My Little Loves

Holidays...

We have had a wonderful past few months full of good times with family and friends.  My parents and brother's family were supposed to come down to spend Thanksgiving with us but unfortunately that didn't work out.  Instead our friends came over and we indulged not in a turkey feast but in homemade pizzas and salad.  Not a lot of preparation was required and it was relaxing and low key.  I loved that about it.  I told Nissa that we should start a new tradition and do that every year but she said no, she wants a turkey.  We don't even eat meat and she wants the Norman Rockwell Thanksgiving...oh well...I tried!

We didn't have snow in the forcast for Christmas to which Nissa repeatedly replied that it was going to be the worst Christmas ever.  In her mind snow and Christmas are synonymous.  Another fact that added to her dismay was that we were set to spend this holiday by ourselves.  Little did she know that my parents would be coming to surprise her and stay that Friday to Christmas eve.  They arrived at our doorstep with blinking red nose pieces and antler headbands.  The look on the kids faces was priceless!

Granny love...

I didn't buy many new decorations this year.  Some years I feel like getting all new things but this year I loved up on my old things.  For the past several years Nissa and Boden have each had a wreath hanging on their bedroom doors that they get to decorate (usually with homemade painted gingerbread salt dough men and such) but this year we included some trees in their rooms.

Ryan made this Charlie Brown tree for Boden out of some old fake greenery.  If you look closely you will see my sons choices of "ornaments" ranging from a red hot wheels car to a scorpion and lizard...

Nissa wanted...what else?...sparkly pink!...

We made lots of Christmas cookies this year.  I know most people make a variety of them but we stuck to gingersnaps.  I made about five batches of them!  They are just about the best super soft and delicious cookies I have ever tasted!  Here is the recipe if you are interested.

Making cookies after Christmas around two in the afternoon (vegan chocolate chip this time)....and still in our jammies...

I let the kiddos shape them this time around...

I was all set and determined to send out some Christmas photo cards and had some artsy photography shots planned in my head.  I was going to put our little red table with chairs out on the trail behind our house and have the kids wear their santa hats and show lots of love to each other.  Well...it was soggy and Boden didn't want to step in the grass to get to the trail so he started to get upset.  I put the table on the patio and while Nissa fully cooperated, Boden had tears and wanted to go inside.   Here is what we ended up with for the now defunct card...

Sweetest girl...

Boden is his element....tool box, tool book, battery in pants pocket...

Now this is more like it...

On Christmas eve before heading to our 7 o'clock church service we had candlelight dinner by the tree and fireplace.  More homemade pizza (Nissa's request) and salad.  Boden ate a car...no...just popcorn with apple juice...

One of the best parts of Christmas for me is the pure excitement on the kids faces...

See?....we have been having a great time!  Looking forward to what lies ahead in this new year while  remembering the past year that had been filled with too many blessings to count.  God has been so good to us.

Oh and we did finally get snow...about a week after Christmas...

One room schoolhouse...

I believe one of the best things about homeschooling is the idea of the one room schoolhouse.  Students of all ages schooling together.  The younger can learn alongside the older and the older can benefit by reviewing as they help the younger.  My Classical Conversations group had a field trip to an actual one room schoolhouse and was treated to a day of instruction from the year 1892...

It began with the ringing of the school bell outside while the students lined up with their basket lunches...

Nissa brought cornbread wrapped in a napkin and an apple...

Boys on one side...

Girls on the other...

 

Nissa's name was Anna for the day.  Anna was an actual student at that time.  The teacher later told us what each child had grown up to do.  Anna had married a preacher and moved out west to raise a family as a minister's wife.

The student's made paper cups to drink water at lunch...

And you knew that they had to have one of these back then...

This student was caught putting snakes and bugs in the teacher's desk so he was rebuked and placed in the corner...

Trick or treat...

 The yellow swallowtail butterfly and the "copper"....

Nissa's costume was a team effort.  Ryan made Nissa's wings and I made the dress. 

Front....

and back...

