this...

Happy Fall!

Bad Things {Wordless Wednesday}

A Few of Her Favorite Things {Muffin Tin Monday}

Today is Monday and Mondays are made for Muffin Tin Meals! The truth is, I've been slacking in the muffin tin meal making department. :( However, my girls love them and so do I, so we are back on MTM wagon! On Friday, I surprised my big girls with a muffin tin meal in their lunch boxes. It was a big hit, but I forgot to take a picture of it before sending them off to school. I just put some silicone muffin cups in a plastic sandwich container, added the food, and put the lid on top. It worked beautifully for the perfect muffin tin on the go. I'm sure we'll be making many more of those!

Today, I made Stella a tin with a few of her favorite things.

She had Goldfish crackers, applesauce, a Minnie Mouse pb&j sandwich, gummie snacks, tomatoes, and yogurt with rainbow sprinkles (because everything is better with rainbow sprinkles). As usual it was a winner and she ate everything!

Check out some more Muffin Tin Meals here:

Frank and Jack

Paper plates are one of my favorite materials to use when making crafts with toddlers. They make a sturdy surface to paint and glue on and we always have some hanging around. 

For "Frank", Stella painted the plate green and I cut the top to make his flat head. I then put some glue on for Stella to add the eyes and other parts that I cut from construction paper. Easy peasy!

"Jack" was made the same way only this time, I let Stella use a glue stick to attach the face. I don't often let her use a glue stick because sometimes, she likes to use it as lipstick. But, this time she DIDN'T glue her lips together.