Holiday traditions

We have quite a few holiday traditions in our family, and today we followed through with a Baltimore-based one. We headed up to Kenilworth to see the model trains they have set up around their center fountain. These are not beautiful, prize-winning layouts; they are FUN! It is as if you were told to use every toy figure you had (or could find!), and to somehow fit it all together. The kids had so much fun pointing out favorite characters (Bugs Bunny, R2D2, Jimmy Neutron, etc.) and pushing buttons to make different parts of the set-up move. My favorite? The Wizard of Oz section, complete with yellow brick road, flying wicked witch, and turning tornado!

Plates of cookies for Christmas

(cranberry cookies - a favorite for many people!)

This year I did a better job of planning out my holiday schedule. I knew I would need to start on things earlier than in previous years - if I wanted to get it all done without a meltdown!

This weekend will be my marathon. The cookie dough is all made, portioned out, and frozen. I will spend one day baking sheet after sheet of cookies, and one day dipping sheet after sheet of chocolates. Then I will make up cookie plates for friends, family, and the office. Hopefully there will be some left over for us!

This is my list of Christmas treats:

candied pecans
Oreo truffles
Buckeyes
Martha Washingtons (new this year, a cherry-coconut-pecan cream filled chocolate)
cream cheese mints
date pinwheels
frosted sugar cookies
cranberry cutouts
molasses crinkles

Are you hungry?

Pop Culture for Lunch

I had to sort through some stuff stored away in the basement recently. A good portion of the previously unopened boxes turned out to be things from high school, including a bunch of portfolios from art class. I wish I had time (and the studio stocked with supplies!) to do more of that sort of stuff. Oh well. For now I focus on the family part of life.

HERE you will find an interesting combination of art, pop culture, and parenting. Apparently some people have the time to keep up on their hobbies. Oh, if you look beyond the art you will find some unlikely match-ups; my favorite: Batman vs. Darth Vadar.

Thanksgiving weekend 2009

(Added: find more photos HERE)

Things went so quickly this weekend - I don't think we had a moment to sit down and really relax and talk with each other! We enjoyed the fast-paced fun, though.

Thanksgiving morning was spent preparing dinner for 14 (8 adults and 6 children). We squeezed the sewing room table and card table into the living room, and had just enough chairs for everyone. Dot made up place cards, and with some help was able to put together a nice seating arrangement. Dinner was, as most Thanksgivings go, amazing; wonderful food and wonderful fellowship! After we stuffed ourselves we sat around and talked for hours. The kids blew through the "planned" entertainment - decorating gingerbread houses (I think they ate more candy than they used on the houses!) and a shadow puppet show (thanks to Mike for bringing the Monkey King!). At the end of the day we were still fairly full, and so was the refrigerator.

Friday dawned sunny and chilly. We took our time getting ready, and avoided the malls altogether. No Black Friday sales for us! We did go shopping, though. Jamie wanted to share the local Asian supermarket with Grandma, Grandpa and Uncle Mike. We found some treats, and then headed home. A few minutes later we headed out to the thrift store (yes, just one!). We didn't stay too long, but did find a few new things to take home. In the afternoon we played some, but mostly prepared for that evening's game night. No turkey made it's way to the party, but lots of games and friends did. Jim did get a chance to play Risk - all the way through - but he didn't win.

Saturday started too early for the kids. Jamie wished that we could move to Ohio so we could spend more time with Uncle Mike, Grandma and Grandpa. It was sad to see them go! I don't know if we would have made it through the weekend without them around to help. Thankfully Christmas is just around the corner, and we will see them again soon.

We were able to put up our indoor Christmas decorations. It was time to break out the Christmas music, too. At first the kids were helping to put the tree together... but then they got bored, and went to do their own thing. Jamie kept asking why we had to wait until Christmas to open presents...

WAIT for Christmas?! The days are flying by, and the holidays will be over before we know it! I hope we can slow them down enough to enjoy them all!

Homeschool, Holidays, and Houseguests

We have reached the time of the year (and of the school year) where things increase in intensity. I would prefer to put aside school altogether until the holidays are past, but with some of the curricula we must push through, or we will not be done by the time summer rolls around. Thankfully there are only a few subjects like this; however, the student is not altogether willing to do the work, so it is still a struggle some days.
The holidays are such a joyful time - and yet filled with stress as well. The work of giving is hard. Buying presents, making holiday foods, going to special events; all can be fun or grating, depending on your attitude. Thankfully we have lovely decorations and beautiful carols to look and listen to as we do this work, to make it less of a chore.
This year we have a new experience - house guests for Thanksgiving. We never travel for this holiday - it is too short of a weekend for that long of a trip. (Besides, we will be making that trip in just a month!) We have enjoyed sharing our table with other families, just as others have done for us in the past. We will do so again this year, but we will also be adding in Mom, Dad, and Mike. Our house will be full - and full of joy. We are excited about the chance to work together on this holiday. It will be nice to have others helping to bring up tables and chairs, to prepare food, to corral kids!
All in all, I am looking forward to this holiday, to the beginning of the holiday season, to the work to make it all wondrous and exciting to my family, and in the end, to myself as well.

Reformation Day Party

Our party was small this year, but fun nonetheless. We had many swordfights, great food, and wonderful fellowship.
Find photos HERE.

Rose Hill Manor

This afternoon we took a field trip out to Frederick, Maryland to visit Rose Hill Manor. The historic house was the home of the first elected Governor of Maryland, and has been made into a nice museum. The kids enjoyed the hands-on aspects, and the carriage museum (no photos allowed, sorry!) was a nice addition to the normal historic home tour. Even though it was misty and grey, we had a nice time.
After the tour we headed over to the used bookstore Wonderbook, one reason Jim agreed to come along with us on this trip! We all found a few things to buy, but still made it out without filling more than one bag. Maybe we have learned some discretion?
For dinner we ate at a local favorite, Barbara Fritchie Fine Foods, a diner easily recognized by the giant candy cane out front. While the decor inside seemed hard pressed to make up its mind whether it was a 50's diner or and 80's restaurant, the food was good. We all came away overly-full.
The kids agreed that today was a very good day!
See photos here.