Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... The sun is shining brightly, and it's chilly.

I am thinking... about the realities of life.

I am thankful ... that my children are not some of the millions who are without food or a home. We have been watching lots of news stories about children living in their cars, working families not making enough to pay for food, etc. And we live in abundance.

I am wearing... OSU t-shirt layered over a black burnout shirt, black yoga pants, Nike's.

I am planning...  our Homeschool Co-op parents' Christmas party that is this Saturday.
 

I am creating... Rick's Ugly Christmas sweater for the party, and snowflake placemat pillows.

I am going... to take Crusoe for a walk at lunchtime instead of going this morning when it was about 30 degrees (that's what we did yesterday ... brrrrr).

I am reading...  Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Dawson's read-a-loud), The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright.

I am hoping... for a joyful Christmas season.

From the learning rooms... We went and toured the replicas of the Nina and Pinta yesterday, and it was very cool! This week we are back into the books. But Brynne is starting her Christmas units.

Noticing that ... I am so much leaner as a result of my eating and exercising habits and logging them on My Fitness Pal. The pones are GONE!

From the kitchen... Tonight we are having Skinny Spinach Pasta. Tomorrow is Fend For Yourself and Wine Wednesday. Thursday we are having Turkey Pot Pie (leftovers). Friday it's Burgers. On Saturday we are having a Christmas party, so we'll be eating appetizers and desserts and ordering pizza for our kids. On Sunday we'll have Calzones. And on Monday I am planning Meatball Subs.

Around the house... it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

One of my favorite things... is the results of Christmas decorating. The decorating itself stinks!

A few plans for the rest of the week... Mostly this week we will be just doing the norms: school, Kyndal working, Rick back to work. Then this weekend we are having a Christmas party for our Homeschool Co-op parents. And we'll be watching the OSU/OU Bedlam game.

From my picture journal.

Our field trip yesterday to the Nina and Pinta.

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Decorating for Christmas

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you probably know what a scrooge I am and how I detest decorating for Christmas! In fact, last year, we only put up our stockings, and put up our tree on December 23rd.

Now, lest you feel the need to leave me a nasty comment, I had a reason why we didn't put up our tree until right before Christmas.

Brynne and I read the book An Early American Christmas by Tomie DePaola last year. Feeling a little world-weary, reading this book and about the simplicity of the colonial traditional Christmas spoke to me. It actually made me smile and feel immense peace. So, we had an old-fashioned Christmas last year. All of our decorations were homemade (except for the stockings.)

You can read most of my posts on this by going to this link. (And I recommend you do it. It was amazing!)

Part of the old-fashioned Christmas included buying a ball and burlap tree so that after Christmas we could plant it in our backyard. We honestly thought it would die, but it made it through the record snows this past winter and the record heat this summer. We want to do this same thing again this year. But with a ball and burlap tree, you can't keep it up very long.

Eli's birthday is on December 22nd, so this actually worked out great! We could concentrate on his birthday and then on the 23rd we put up the tree and started getting ourselves ready for Christmas.

And that is what we are planning to do this year, too.

But instead of an old-fashioned Christmas, we decided to do our traditional decorations, including house lights (we didn't even do that last year.)

Since most of my family was gone this Thanksgiving break, I had time to put up our decorations. I will admit, I still didn't enjoy it. But, I think the glass of wine helped somewhat. I got everything up in record time (except for the tree and outside decorations that will be done a bit later.)

The house looks great. The kids are happy. And I am relieved that we are ready to start the Christmas season.

Happy

Although our main intention was to spend as much time this weekend relaxing in our jammies, today was the one day we planned to be out of the house.

We started our day by going to see Happy Feet Two. I really enjoyed it, although it wasn't as good as the first one, in my humble opinion. As a family, we loooove Happy Feet. So, it had a lot to live up to. It didn't quite make it, but having Pink replace Brittany Murphy as Gloria was a wonderful addition. Her singing was amazing!

After the movie, we went to our local McDonald's for lunch. Let me tell you briefly about our McDonald's. It is owned by the Rich family. They are outstanding people! This summer they tore down the McDonald's and rebuilt it from the ground up. During that time of construction, they paid their employees their normal hourly wages for every hour they volunteered at local non-profit organizations. I happily support their McDonald's franchise.

Then it was time to grocery shop. Eli hates to do anything outside of our house, so I was so happy that our shopping went off without a hitch. Eli and Brynne really are two of the most well-behaved children I have ever been around. I am always so proud to take them places. And the stores were busy because it was Black Friday afternoon. But I didn't have to worry about them misbehaving. I really never do. We completed our shopping and picked up a pizza for dinner.

The kids got to bed at a decent time, and I have sat on the couch, happy as a clam, watching a Storage Wars marathon. You're jealous, I know.

