The Twelve Hours of Christmas...

The kids were merciful and let us sleep 'til a reasonable hour Christmas morning. I'm not sure when Sis and Buddy got up, but they waited quietly in the basement until Baby Boy sounded the alarm. Then there was a stampede of little feet as they scrambled to greet us and begin the morning's festivities.

It always amazes me how so many months of shopping, planning and wrapping culminate in a mere twenty minute flurry of gift opening. I've always wished that we could freeze time and savor that excitement a little longer.

Sis and Buddy insisted that Baby Boy open his presents first. They helped him along and patiently interacted with him as he enjoyed each one. As for Baby, he would have just as soon been left alone with his first gift - a dollar store car chosen by Buddy.

Once the presents were all opened, we threw on some coats and traveled over the river and through the woods (literally!) to Grandma's house. She had a scrumptious hot breakfast waiting for us. My brothers and sister in law were there as well. Buddy is in awe of his Uncle Matt (the police officer) and was eager to show off his new toy gun and handcuffs. Grandma delighted the kids with some pretty amazing gifts (including moon shoes for Sis and remote controlled bumper cars for the boys). The trickiest part was getting the grownups to share.

After a quiet afternoon of naps and playtime, we headed out to the kids' favorite restaurant - the Red Apple Buffet. This is a dinner tradition we started a while back and which we look forward to every year. The kids are amazed by the concept of the buffet and filled/emptied their plates with zeal. I for one love the fact that I can satisfy all of my pregnancy cravings without having to lift a finger. (Who ever said that crab legs and chocolate ice cream don't make an excellent duo?).

Baby Boy put in his request for Christmas music on the way home. As we drove down Forest Lane, we were flooded with memories of last Christmas and our longing to be settled in our own house. We made so many trips down our road to enjoy the Christmas lights and to imagine living in such a peaceful and cozy neighborhood. This home has been all we dreamed it would be.

After we arrived home and put some logs on the fire, we snuggled up in our jammies and watched "Ratatouille," a gift we'd surprised the kids with.

Satisfied with a full day of fun and scrumptious food, the gifts drifted off to sleep. We certainly couldn't have asked for a more delightful Christmas! We are so thankful to God for all of His provision and for the good gifts he has given us.

Making Christmas Fudge By: Sis Age: 7

This is the first story (with dialogue) I have written!
It was fun how I made it!
I did it with Mom!
We used Shurley English!
Here it is . . .