Boden originally requested to be a dollar bill though as intriguing as a project that might have been, I decided to check out Kmart and see what they had in the pre-made section.  I saw this little buff cop suit and literally bursted out laughing in the aisle!  Check out Boden's big muscles.  How about those six pack abs...literally...six encased panels of stuffing!  Can you see that one big muscle on the side of his elbow?  Hmm...didn't know you could pump that muscle up.  Maybe that is where you store your smokes.

Front...

and back...

 

Ryan is a coach (see the clipboard and vest).  He bought that vest for his coach costume at Goodwill but has worn that thing every time he goes to golf so when he came down in that outfit it wasn't a change from what he usually has been wearing!  Ok so he has a clipboard....

I am a groovy go-go dancer!  After one loop around the neighbor in that thing I was shivering so I sat and handed out candy with my girlfriend while the boys went around again.  There was another little girl who also had my outfit on!  She was only three years old though and rocked it way better than me!

Happenings...

Wow it has been awhile since I have posted anything.  Nearly everyday I have the plan to pop my camera's memory card into the computer, choose some great pictures and write something on this blog to accompany them.  Time seems to have moved fast this summer and early fall.  Homeschool has begun and with one year under my belt I feel things are working smoother.   Life just seems so busy though I know we all feel that way with each of our own lives.  I'm trying to relax...slow down...live in the moment and enjoy what I have.  Fall is a great time to do that.

So what have we been up to?

Hitting the local apple orchards...

Sending up balloons for Mae's birthday...

Losing a nail from being slammed in the car door..."but it growing back - see?"...

Getting good sleep...

Going to preschool two days a week...

Going on a surprise mommy-daughter Disney trip.  Complete with first airplane ride...

Face painting at Animal Kingdom...

One of a few self taken pictures of us.  Nissa did not want to have our picture taken so I did my best.  I asked her if she wanted one in front of the castle but she was not interested in that either.  She told me she'll remember the castle in her mind...not in a picture...

Disney'd out for the return trip...

Me and my girl...

Snapshots...

Just wanted to share a few things we've been up to lately.

Identifying trees...

Painting with friends...

Golfing with daddy...

I marked their balls so we know the appropriate owner...

Falling sleep with your leg in the popcorn bowl...

Wheeeeeee!!....

Chillin' with some garlic bread and cheese-its...

We have just been enjoying our recent rhythm that has us moving back and forth from the cool oasis of home and playing at various parks.  It's been really hot and muggy here over the past few weeks but we've managed to hit a park almost every day.  I love how the heat doesn't bother the kids like it does me...wish I could be more like them in that aspect.  We head out in the mid morning so we don't sweat too bad.  We've been having a great time trying to find 10 new (not only new but good) parks to go to this summer that Nissa put on our summer list.  We found one that they really like so they have been wanting to go back to that one more often.  Hey...it's all about the fun!

The list...

What's on your list this summer?

(click on picture to enlarge)

Nissa, Boden and I sat down in early June and came up with a list of things we would like to do this summer.  We've been able to check off many of the activities so far.  I was surprised that they didn't come up with any really crazy ideas.  Boden's contributions were "play toys poop" and "play swords".  So far my favorite activities that we've been able to check off have been camping outside (in our backyard) and making candy (homemade marshmallows) that we roasted over the fire on a 90+ degree day.  It was so hot they could have easily melted on their own but we roasted them nonetheless and made smores....wow were they good...mmm..

Our homeschool room...

This extra room in our house was originally my sewing/craft room but our needs have changed over the past year.  After deciding to homeschool and spending the first half of the year downstairs doing our work at the family kitchen table, I realized that it would be much more beneficial and fun for Nissa to have a space that she could call her own.  I broke out the yellow paint and went to work making this place as special as I could...

table and hutch - antique mall

chairs - ikea

task lamp - vintage

map - Barnes and Noble

I did a little tweeking of the room to keep a sewing nook.  I hope to teach Nissa how to use my machine this year with hopes that she will enjoy making things with her hands as much as I do.  I keep a basket of things nearby to keep Boden busy while we are doing lessons...

farm table - antique mall

chair - antique

brown/white gingham curtains - Land of Nod

lamp -Urban Outfitters

thread holders - JoAnn Fabrics

alarm clock - Land of Nod

Other side of the room houses the whiteboard...not too exciting to include a picture of!

