Winter Wednesday

  Last week the weatherman warned a Nor Easter was coming.  It later would be called a blizzard but being from NY I'm going to refrain from calling it that.  We got some snow.  Inches and inches of it.  It covered the grass, the trees and cars.  It shut down roads, businesses and schools.

  Here's the pros and cons of the storm!

Pros:
Everything stops and shuts down.
Your kids are home from school for daysssss.

Cons:
Everything stops and shuts down.
Your kids are home from school for daysssss.

  It's funny because I came from snow and we kept pushing forward but NY is experienced.  More equipped.  Fully prepared with sand and plows!  I get that.  VA is doing the best that they can wit what they have when it snows.

We bundled up as best we could because it was cold!!!

Outside play is the quickest in 20°! 

Snowballs were assembled and battles were had.

Snow angels check!

Even walks around the block for some fresh air.

Snow play is complete when you can make a snowman!

Our winter is complete!  The thing left that we would love to do is ski, sled, and tube.  All that requires a hill which are very limited in my area.  I hope a road trip is in our future before winter is over.  Oh and ice skating to round it all out!

We have done a lot in the house to make up for those bored blues!  Games, crafts and cocoa makes the world a happier place! 

How are you in enjoying your winter or whatever season your in?  It's all about making the most of what you have.

The 13th Day of Elf

  We are almost to the Big day.  We have made it over the hump and are in the home stretch.  This has been a great journey.  I have had a lot of fun, creating entertainment for my kids.  My little girl now wakes up and asks me what do I think the elf did.  She is excited to see. Whether it's good or bad, helpful or fun.

  She understands it's all in fun.  We never bought the book and elf set.  We got the elf from grandma and just jumped in.  She doesn't know the traditional story of the Elf but it doesn't really matter.  He doesn't have to be Some creepy, nosey elf reporting back to Santa.  He doesn't have to be all about mischief.  He can encourage play, crafts, baking, kindness and 100% all fun.

  Today he was caught hanging around.

Of course it looks like fun! We all remember the monkey bars as a child.  Now a days age has set in and blood rushes to my head quicker or this type of fun has just run its course.

He was not just playing either!  He took the time to hang up the stockings! Thank you Elf.  I'm glad you are pitching in and helping out.  Finishing up in the holiday decoration departments I have slacked in.

The stockings were hung with care and visions of St. Nicholas soon to be here.

Before my daughter even went downstairs today she had said she would like to place elf on a day.  So she told me what she wanted him to do but, I was not to tell her sisters or brother.  So they could wake up to his antics.  See, it's all fun and games!  It would be nice to share the load and wake up to some surprises to!

Thank you Elf for creating a little daily dose of fun.  Something to always look forward to.  My kids know I pose him but they also know I orchestrated his antics for them out of love. I'm completely thinking of them when I position him for their joy and amusement.

12 Days of Elf

  Today I am woke up by my daughter to tell me she hugged the elf so hard he told her to let him go.  She was over the moon happy with the gift he brought her.  I just had to hurry up and come downstairs so she could show me.

  She is so funny because then she just leaves.  Of course she comes back with elf item in hand.  We go back downstairs to properly display elf with his goodies!

We managed to get breakfast in and dressed before diving into the arts of the day.

With two to choose from and two kids involved I am fortunate to not hear who was getting which one.  They came to an agreement of which one was going to whom.

The kids got busy painting their ornaments and did I say they were so happy with their goodies?

   I have said before nothing beats the individual technique and style of each child.  One child figures using a brush was just too slow a process!  The other child took her time.  It would be interesting to provide a object for her to paint and watch the process and she learns to control the brush and paints bigger objects.

They did a great job and thanks to Elf we have some new ornaments on the tree and they now officially have their very first created by them ornaments for their future tree.

Thank you Elf! One point for you today!

Christmas Kids Crafts

  Taking it slow with kids and pain meds has finally slowed me down to do some crafts with my kids.  I have a ever growing board on pinterest.  Jump over there and see what projects  caught my eye or that I would like to make.  My Christmas pins are a collection of kid friendly crafts, decorations and DIY projects.

  Of course I have more than just a Christmas board.  You can find a DIY board, beautiful nail art, science projects for kids and more crafty things for different seasons and holidays.

  I will try to share the fails and wins with you.  I think it makes it easier to see real people accomplishing things rather than pretty, proper, perfect pictures.


  Today we worked on 2 crafts on my Christmas board and they came out pretty well.  The kids are satisfied with them.  A great preschool project.  Discuss colors, shapes, numbers with the Santa craft.  The stained glass project I was pleased with!  I think my daughter enjoyed seeing the end result too.  We will hang this up on the wall.  She showed great patience when coloring it and took her time.

supplies: tin foil, sharpie markers, coloring page, gallon baggie

supplies: red, white and black paper, red pompom, cottonball, paper plate, crayon to color face, glue

  My kids that made these are 3 and 5.  Supplies were very basic. Use what you have on hand improvise if you have to! My kids would give up TV and video games if they could make crafts.

Thanks Elf Day 10

  Good things come to those who wait!  It almost surprises me to see what elf has come up with to start the day.  Sometimes it happens before my very eyes.

  I do have to tell you sometimes Elf is hiding on me and that is a chore to go find him.  He may go missing as soon as he is discovered after his antics or just during the day; he seems to drift or be transplanted without me knowing anything about it.  So I walk around looking for him.  Sometimes the kids switch places with him so that the toys being picked on can get their revenge other times he seems to be put in time out due to his actions at the present time.

  Today was different.  My kids easily forgive and forget.  The kids woke up to a good Elf and that is more acceptable to them.

He made stairs out of legos and was climbing up the tree with our tree topper.  Apparently our Elf was going to put the star on the tree! 

Thank you, elf that was very nice and thoughtful of you!  We have yet to put our ornaments up so you putting the star up is a great start! 

  It was pretty smart of you to assemble your own stairs to climb up there. It must have been pretty hard to get those pieces to stick together.  I know when I have tried to make steps past 4 they always fall apart.

You have started out a great day for us Elf and we needed that.  Today will be a good day for everyone here, I'm sure.  Happy Holidays to you!

The Elf day 3

  Woke up to another morning with that Elf in the kitchen.  Either he knows we like all things originating from the kitchen or he is unaware of his flammability.

  Today the Elf wanted some cocoa.  Why he didn't think of that yesterday with the cookies I don't know but that glass of milk washed down the chocolate cookies just fine.  I have had some good cups of cocoa that were satisfying treat in itself so maybe that's what he thought would happen be the out come today!

  I graciously volunteered to make it for him and the kids.   After all we didn't want to see the worst that could happen between a stuffed elf and a stove top burner.

  Found a simple recipe online and whipped it up.  It is a easy recipe and I doubled it to extend to accommodate more drinkers as this recipe was a single serving.  After I thought about it I thought we all would like a cup of cocoa. I wasn't just going to make it just for him.  Then I would have to hear it from the kids. " I want some."  "How come he gets some?"

  This recipe as most recipes you can easily convert to stove top from microwave.  I stopped microwaving my food cold turkey.  Ours broke about 6 years ago and we haven't looked back (we momentarily pause when we see a sale).

Here is the hot chocolate recipe we used: microwave-hot-cocoa

  He looks happy don't you think?  Good Elf! Treat the elf nicely and all will be ok! ;)