100th Day of School - Book List

 One Hundred Hungry Ants  Pinczes, Elinor J.

 One Potato : A Counting Book of Potato Prints    Pomeroy, Diana

 100 Days of School    Harris, Trudy

 100th Day Worries   Cuyler, Margery.

 Emily's First 100 Days of School    Wells, Rosemary.

 100 Days of Cool    Murphy, Stuart J.,

 Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3   Martin, Bill

 100 School Days     Rockwell, Anne F.

One Hundred Days (Plus One)    McNamara, Margaret.

 Centipede's 100 Shoes    Ross, Tony.

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The Very Kind Rich Lady and Her One Hundred Dogs   Lee, Chinlun

  100 Birds and How They Got Their Names    Wells, Diana,

 Georgia O'Keeffe : One Hhundred Flowers    O'Keeffe, Georgia

 Hetty's 100 Hats    Slingsby, Janet.

 Curious George Learns to Count From 1 to 100

 100 Ways To Celebrate 100 Days   Goldstone, Bruce.

New Year, New Me

How is it that January is half way over? How is that my oldest baby is 7 and that my youngest will be 1 in just ten short weeks?

Life has tough questions.

We are in a very CrAzY place in our life right now. Very unsure of most answers. Very unsure. Very.

But, I am sure of who I have chosen to believe. I do believe that God has a plan for us. I do believe that God will take care of us. I am certain that God loves us. And yet I cry, at the very least, once a day because I am so UNSURE of what is coming next.  And I am so convicted because how is it faith if we don't fully believe? I want to believe - Lord, help my unbelief!

I know this much - that life goes on. I am still trying to figure out how to make it go smoothly not knowing what surprise we are in for each morning. School is back in swing, not full swing because I'm still lazy like that, but our 100th day is tomorrow. This is the first year we've celebrated the 100th day of school. It will be a party to remember!

I am excited to report that I have reached my pre-pregnancy weight. I did that back in December when I took a blogging break because everyone except my husband was dying (well, maybe not dying) from some horrible illness that caused really bad headaches, coughs and high fevers (and abnormally low body temps in the baby). 7 days of being sick afforded 9 lbs of weight loss for me. Yay! I'll take it. And then I'll take some more. My goal is 10 lbs in 10 weeks. To be 10 lbs under by the baby's birthday will make me super happy. That's the short term goal. The long term goal is 31 lbs by my 31st birthday (another friend is aiming for 32 by her 32nd). That would bring me to first baby pre-pregnancy weight!

So to recap the new year - new me:

Events of the new year-
1. Hubby turned 30 -- he had Wipeout birthday party

2. Oldest baby turned 7 -- she is having a Fancy Nancy party if I can get my act together.

3. Everyone is well and we had 8 inches of snow a week ago. Praise the Lord it is all melting! I'm over it.

4. Hubs is still looking for a job and trying to enter school. Pray for us.

The new me -
1. Really believing what I believe. Really.
2. Losing 10 lbs in 10 weeks. 31 lbs by November 16th

Achieving the new me -
1. Spending (much more) time in God's word.
2. Spending (much more) time in prayer. Starting with 7x7
3. Actually starting that gratitude journal I've been meaning to do
4. 30 minutes of exercise daily - I don't get a break. I don't deserve one ;)
5. 32 ounces of water a day (baby, itty bitty, baby steps)
6. Only 2 diet cokes a day (a goal shared by my fabulous friend Winnie who is in Hawaii for 2 months!)


And so I desperately need some accountability. Any takers?? Any encouragers??

The post that wasn't

I didn't like what I was typing for the last 20 minutes so I erased it.

This is the post that you are left with.

And this picture of Adam's Christmas gift from the kids, which consequently had nothing at all to do with what I was writing.

It reminds of me Melissa's gift for Ruthanne. I wonder if she and Adam are getting the same thing.

Advent, how I've failed thee!

 I said on Thursday that I had not been feeling well. I am the sickest I can ever remember being in my life! I have battled a fever that will not go away and a terrible cough since Thursday. Thankfully, that fever is hanging around 100 today and the scale had good news for me this morning, too! Since I haven't felt like eating since Thursday I have lost the final 7 pounds I needed to get back to pre-pregnancy weight!

Anyways, I haven't even thought about Advent other than the guilty feelings of not being able to do it. The girls asked this morning how many days there were until Christmas and I really didn't know. I'm even going to miss our church Christmas program tonight. =(

Besides my being sick, my husband was laid off from his job on Friday. How's that for a Christmas bonus?? We are really not sure what happens from here, but we are confident (and this really isn't trite at all) that this is for the best. Our girls don't know that Daddy no longer has a job. Should we tell them? With the little bit of snow we are having today plus the cold temps it wouldn't be at all unusual for Adam to be home from work tomorrow so I don't think they'll even notice that he is here.

Ideas? Opinions?

Advent Activity - Candy Canes Part II

I have been sick today. It's really no fun. At all. I spent most of the day lying on the couch while the girls played quietly. When Adam got home he brought dinner and zicam and I went to sleep. After a short nap we watched a couple videos. Unwrapped - Candy Canes from the Food Network left us all dying to go to the Spangler factory for a tour. Too bad its sooooo far away.