___________________________________________________________________________
1. Main Idea- Making Christmas Fudge


2. Setting- Evening, Home


3.Characters- Mom, Mama's baby, Buddy, and Sis


4. Plot- The family works together to make fudge for Christmas.


5. Ending- Wrapping up the fudge
___________________________________________________________________________


Making Christmas Fudge
___________________________
Yesterday evening, Mommy
suggested that her kids , make fudge.
"Sis and Buddy, would you like to help me make fudge?" she asked.
"Yes!" they replied. They helped Mommy get the ingredients and read the recipe.
"Can I help stir?" Buddy asked. Mommy said yes.
When the fudge was cool, Mommy asked, "Sis, will you get a Ziplock bag and put
the fudge in it?" Finally the fudge was packed away and put in the freezer.


~~~~~~The End ~~~~~~
By Sis Age 7

Getting Ready for Christmas By: Sis Age: 7

We have gotten ready for Christmas!
It has been fun!
Three stockings are hung up!
My one is at the top!
Buddy's stocking is below mine at the left!
Mama's Baby's stocking is below mine on the right!
We have a big window so we put our Christmas tree right in front of the window!
And we put Mom's dolls up on the window sill!
I even have one of the doll's as my own!
We got out to a shop that is called Annalee Dolls!
We go out with my Grandpa!
Another decoration we put up is outside in front of our house hanging in the front of our house!
We also made a candy wreath!
We bought peppermints from the store and we also bought some different kinds of candy!
And we bent a hanger into the shape of a circle!
And then we bought string and some red ribbon.
Then we took some scissors.
And we took some of the string about 4 inches wide and then we took a piece of candy and we tied the string around it two times and then we made sure we pulled it tight.
And then we tied it around the hanger two times.
And we repeated this again and again and then we finally at the end took the wreath and cut of the hanger and we used wire cutters to do that.
Then we took the ribbon and used only a little bit of the ribbon and then we tied it just like you would a shoe.
And we are happy that we made our very first candy wreath!
By Sis Age 7

Our Family Christmas Letter

As our little ones eagerly decorated our Christmas tree, I couldn’t help but reminisce about last year’s holiday season. We were buried in moving boxes, and I was nominated for the “worst mother ever” award after packing away our miniature, fake Christmas tree BEFORE Christmas even arrived! This year we find ourselves snuggling up by the fire place in our own living room and marveling over a year’s worth of blessings – not the least of which is our cozy little house on Forest Lane. As I type this, Sis and Buddy are sledding in their very own backyard – a little haven nestled into the woods. We are so thankful for this home which has provided the simple luxuries we’ve always dreamed of – a swing set, sandbox, a vegetable garden, and plenty of room for the kids to ride their bikes, play and explore.

This fall has been busy with activities including soccer, a World Cultures class and dramatic production through our homeschool Enrichment Center, several field trips and gymnastics. Most of our extra commitments have come to a close, and we are looking forward to a winter of hibernation and quiet hours of reading and learning as a family.

We are expecting another Little Arrival in April. Sis (age 7) and Buddy (age 6) are delighted with the prospect of a new brother or sister. They watch my growing belly with pride and ask to read about our baby’s weekly development in my pregnancy book. Mama's Baby, on the other hand, just giggles at my “nice full tummy” and thinks I’ve eaten too many bananas like Curious George. He has been doted on by his older siblings for 2 years and is in for some character-building adjustments when New Baby arrives.

We wish you all a blessed Christmas season!

The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment...

I am part of a ladies' Bible study in our church, and we are working through the book entitled The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by Jeremiah Burroughs. Reading this book has been both an exciting and painful process. Exciting because, for the first time, I'm viewing this "mystery of contentment" as an ornament worth striving for. Discouraging because I see how miserably I fall short. I want to both laugh and cry as I relate to Burroughs' description of those who make a business out of "murmering, repining, vexing and fretting." He contrasts the spirit of these people with the following description: "Christian contentment is that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal in every condition." I expect that this will be a lifetime process for me to fully attain, but I am excited to begin...

Benjamin Franklin By: Sis Age: 7

We have been learning about Benjamin Franklin.
Streets were named after him eventually!
But he was poor for a long time and then he became an apprentice.
I will give you more information later.
Benjamin (also known as Ben) lived on a street called Milk Street.
Here are some of the things Ben would be named after . . .
Streets, Towns, Counties, Colleges, Libraries, Hotels, Banks, Ships, Stoves, Stores, A football field, and a flowering tree.
Ben's father didn't care if he was rich. He didn't give it a thought.
Ben's last name was Franklin.
Mr. Franklin, (Ben's father) was a leather apron man.
(That means, he works with his hands and has a trade.)
Mr. Franklin made soap and candles.
Ben's brother Samuel was already a blacksmith.
The oldest son in the Franklin home was always a blacksmith.
Ben's brother James would be a printer.
Three other brothers would be trained to make soap and candles. The remaining four brothers died young. Two died as babies. Josiah Ben's brother and Ebenezer Ben's brother were drowned.
Josiah ran away and was drowned at sea.
Sixteen month Ebenezer ran away and was drowned in a tub of his father's soap suds.
Ben was the tenth and last of Mr. Franklin's 10 sons.
Ben was very smart.
Mr. Franklin thought Ben should be a preacher.
He would go to Latin school and then college and then climb up into a pulpit and make his father proud.
When he was 7 years old off he went to Latin School.
Some preachers went around with holes in their shoes.
Mr. Franklin decided it would be to much money so he took Ben out of Latin school and put him in a ordinary reading and writing school for to years.
When Benjamin was 10 Mr. Franklin took him out of school altogether.
He was old enough now to run errands for him.
To delver soap to dip candles.
When he was 12 years old, they'd decide what kind of leather apron man he would be.
Then he'd become an apprentice and learn the trade.
And no wonder he had to say that he would become an apprentice and would obey his master until he was 21 years old.
When Ben was 12 years old he told his father that he might go to sea.
His father didn't care for that idea. Look what happened to his brother Josiah.
Ben didn't care for soap and candles.
Besides look hat happened to his brother Ebenezer and the soap suds.
Ben knew his father had a good business.
His candles sold well.
Even the night watchmen carried Mr. Franklin's candles around.
There was however one thing wrong with the business, it smelled.
Mr. Franklin took Ben to different shops.
Mr. Franklin talked Ben into being an apprentice to his brother James.
Now Ben was stuck until he was 21.
James thought Ben was vain and argumentative.
He treated been strictly if not more strictly then the other apprentices.
Ben could not bear to think of all those years gone to waste.
He would read.
He would write.
As a starter he tried writing a poem.
It was a long poem about the capture of Blackbeard the pirate.
He showed it to his father.
His father thought it was a terrible poem.
Later he would write letters to Jame's office signing them Silence Dogood.
Ben read a book about vegetarianism and decided to quit eating meat.
He asked James to give him cash in what he would usually pay or his meals.
James agreed.
Now Ben could not only eat alone he could read while he ate.
Now he could also save some money for books.
Many times a meal was only a biscuit, a handful of raisins, and a glass full of water.
Once Ben read a book about swimming.
He learned some fancy tricks and strokes.
He learned to swim on his belly while holding both hands still, to carry his left leg in his right hand, to show both his hands and feet out of the water.
To swim with his legs tied together,to sit in the water, to cut his toenails in the water, to show 4 parts out of the water at the same time, to swim holding up one leg, to put on boots in the water, and to leap like a goat.
In order to swim faster he tried out an idea of his own. He made wooden paddles for his hands and feet.
He went faster but the paddles were heavy so he didn't get far.
Then he tried lying on his back, holding a kite string so the kite could pull him across the pond.
Ben read a book on how to argue.
The author said that a person should not flatly contradict another person.
Instead he should be polite and ask questions until at last he had brought his opponent around to contradicting himself.
Ben tried this and it did work.
When Ben was 17 Ben ran away.
He boarded a boat and left for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
He was free!
He bought a new suit of clothes, and a watch with a long gold watchchain.
When he had saved enough he went to Boston to see his family.Ben stopped at the printshop to show off.
He walked in and twriled his watchchain and jingled the money in his pockets.
James was so angry it took years for him to recover.
In Philedalpheia Ben married a woman named Debbie.
Ben Ben was 24 years old.
He had his own printshop now.
He made up lots of inventions.
Here are 2.
He inented a rocking chair with a fan over it when he rocked the fan would blow to keep the flies off.
He invented a stepladder stool with a seat that turned up.
He flied a kite in a thunder storm to prove that lightning was electricity.
Ben was called to France.
When Franklin was 79 years old he came back home and Debbie was dead.
His daughter Sarah was so excitedshe fell into a wheelbarrow.
Every afternoon Ben's 9 year old grandaughter Deborah would come and readaloud her speller.
If she did well Ben would give her a spoonful of fruitjelly that he kept beside him.
April 17, 1790, Ben died.
He was 84 years old.
(This is a summary of a book she read, "What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin"