Piper's Birthday Hike

Happy 3rd Birthday Piper!!

Another Angel to Watch Over Us

 

We will love you and miss you sweet Babe

Merry Christmas

My Princess's New Art Studio

the girls want to know why their daddy named the wrench (he's using to assemble something), Allen?

Another Community Choir Christmas Performance

 

Including  "Jingle Bells" and the the theme from "The Grinch," amongst a few other pieces.

Girls' Christmas Choir Concert

 

Feeling Rather SUPPORTED in Some Recent Decisions:)

 

I have made some recent decisions...to join the Savannah Winds, starting in January; and to start on a serious writing project...I have not thought about writing since my early to mid 20s.  I have a long-term collaberative project to be done with my girls, and I even know what the first subject will be---because the signs keep coming to me, in dreams, visual side bars on my internet, emails...incredible!  I'm very excited about this project!  Also, just yesterday, my WI Reiki Master even happened to "mention" something about a publisher!  SO......;)

The Girls Were Invited to a Royal Tea Party

All I Want For Chrithmathh Ithhhh My Two Front Teethhh---it's official!

This is VERY reminiscent of last Christmas:)

Christmas Season is Upon Us

Sledding In Florida (as told by Fairy Girl)

"Sledding In Florida"  

(***All Names have been changed to protect the Innocent, as this short story is loosely based on actual events  (This LINK takes you to the post that proves that yes, we indeed DID sled in central Florida ;)

It was Thanksgiving Day.  We did not have dinner on Thanksgiving, because our daddy had to go to work.  Once he got home, we went to bed, snuggling under the covers.  On Friday we packed, loaded the car, and hit the road.  We drove and arrived to Grandma and Grandpa's.  We removed our bags from the car and took Pancake out of his kennel.  Donald the Goofy went inside and hugged Pancake; he then took Pancake for a walk.  Donald the Goofy (a.k.a. Daddy) and Pancake got lost.  They called Cherry Berry (a.k.a. Mommy) to come rescue them.  (please note: her favorite food is berries; she will eat nothing but berries).  They return to grandma and grandpa's and have Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, gravey, cranberries (mommy ONLY ate cranberries), and pumpkin pie.

The next day, mommy and daddy surprised Kay-Lynn and Korea to take them to a Florida Christmas tree lighting festival.  The girls are dressed in shirts, skirts, and flipflops.  And then Mommy (who ate ALL the berries) announced: "We're going sledding!"  (after she tries to get more berries).  Kay-Lynn: "In Florida, that's CRAZY!"  And, the girls really did go sledding in Florida----FOR REAL!  And then, the snow melted all over Donald the Goofy.

We had Snow Much Fun!

The End

Angel's Paintings Have Suddenly Stepped Up to a New Level

All I Want For Chrithmathh Ithhhh My Two Front Teethhh

The Magician and Her Lovely Assistant

So the girls decided to put together a magic show last night.  Angel asked her daddy if he had a top hat (which he did not:).  She looked really disappointed, so I suggested that we have a lot of construction paper, and she could make one; and she got right to work...and did a most excellet job!  Then, the Magician and her Lovely Assistant went right to work, outfitting themselves and putting their show together.  I think they actually accomplished everything in about 20 minutes, once the top hat was made.

And then, it was time for the show...in the audience, mommy and daddy!  (I will admit I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but boy, the joke was on me!!!)

They had a Big Top style Magic show, with animated introductions, vocal circus music, beautiful and graceful moves from the lovely assistant, and entertainment (distractions) between acts.  The first act was the disappearing  Assistant (with the use of blankets and an ottomon and of course,  the magician's cape.

Then, we had the magically-appearing scarves, bunches and bunches, tied together, pullled out of the magician's hat.

Then, the adorable bunny was pulled out of the hat.  But there wasn't just one, the magician surprised the audience with THREE bunnies!!!

And, of course for the grande finale, the magician sawed her lovely assistant in half!  (and then her lovely assistant got better, in case you were concerned:)

I seriously have to tell you, that I was genuinely impressed and entertained!  Further, this is the kind of creativity that comes out of my girls on the days when I'm not "busying" them with school---exactly why homeschooling is so important to us!

p.s.  I should mention, Angel Girl has been intrigued by the idea of magic for at least three years now, and has begged me to teach her magic.  Three years later, I think she finally figured out I am not a magician, and she will need to develop her own talents.  Hmmmmmm, this gives me some ideas for Christmas!

My Girls Have Decked The New Halls

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Friday:)  Yes, Friday.  Backtracking....when our little girls came, I will admit that it was a letdown for me that it was usually very difficult to spend holidays with all of their grandparents, together.  J is from one state, I am from a different state...and both sets of parents ditch those states for the winter anyway!  But the good news is, they ditch it for Florida!  And guess what, we are now only two hours from the border of Florida, so my wishes came true---now we are able to spend every holiday with all the grandparents---my mom hosts Thanksgiving and Christmas, and J's dad and R host Easter (they live two hours from my parents).  Anyway, it's just under a five hour drive from our house to my parents'...so rather than leave on Wednesday night after he gets home from work, we opted to leave Thursday, well, around noon (you know, after sleeping in, packing, loading the car, running a couple of errands, hot breakfast, cleaning up, playing with friends...ok, I think it's really cool (having come from so far north in Wisconsin that we can now say, ok, let's run down to Florida now; and it is no longer a major ordeal!)  

 

 So, we of course had dinner with my parents, J's dad and R, and close family friends who go back and forth between WI and Florida as well.  As a side note, the actual Thanksgiving meal served ON Thanksgiving day was: brats, sauerkraut, veggie pizza and water melon:)  Friday was of course a different story---oh and there was dessert, lots and lots of dessert!

Another favorite pastime in Florida, we picked Meyer Lemons...

And oranges....

LOTS AND LOTS of lemons and oranges; I am unable to distinguish them with absolute certainty:O

And of course we did some sledding, you know, because we were in Florida...and that's what Floridians do, after picking lemons and oranges.

In skorts and flipflops, of course.

 At the town's tree-lighting ceremony we had a blast: carolers, crafts, musicians, dancers, food, rides, ponies, stilt walkers, sledding, etc etc---oh and I was talking to a couple of guys who had been playing Christmas Dixie (joking with them that they were lacking a clarinet, and they said they really were, the guy has never shown...and they offered me a spot:)  anyway---turns out the tuba player's son is an economics professor at Atlantic Armstrong State University in Savannah, home of the Savannah Winds---the only group in the area...I've been going back and forth on joining because they are such a serious group---guess what...that was the straw that broke the camel's back...it's time...so I contacted the conductor and will join the group in January!!  No more whining or bandless dreams:)

 We decided to head out on Saturday so we could go home and deck the halls.  Since it was only a five hour drive and it was only Saturday, we decided to go visit Amelia Island, via a very beautiful scenic route...the infamous Highway A1A...but on the way we decided to take the route to take us on the Ferry across the St. John's River...it took awhile...a long long while (because somehow, north of St. Augustine, we lost Highway A1A, found ourselves somehow no longer on it:O)  and after ALL those hours in the car, we owed the girls a ferry ride...so, we found the ferry, after some backtracking....and enjoyed ourselves a THREE MINUTE FERRY RIDE!  

We never made it to Amelia Island:/

BUT, there were pelians, LOTS AND LOTS of pelicans!!!

(and on the ferry,  we were within two feet of the pelicans...guess what---THEY STINK!)

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Tree Of Whimsy Christmas

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Happy Thanksgiving