After the videos it was time for another nap for me but my sweet husband helped the girls to make peppermint bark. He said they loved it! No picture though, I was asleep. =)

We also talked more about the shape of the candy cane being representative of Jesus, The Good Shepherd. We read Psalm 23. I'm guessing tomorrow will be day 3 of candy canes if I'm still feeling down. I found a great Candy Cane unit study at Homeschool Share with lots of printables.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalm 23

Happy Advent!

Advent Activity - Candy Canes

This morning we went to see a performance of The Nutcracker. We had a great time and it was an AMAZING show. The girls' ballet teacher and teacher assistants were in the show so that made it extra special for them. To tie in an Advent lesson we discussed candy canes today. I'm sure there are plenty of candy canes to be had in the Land of Sweets!

We history of the candy cane. The girls were ready to hand of a candy cane to Haden after learning that they were originally sugar sticks used as pacifiers! After sometime a German candymaker bent the stick to make it resemble a shepherd's crook. We talked about what a shepherd used his crook for, how he gently brings in a straying lamb just like Jesus gently draws us to His side. Then we talked about the symbolism of the candy cane.

White for the pure, sinless life Jesus led on earth.
Big red stripe for the blood that He shed on Calvary.
Small red stripes to represent the stripes left on His body from the scourging of the Roman soliders.
When turned upside down the candy cane looks like a letter J - for Jesus!

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

We spent a lot of time talking about Jesus, the Great Shepherd. We read The Crippled Lamb, by Max Lucado. I cry every single time I read that book. More on that another day, but it speaks a message that is very, very near to my heart. If you don't own it, you should.

For a craft they made candy cane reindeer.

And for dessert they made Peppermint Pretzel Melts! Firstly, they are delicious! We also read The M&M Nativity Legend (combining the nativity from yesterday with candy canes today!). You can find a recipe and printable at My Computer is My Canvas.

The M&M Nativity Legend

As you hold these candies in your hand and turn them you will see

 The "M' becomes a "W", an "E" and then a "3".

They tell the Christmas Story, it's one I'm sure you know.

It took place in a stable a long, long time ago.

The "E" is for the East where the star shone O so bright.

The "M" is for the manger where the baby Jesus slept that night.

The "3" is for the wise men, bearing gifts they quickly came.

"W" is for worship, an angelic choir praised His name.

So as you eat these candies, or share them with a friend,

Remember the true Spirit of Christmas and never let it end!

Advent Activity - The Nativity

This is my favorite Advent activity so far!

This morning we spent some time reading Luke 2 and talking about the events therein. My girls know the story inside out and outside in. I love it! We talked about some of the prophecies of the Old Testament pointing to His birth and how that very familiar story was not the first time He was mentioned in the Bible. I have a small nativity scene set up on our entertainment cabinet (buffet, center, piece of furniture ... I'm never sure what to call it) that the girls are always playing with. Everyday it has changed in some subtle way. The shepherd has his face in Joseph's arm pit (I don't know, I really don't know!), the baby Jesus is facing Mary, He's turned away from Mary, the cow is in front, the cow is in back. At any rate, I love to hear them tell the story over and over.

After our lesson the girls went to painting for the silhouette nativity scenes. You can find instructions and a template HERE at That Artist Woman.

Kennedy's Silhouette

Aubrey's Silhoutte

Last year's and this year's silhouettes, Kennedy's on top, Aubrey's on bottom





One thing the girls look forward to more than anything each Christmas is reading through and opening the boxes of What God Wants For Christmas. The past few years we have read a different part of the story for 7 days leading up to the surprise of what God wants for Christmas. The girls have done it enough to know now what is coming next so this year we changed things up a bit. We had a scavenger hunt. I used the clues from HERE for our search. They LOVED it!

Clue #1 -- We were looking for the angel Gabriel. Where would you receive a message?

The mailbox of course! Inside was box 1 and the next clue.

Searching Adam (the one who fills the parenting role) for box 2 (Mary) and the next clue.

Searching for box 3, Joseph, in what we use to plan our course ...

So glad the rest of the clues are inside because it was SO cold outside! Now onto box 4 - baby Jesus had to rest his sweet, tiny head in a manger, but where do we rest?

Thank you baby Raigan for taking such good care of baby Jesus and the next clue! Box 5 was housing a shepherd somewhere that provides light ....

Found it! Box #6 was a gift among gifts ....

Aubrey spied this one before we made it outside so I had to hide it a little better before they got to it.

There it is! One of the wise men! And for the last clue we were to find what God most wants for Christmas!

Why, us of course! Box number 7 was hidden in front of our big bathroom mirror!

After finding all the boxes we read the story to go along with each box and set up the nativity scene.

"What God wants is you - the one He created!

'Me?' you ask. Why is this so?

'I cannot wrap me and put on a bow!'

No you cannot; but what you can give

Are the choices you make in the life that you live.

God wants you to know Him and love Him within,

And this is called worship, an offering to Him.

To do this, trust Jesus, who died in your place

When you didn't deserve Him - that is called grace.

Pray now and offer your life and your heart.

Say, 'Jesus, I need you. I'd like a new start.

Forgive me today for the sins I've committed

So one day in Heaven I'll be permitted.'

When you pray this decision, the heavens rejoice

That you have made worship of God your life's choice.

God wants you to know Him, so choose every day,

To love God and thank God and give Him all praise!"

Taken from What GOD Wants for Christmas by Amy L Bradford page 22-23