Thursday...and a picture! | Mom Life Journal

    Well, would you look at that? I put a picture up. Ha. I get busy with life sometimes and that I neglect to take enough pictures, and other times I take a ton of them. 

Today is our next to last day of school and eight days until Christmas. I really just want to announce that school is out and be free. Although we really need to finish our days. Especially with the four weeks we are taking off afterwards. All of this hard work will be worth it during this upcoming break and in May, when we are ready to be done for the summer. 

All of our Christmas plans have been cancelled because of Covid. Some of our family members have compromised immune systems, and we have opted to avoid catching any viruses between now and our time off. We hate to miss things this year, but we aren't the only ones being extra careful. We have been known to be this careful in past years, but this year we aren't the odd ones out doing it. It isn't so much about Covid for us, as it is all viruses. If we catch the flu it hangs around the house for a month or more, and brings its friends sinus infection and bronchitis. Toss in some asthma and we are down and out for an average of six weeks. We really would like to get through this winter without being six for a month and a half.

As of last Friday I had nine packages floating around in the oblivion of the delivery systems. A few of them are gifts for the kids. A couple have randomly shown up this week. One finally arrived yesterday, and a few more might straggle in within the next week. The one that came last night was semi important, the rest I can work around, or do without. 

Tomorrow morning I am going to the grocery store for groceries for the weekend and part of next week. Since tomorrow is the last day of school for most of us,(The high schooler will be working through part of break.)  I'm thinking a pizza party might be in order! 

On Sunday, Dustin (My husband) is planning to smoke a turkey on the smoker he got in early fall. He has smoked just about anything he can get his hands on this fall. The kids and I are making all the trimmings to go with the turkey and calling it an early Christmas feast. 

On Christmas Day we will be having more of a buffet style meal to snack on throughout the day. Plus most of the kids eat junk half the day and are rarely truly hungry until later in the day. I'm planning to make a very small ham, a Butterball turkey breast, meatball and lil smokies in the crock pot, cheese ball, a veggie tray and a few other things to snack on throughout the day. It takes the stress off of me having to try to make a big meal and then everyone sitting at the table and not wanting to eat it.

I think I am going to try a new recipe for dinner. Cheesy Tater Tot and Ham Casserole. We've been trying to see how long we can go without going to the store for groceries this month. With the utility room remodel happening in a couple of weeks, we needed to use up some of the food in the freezer and pantry. Plus it was getting to be time for a 'use and restock' of the freezer and pantry. Aside from shopping for food for the week of Christmas, I probably won't go back to the store until sometime in mid January.

Well, I think I have spent enough time clicking away at this keyboard for the day. Time to get dressed, get on with the school day and then move onto chores in the afternoon. 

~Lyndsay

Day3

7 Quick Takes! A Recap of Life in the Tiny House This Week! Sisters, Chocolate Mice, and Dr Anna!

1. Family Night Out

 We promised the kids if they cut out soda for a month we would take them to the movies. They could go wild and have soda, popcorn and candy. We don't actually drink that much of it. However, our schedules had gotten a little crazy and the soda had crept in. Life being like it is lately. We just now got around to taking them. We started the challenge for the month of October. Oops!
The challenge did the trick though. Everyone broke the frequent soda habit that had started.
 We took everyone(Minus Anna. She napped at a friends house.) to see Ferdinand.
We later picked Anna up, did a little shopping and then went out for Dustin's birthday dinner. We had Japanese Steakhouse. Dustin's birthday is Christmas Day, so we try to make it special on another day too.
I took one picture of our night out. I clicked to capture the picture right as the lights went out to start the movie. You can't see it, but this is the oldest three kids, eating popcorn, clutching their candy and sipping soda's.

2. Candy Exchange at Our Local Bank

 The ladies at our local bank are so nice. We have been with this bank for years, but switched branches when the new business location opened.
 We have all really clicked. I can go in to make a deposit and end up chatting for fifteen minutes.      Sometime in the last month or so, Addison was telling one of them about the Rolo candies that we make for the holidays. The teller proceeds to tell Addison that she also makes candy. She makes chocolate mice. Addison of course is very intrigued. She offered to make us some. So we made her some of ours too. The candy swap took place this week. I'm blown away by these little mice! This woman has to have major skill and patience. I would be chucking tiny mice across the room about half way through a tray of them.
They were almost too cute to eat! But, we did eat them. We shared them with our cousins, friends and even Dustin snatched a few.

 

3. We Caved

 We caved and let the kids open a gift one day this week. Mainly because the oldest two had went to a lot of trouble to design a present for their Dad and they were not going to be able to keep it secret until Christmas Eve.
 They all opened a gift, and I made sure it was a game or something crafty, so it would keep them busy the rest of the week!
Emma opened a string art kit, Addison opened a friendship bracelet kit, Alex opened the battleship game and Anna opened a Dr Kit set.
We are terrible at waiting for Christmas to arrive to give gifts.

4. Dr Anna! Muahaha...

 I told you about the gift opening, to lead into this. Anna loves her Dr kit! She has been treating sick people since she opened her kit. The next morning, Alex was being too lazy to get out of bed on time.
I went to Anna with a very concerned face and told her that Alex was sick and she needed to go to him and help make him better until he was able to get out of bed.
 She ran to get her kit, very seriously looked at me and said 'Baby, Doctor' and trotted off to his room singing a butchered version of the Doc Mc Stuffins song.
I went to the kitchen to drink my coffee, because that Dr kit just paid for itself.

5. Challenge. Accepted.

 Ah, sisters. I'm not sure how this sister thing works. I only had brothers. So the first time that a full on, sister fight, broke out in their room this year, I wasn't sure what to do. I'm still not entirely sure what to do.
 I do find it interesting watching them interact though. This week while at the grocery store...I caved and let Anna sit in one of those gross, germ covered, car-carts. Addison is 7, but still quite small. She wanted in too.
Emma told her there is no way she could still fit in that thing. With just enough sister sarcasm to hit a nerve.
Addison crossed her arms, fluffed her feathers, tapped one slightly heeled boot and said 'Wanna bet?!'

Oh my.

She fit. Probably more out of sheer determination, and wiggling, than actually being the right size.

Like I said, this sister thing is very different. 



I'll let you know if I ever figure it out. For now, I will just rest in the fact that these two sisters managed to figure it out!

6. Lots of Friend and Family

 I forget how full our lives can be. We have lots of homeschool friends, but everyone's schedules are so busy during school. So we try to cram in all of our get togethers and fun while we are all on break.

 This week alone we have had lunch with our cousins, Visited with one family, had a pancake lunch and did crafts with another family. Yesterday my friend and mentor, Laura, came for lunch and to decorate cookies. We are seeing Marie Anne tonight. It is our Christmas with her.
We love getting to take a break and just enjoy all of the people we are blessed to have in our lives.



 

7.

 Merry Christmas From our Family to Yours!


 

 Thank you, for being our readers, and joining us on our journey in life. Our blog and lives wouldn't be the same without all of you!

Merry Christmas to you and yours, from our family, here at the little house in the big woods!


Blessings!

- Dustin, Lyndsay,
 Alex, Emma, Addison and Anna