More stocking fun

I've had a couple of people ask me about my dad's fun stocking tradition that I posted from last year. If you missed the post, it was about how my dad hides money in our stockings every year. It lists some of his past hiding places, like the time he drilled out a chocolate, put the large bill inside, and rewrapped it. He works hard to make it extremely difficult to find. The hunt is a whole long event in which the adults rip through their stuff trying to figure out my dad's hiding places.

This year David's money was inside a sealed hard plastic package behind a key chain tool. It was sealed, I tell ya. Like that melted plastic sealed.

I can't remember my brother-in-law's, but my sisters was inside a stuffed Christmas door hanger. He had ripped the seam and stuck the money inside and hot glued it back together.

Mine was the hardest of all this year. After ripping open every package in my stocking and searching for probably 20 minutes or more, I was completely stumped. My dad handed Riley a little metal stick thingy and told her to give it to me and tell me to go fishing.

I finally figured out that it was inside a bottle of lotion, rolled tight and sealed in plastic with a magnet attached to the top so I could fish it out.

This was the most creative a difficult so far. I am scared for next year.


Those high IQ types just can't do anything the normal way.

I just need you to see this...

Cole's cookie for Santa.

We would like to take this opportunity to apologize if he didn't seem hungry when he got to your house.

Can you hear it?

Lord help me.

It seemed like an innocent enough gift. But it is after 11pm and Klaassen Guitar Hero World Tour is going strong. It's loud. They are upstairs in the playroom with the door shut, and it is still loud.

Those of you who don't know us well may think I am referring to my children. Those of you who know better know that I am also referring to my husband. He is on the mic. Yes, he is. Garrett is on the guitar, and Tyler on the drums.

They are all rock stars. Some more gifted than others, but all rock stars in the deepest depths of their hearts.

Oh, wait, I think I just heard "THANK-YOU-OK-LA-HO-MA-CI-TAY!!!!!"

Now if I can just make it through the encores.

Then I'll see if I can sneak backstage to flirt with the hot lead singer at the afterparty.

Aren't they a lovely couple?

These little friends, too.


And this is a favorite...

And I also love this one...

Looks like someone else does too...

Uh, oh.

Santa?

Santa? Don't go.Oh...ok.

Sniff, sniff

Have a great Christmas, everyone!

They just grow up so fast...

One day he is just a sweet little boy. The next day he casually enters the room sporting a chest full of curly brown hair, and not even a hint of a smile.
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Believe me when I say to you: You just never know what you are going to get with this one.

Bakin' with Buddies

What's more fun than a Christmas baking day with friends? That's what we did yesterday for school. It was...um...home ec. And...math, yeah-we doubled recipes. Oh, and socialization. Cause you know how unsocialized these homeschoolers are, good grief they never even see the light of day! They don't even know other children exist! Their only friends are the goats they milk to make their own yogurt! It's awful. Horrible I tell ya.
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Here are some children who look like they know what they are doing. This is right before they accidentally left the lid off the blender and exploded crushed oreos all over the house.

We made pretzels with kisses and M and Ms on them...

And oreo balls...


And a very serious batch of chex mix...


And peanut butter cookies...

And Amy removed Cutie's stitches on the counter...what? You guys don't do that on baking day? You should. You really should.

Because he asked me to...

and we are staying home for the rest of the day.

Stay tuned for body piercings.

Can anyone help me figure out why I can't get anything done around here?

Christmas fun

During the few weeks before Christmas, we spend a good part of our days having fun doing Christmas activities. I don't feel bad at all for going a little light on the academics for a bit in the name of making Christmas memories with my kids. Don't worry, they are still doing math and writing, and I feel confident they ain't gonna lose all them smarts they been a learnin', kay?

Today I'm sharing how we made Kiss Countdowns on my other blog.

These are very easy. And fun because you get to eat a chocolate every day. And you don't have to keep answering the question "How many days till Christmas? I'm not asking because I want presents, Mommy, I know Christmas is about Jesus being born, but how many more days till we open presents?" I am certain you know the drill.

Every day I plan to post on Fireside about a Christmas activity we did that day. You guys let me know if you have any great ideas, too. That way we can all share and have a grand ol' time.

Christmas is fun. It's really fun.

Have you had them???

Wasabi Peas.

They are a crunchy, spicy perfection from God.

And somehow they have slipped past me until today. For that I have deep regrets. But it's ok, I have my whole life ahead of me.

They sit on the second shelf of my cabinet and call my name as I walk by. "Deleise, come eat me. I have the salty crunch you desire. And I might even be healthy...we aren't sure."

And I run to them because who am I to argue with a pea that has Asian wisdom?

All I know is if these things are actually considered vegetables, my food pyramid is about to do some balancing out.