Summer fun...

Just a few random scenes from some of our recent summer days...

Silly faces...

My sweet girl...

Love this little man...

Showing off that he just learned how to give a 'thumbs-up'...

Getting dressed up by your sister in fairy clothes and having a smile on your face (blackmail pictures for later)...

Summer vacation...

This year we took our first family vacation....our destination being a small family lake cabin in the northwest corner of Iowa on the border of Minnesota.  We decided to drive with the knowledge of making overnight stops at my parents in Chicago and the in-laws in Iowa before the four hour trek to the cabin.

In Chicago we stopped at Santa's Village.  This place has been around for such a long time...my mom remembers going there as do I.  It was closed down for quite awhile and just reopened a month before our visit.  It is such a cute little park filled with kitchy north-pole style buildings.  I love being able to go to a place that caters only to younger kids.  No big roller coasters....just lots of fun vintagey rides for the little ones.  We adults enjoyed ourselves as well!

Say cheese!...

the big Santa slide...

Boden is serious about his rides...

Riding horses...

Petting zoo...

A stop for ice cream and treats of course...which became a daily occurance...

On our way to the in-laws we made a pit stop for lunch and in the parking lot was a neat racing car on a trailer.  The owner proudly showed off his car and kindly allowed Boden to take to the wheel.

Acting a little shy at first...

After filling our bellies we headed off to the lake.  This is where we landed for five days...

Making sand castles...

Lots of laughs at Arnolds Park...especially the fun house...

Canoing....just Nissa and the guys...

After Boden got wind of the ride he, of course, wanted in on it so Granny Donny suited him up...

His enthusiasm waned after he got in the canoe.  He looked like this as they set off...

Swinging on the beach...

 

Everyone wants a turn in the most comfortable spot in the backyard...the hammock...

 

Fishin'...

and more fishin'...

I'm off to go running on a beautiful trail that meandered in meadows by a farm with wildflowers spilling over the path.  It was like being in a dream.  But first I have to take the little  man over to check out the frogs and carp...

Airing out her blankets on the clothesline...

 Best buddies...

Playing ball with Great Grandpa...

 

Listening to great stories from Great Grandpa Donald...

Still small enough to fit in the sink for a scrub down from Granny.  Don't mind those sharp knives right above his head..yikes!...we had that later taken down before one dropped and cut off a butt cheek...

Quieting down after a long day of outdoor play...

The thing about vacations for me is that they give me time to think about life and remember how grateful I am for my family.  The kids wanted to spend lots of their time with their grandparents and I'm glad for that.  The kids are so blessed to have wonderful grandparents that love them, spend time with them and teach them things along the way.  Boden and Nissa camped on the beach with Gramps and learned how to tie knots.  They read books and painted toe nails.  Ryan played lots of golf and I finished a book, went running and spent time in antique shops.  It was probably one of my best vacations ever.

First race...

Nissa ran her first race this Saturday!  I signed her and I up for a 5k run that benefited the local humane society.  It was at a park near our home that we had actually never even been to.  You know how that goes...you never go to the interesting places right in your neighborhood.  It was a neat course...over many bridges and through wooded trails.  It was a rainy morning but that didn't stop us...

Nissa told me she didn't know what to expect in a race.  She really believed that we could win too.  I told her 'we need to be like the tortoise...slow and steady wins the race'....but she gunned it at the beginning and we walked and jogged most of it which was perfectly fine with us.  Even though we didn't come close to winning....actually we accidentally cheated in the end and cut some corners on the race course...oops!...but we knew the person running the event so he didn't care.  We had such a great time together.  I loved my alone time with her.  We laughed, talked, and just had a blast.

The gal who won the race gave Nissa her 1st place ribbon (she is our neighbor's daughter and wins pretty much all the races she runs in) and told her that she deserved it for doing a great job in her first race.  Nissa wore that necklace all day long...

Maybe I'll have a new running buddy in a few years...