Tomorrow we ARE going to stay in our jammies all day. I am planning an interval housecleaning/relaxing day. That means I'll do one housecleaning duty then relax for a bit watching a show I have DVR'd. Then I'll do another housecleaning duty and then relax. And so on. This is my favorite kind of day. I get a lot done but also get a lot of relaxing done, too. I end up feeling productive and re-energized!

And on Sunday? It's time to get out the Christmas decorations. The tree waits until December 23rd, the day after Eli's birthday, but the rest will get put up on Sunday (hopefully). This year I have more pressure because we are having a Christmas party here next weekend.

Have a great weekend!

I Like Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving Day

I hope that your family had as nice a Thanksgiving as me and my little turkeys.

We had a low-key day, with Brynne not feeling well this morning. We just watched the parade and the dog show on t.v., played, did some cleaning, and fixed Thanksgiving dinner.

Brynne sang us a Thanksgiving song before we ate, and I videoed it. But I haven't been able to get it to download anywhere. Frustrating. It is so funny because as I scan over to Eli, he is wincing and making the most hilarious disgusted face. Wish you could see it!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We missed you daddy, Kyndal, and Dawson.

Truly Thankful

I have much to be thankful for today, and I sit and reflect ...

I am thankful ... my husband is taking the time to reconnect with his family this week. They have not been close over the past several years, and was so nice to see him looking forward to spending time with them.

I am thankful ... that Kyndal and Dawson have such rich Thanksgiving traditions with their dad's family. I know they look forward to it every year. Their grandma is the best cook around.

I am thankful ... to be surrounded today by my two little sweet babies and all my doggies. I feel very loved and cherished.

I am thankful ... for the opportunity to see the true joy and excitement in my children while watching the iconic Macy's Day Parade and to hear Brynne proclaim, "That is the greatest thing I have ever watched!"

I am thankful ... for healthy children. As I watch the St. Jude's commercials, and nurse a sweet baby girl who is in bed with a rotten cold, I am thankful she is home with me being nursed instead of in a hospital somewhere with a terminal illness.

I am thankful ... for a beautiful and comfortable home.

I am thankful ... that my parents have their dream homes and are enjoying their pre-retirement this week at their home in Pensacola.

I am thankful ... for that home for us all to gather after Christmas, and am looking forward to seeing my brother and sister-in-law and having our whole family together for the first time in years!

I am thankful ... I actually was able to get ahold of my brother and wish him a Happy Thanksgiving. It was nice to talk to him!

I am thankful ... for the miracle of a new baby, and that my sister gets another opportunity with motherhood.

I am thankful ... for the opportunity to be able to stay home and teach my children, while at the same time pursuing a dream part-time career that I have always longed for.

I am thankful ... for a homeschooling community that is loving and encouraging and active.

I am thankful ... that my Aunt Rhonda's breast cancer scares are over and that she is now healthy again.

I am thankful ... that my grandmother is in a home where she is well taken care of and safe, and that her Medicaid went through this week and there is no threat of her being evicted.

I am thankful ... for my little church home and all it does for our community.

Have a blessed Thanksgiving, my friends.

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

~ "Count Your Blessings" by Johnson Oatman, Jr., and  Edwin Excell

Still Celebratin' Fall Around Here

I have started to see the Christmas lights going up on the houses (some are even on). Goodness knows the products have been in the stores since June. Christmas music, books, articles, and movies are permeating the senses at every turn. But, I am not ready to jump into it all quite yet.

It's still Fall around here. We still have some beautiful leaves on the trees (although not a lot). The temps are still fall-like. My pumpkins are still out, and my other fall decorations. I am still burning my pumpkin spice candles and reading about all there is to be thankful for. I am still teaching Thanksgiving to my kids.

And last weekend I made these cute leaf pillows that I stole from an idea at Or So She Says ... They were super easy and cheap. They are made from placemats at Walmart. And if you hurry, you might still be able to pick some up! They were on clearance.

If you can't find the leaves, and want to do the same thing with Christmas placemats, Walmart has the same type of placemats in the shapes of snowflakes for $2.98 each. I am going to buy them on Friday and make snowflake pillows. So pretty!

Nicole' Daybook

Outside my window... Cold and overcast, getting dark. Definitely fall.

I am thinking... about how I have been looking forward to having several days of quiet at home during this break, but now I am feeling a little sad that the majority of my family will not be here onThanksgiving. We'll make the most of it, though!!!!

I am thankful ... that my sister's baby she is expecting is healthy and strong.

I am wearing... Nike hoodie, jeans and tennis shoes.

I am planning...  a loving and meaningful Thanksgiving for Eli and Brynne.
 

I am creating... organized rooms in anticipation of the busy holidays.

I am going... to get out of my p.j.'s as infrequently as possible over the next five days.

I am reading...  Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (Dawson's read-a-loud), The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright, Thanksgiving on Thursday by Mary Pope Osborne (Eli and Brynne's break read-a-long).

I am hoping... that all of the members of my family have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

From the learning rooms... We focused on Thanksgiving this week, and also the discoveries of Christopher Columbus in anticipation of a field trip next Monday.

Noticing that ... before I started using MyFitnessPal, I was eating WAAAAYYYY more calories than I was supposed to in a day, even though the majority of it was healthy food. It's amazing to me to see the proper serving sizes of food.

From the kitchen... will be a roasting turkey in a couple of days, and some pumpkin pie.

Around the house... are thousands of black birds that are so loud they sound like a horror movie.

One of my favorite things... is getting my house completely organized and clean.

A few plans for the rest of the week... My family is dispersing for Thanksgiving this year. Eli, Brynne, and I will spend the holiday together at home. We are going to hear Brynne sing with her homeschool choir at the Community Center tomorrow morning, and we'll go see Happy Feet 2 at some point this weekend. But, mostly, we will be relaxing and enjoying some time off from school, and eating lots of turkey.

From my picture journal.

The Turkey plates Eli, Brynne and I made for all of the residents of my grandma's nursing home. They sayd, "I am thankful for your Legacy."

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Menu Plan Monday

This week will be a short week of real cooking, because the older kids leave on Tuesday afternoon to spend Thanksgiving with their dad and his family, and Rick is leaving Wednesday morning to spend an extended Thanksgiving with his family in Nevada. It will just be me and the littles for several days. Therefore, I won't be doing any heavy cooking.

Monday ~ Grilled pork chops, linguine and asparagus

Tuesday ~ Pork fajitas

Wednesday ~ Fend for Yourself

Thursday ~ Mini Thanksgiving Dinner: Turkey, noodles, biscuits, macaroni and cheese, and pumpkin pie (all requests of the kids)

Friday ~ Frozen lasagna

Saturday ~ Book-it pizzas from Pizza Hut

Sunday ~ Soup and sandwiches

I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, however you choose to spend it.

17

Seventeen years ago today, Kyndal reluctantly entered this world. She was 10 days late, and I forced her out by an induction. I hadn't dilated at all, my cervix had not thinned at all. She wasn't going anywhere! She was comfortable and planning to stay a while longer.

Yet, from the moment she was born, she has been charging forward, never happy being where she is. She is always moving toward the next step, with me holding on tight trying to keep her where she's supposed to be for a bit longer.

Last night Kyndal and I took a rare opportunity to spend some time alone together. We went out to eat and had a really great talk about her future plans. She is currently in Cosmotolegy school through Vo-Tech in high school. She plans to get her cosmo license, get some experience, and then open her own salon in the town where her dad is from. It's four hours away from here, but I have complete peace with it. I will miss her, but it really is her destiny. She'll marry some little country guy and live a little country life. At her age I couldn't wait to get out of the small town and hit the big world. She is the complete opposite. She's ready to settle into that country, small town life.

After dinner, we grabbed a Starbucks and went to buy her a birthday outfit. Eli and Brynne gave her a giraffe Pillow Pet that she named Wollie. It is the only thing she wanted for her birthday. Dawson posted a sweet message on her Facebook Wall that made her cry and gave her $20 of his own money for her "to spend how she wants".

This morning, she opened her other gifts: Two tickets to the Lady Antebellum concert in January and a David Freese St. Louis Cardinals t-shirt. Like I said, she's her own kind of girl!

This weekend she is going to Missouri to spend some time with her dad and his family. Well, actually, she's going to see some country boy she is smitten with. He seems to be a really nice guy and she is excited to hang out with him. They are going to watch him play football in the state playoffs, and then somehow he has convinced her to get up at o'dark:thirty to go hunting. Oh, young love.

It's an exciting time for Kyndal.

We have such a short time left with her, and I really want to slow down time. But, some birds were not meant to be caged. Sometimes you just have to let them fly.

Happy Birthday, Kyndal! I love you!

Jesse Tree

Have you ever done a Jesse Tree for Advent? I have heard about it, but never done it. Honestly, I wasn't really sure what all was involved.

The Jesse Tree represents the family tree, or genealogy of Jesus Christ. It tells the story of God's salvation plan, beginning with creation and continuing through the Old Testament, to the coming of the Messiah. The name comes from Isaiah 11:1, "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit." (NASB) Each day of Advent a homemade ornament is added to the Jesse Tree, a small tree made of evergreen branches. These symbolic ornaments can each represent a prophecy foretelling of Christ. Other variations include creating ornaments that represent the ancestors in the lineage of Christ, or using the various monogram symbols of Christianity as handmade ornaments.

~ from About.com

Nicole at Tired, Need Sleep has spent tireless hours putting together a free download for everything you need for a Jesse Tree.

I am planning on starting with my kids on December 1st. We are going to put a tree branch in an anchored vase in the middle of our kitchen table and add the ornaments to it each day. (It will look something like this.)

Image from Just Another Day in Paradise

This will be a great way to help us stay focused on the real meaning of Christmas ... the birth of our Lord and Savior.