Feeling the pilgrims' pain

Yesterday the kids and I were reading some books about the pilgrims and having some discussion on what life was like for them. We mulled over how horrible it was for them to not be able to worship the way they wanted. How much being able to worship must have meant to them for them to be willing to endure all that they went through on that rough trip over to begin a whole new life from scratch. All because they wanted to serve God in the way that they chose, without hiding.

We moved on to talk about how hard they worked, building homes and planting crops. I mentioned that they only worked Monday through Saturday, never on Sunday. I said "What do you think they used their Sundays for now?"

And Riley, with complete sincerity and seriousness, said...

"Probably for sleeping in."

Ah, the rewards of teaching your own kids. They are never ending.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo

When we were at Disney World I mentioned that seeing Riley at Cinderella's breakfast reminded me of a scrapbook page I had done four years ago. I found it...

September 2004

Riley,
Today was one of those Mommy moments that you dream of. One of those times when if you could have created the perfect moment yourself, it would have been far inferior to the actual experience. This was the day I gave you your first princess dress.

You have really been getting into princesses lately, so I thought you would like the dress, but I had no idea of the magic the dress would create.

When I showed you the dress you giggled uncontrollably with excitement, but when you put it on...that's when the magic happened. You were suddenly in your own little world.

Despite your just-out-of-bed scraggly hair and the fact that you had a nightgown on under your dress, in your mind (and mine) you were the most beautiful princess ever to exist.

I watched you forever as you twirled in circles and floated up and down the stairs gazing at your dress with the most elated look on your face. I watched you stare in the mirror with delight at your reflection.

I was the Fairy Godmother. I got to watch you turn into a princess and I will never forget it.

May you always feel so beautiful, sweet little princess.

Love, Mommy

Do something to remind yourself that you are a princess today.

Yes, you.

Oh, yes, you are.

Running

What are you running from?

Come on, we are all running from something. Maybe you are you running from a change you need to make. Maybe you are running from a relationship. Or from a challenge.

Raise your hand if you are running from God.

Hi. Me too.

A friend and I were discussing last week how we are both kind of running from Him instead of to Him and we don’t know why. It’s simply just a lack of being with Him like we should. No, I haven’t stopped enjoying church or spending time with Him, it’s just that the relationship is not where it could be, ya know?

For me there has been no big event or hard times, nothing dramatic, just a gradual drifting. Kind of like when you are in the lake on an inflatable raft and you shut your eyes for a few minutes. You look up and are amazed at the distance you have floated. It’s surprising because the whole time you were floating away, it kinda felt like you were staying in the same place. You get used to those waves and don’t realize where they are carrying you if you don‘t pay attention.

Other times you are on your raft and you peek out of one eye every few seconds. You realize you are drifting and you give yourself a little hand-paddle back in. The sooner you notice, the easier it is to get back to where you want to be.

Sometimes you can even get into a rhythm where you are just automatically waving your hand through the water, consistently keeping yourself in place.

It’s the same with our relationship with God. Sit idly for long, and you will get used to the waves of life and find yourself drifting away, even though you didn’t necessarily feel it happening. Catch it early and it’s easier to get back on track. Run to Him by staying in the Word and in intimate communication and you will find yourself in a rhythm that keeps you in place. Right where you want to be.

I’ve looked up and recognized the change in scenery and the need to paddle. Because make no mistake about it. If you aren’t running to Him, you are running from Him.

Even if you don’t mean to.

Pumpkin patch pictures

These pictures need no words. Alright, that's not true, but I am feeling not an iota of writing creativity. Sorry. Here are some wordless pictures. We had fun. And there seemed to be an unusually large amount of hair flying around.

Have a great day everyone.

Further proof it's a Three-Ring-Circus over here

Too bad they can't ice skate.

Trick or Treat!

Halloween for us is just a family fun night. We always dress up and have dinner at my sister's, then head out to work it for some sugar. It's tradition and we love it. This year was another successful night of candy gathering for our children. My sister and I made costumes, and they were pretty funny, if we do say so ourselves.

When we went to the American Girl Place last March, Riley and Taryn put the boxes from their new dolls on their heads.

We laughed for an unusually long amount of time over this and the girls decided that they wanted to be life-size American Girl Dolls in boxes for Halloween. They never changed their minds, so we granted them their wish. Kind of like the fairy godmothers of Halloween.

Garrett, Tyler and Tristan wished to be pizza.

Granted.

You're welcome.

Which was kind of funny, because last year they were all bananas.

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Oh the fun you can have with felt and hot glue, people.

................................last year

And Cole was Funky Kong from Mario Kart Wii. Even though he kept getting called "Pirate" and "Rapper," and "Cool Dude," he knew in his heart who he was.


Here's our big cousin group before we took off. Including Noah, a BFF's kid. Who is basically a cousin because it was only about a year ago that we discovered our kids actually thought his mom was our sister because, well, it just seems like she is.

Happy Halloween everyone!