D's american kestrel drawing

happy holidays

We've been getting into the spirit of the holidays around here, baking, and gifting, and visiting with family. This has been a difficult year for our family as we have lost many people and the holidays only seem to reinforce this. It's difficult to ignore their absence or the hole it is created in our lives, but it also is impossible not to feel the joy of Christmas when I see my kids' excited faces. They make it magical!

The kids made some delicious cookies and also a beautiful fleece tie blanket for their nana last night. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Happy Holidays!

field trip

Hello December! I have been submerged in holiday craziness up to my neck the past two weeks so haven't had much time to post. We have seen the Nutcracker, been to our niece's fabulous middle-school performance of 'Fiddler on the Roof' (she was the best Tzeitel ever!), rehearsed for our church pageant in which J will play the very important role of 'the donkey', been to J's Suzuki violin holiday recital, and decorated our house with all manner of holiday loveliness. We've been baking and shopping and online shopping and shopping some more. In the midst of all this holiday cheer we've managed to keep up with our regular learning schedule, and thank goodness everyone is healthy. Knock on wood.

Last week we spent an afternoon at the Museum of Science. It was the most enjoyable, relaxing field trip we have taken as a family yet. The Museum was quiet and now that K is almost 3 we were able to see many of the exhibits without taking time out for diaper changes, nursing, snacks, or general toddler craziness. We saw the reptile exhibit, built with K'Nex, made enormous bubbles, saw a presentation on skunks, dressed up as bees and birds and built our own family nest, and of course spent time seeing the dinosaurs. K was in heaven, dinosaurs being her favorite thing ever. They can't wait to go back.