Happy New Year everyone! 2012 is here and ready to go it seems! Although, our first day of the year was very quiet and low key. In reflecting back at 2011 I do see how things have improved for our not so little family. A dear friend made a very good point – we chose a harder path earlier in our lives so that with all that we are doing now, when we are older it will be better. Of course, not everything that has occurred has been a decision or the result of a decision we have made BUT each and every occurrence has been something to learn from. A saying I saw on Facebook comes to mind – my your BEST day of 2011 be your WORST day of 2012!

We spent out New Years at home, as is our norm. After all a babysitter for 4 or 5 kids on a REGULAR night would not be cheap, on New Years… yah right! This is our first year of not having a LAN party here at home, the lack of computers and the urge to play den mother to a bunch of men in my basement was rather nice! 

Hanging with the baby

Instead we all congregated upstairs and played various card and boardgames. Kathy brought (and then later left here) her card table with folding chairs and I cleaned off the kitchen table. There was enough room for everyone! We played Dominion, Settlers, and Chez Goth. Of course Karyn had her new iPad and Ted his old so we played around with those as well. I have to admit, I am hard pressed to agree to buying an android when the iPad is so much fun and on top of those two having one so does Ken’s mom and Veronika. 

The guys at the card table

Settlers

There was a whole stack of snacks to enjoy including baking from Kathy and Lauralee. We did pizza for supper and then munched our way through to 2012. Rather sedate and after seeing off quite a few of the guests those left over stayed up past 2 am chatting and relaxing. Just the way I WANTED to spend it! 

Kids and snacks

Since New Years falls on a weekend Monday is a holiday for both Ted and Sean, so we lucked out and had company for the whole of today AND tomorrow. And Kristen and Fydo over to play poker… Quiet but fun day!

Tomorrow we start back to working on our schooling. There is math and reading to be done… and thanks to a kind person on Freecycle, a telescope to learn about! I put up an email looking for one on the off chance that SOMEONE may have one they no longer need/wanted. The same day we had a response and by today a telescope in the middle of my livingroom! Very exciting for the family as a whole. 

Telescope!

So I guess that decides our new topic of study – the solar system and ways to examine and learn about it. I already have a book out from the library and am going to start searching Youtube for other interesting videos and information. 

I am looking forward to this year, we are going to make the best of each and every opportunity we are offered. If that means changing our location, our plans… well it will make for a more exciting year right? Either way we will be making each day as full as we can. Educating, crafting, growing as a family, it is going to be grand! I have already managed to find a new sweater and my first pair of post baby jeans (I know took me long enough!) on amazing deals!

Baby in the post New Year's Chaos

Late nights and a lack of naps caught up with our Trinity. While her face may be sweet her temperament has NOT been! She did have a nice long afternoon nap but I think tonight and tomorrow’s nap are what it is going to take to make her sweet disposition return! In the meantime we have continued on with our Christmas preparations. 

He was so proud that he managed to write his whole name... BACKWARDS

I have a whole folder of laminated activity sheets… worksheets… etc that I printed out last year that the kids dumped on the blue table and went crazy with. You can find great examples at EnchantedLearning and ActivityVillage. Seriously, our laminator was one of our best purchases in our first financed year of homeschooling!

I made up some candy wrapper barrettes from wrappers I saved over the summer. I am still trying to get them onto the clips the way I want. I used Gorilla glue for now as I don’t have anything else with that kind of sticking power for paper and metal. I just don’t think hot glue will do it! The two I have finished are on French barrettes. I found that the wrappers can be tricky, I made 4 or 5 and liked two… though Ken says I am over critical.

One done

We have started another craft, I thought we had green popsicle sticks but all we could hunt down were brown ones so out came the green paint. I will share the entire craft with you tomorrow when we finish assembly post paint drying.

I am still a little shocked as to how close Christmas is. We still do not have much planned but that is mainly based on the van repair… this week… I hope! We do plan to be at my mom’s for Christmas Eve though… no matter what… I am told. So instead if you are in the neighbourhood feel free to contact me and we can visit! I am not sure how many Christmas cards I really WILL send this year, ours are not yet here and I am, it seems, always late with them out anyway. I figure I will send some and then hold onto others and give them as I see people…. maybe? If you ARE a sender… please contact me for my current address instead of using our old one… we do not have mail forwarding!

Not sure if she is about to pout or not here

We had another exciting Freecycle find… I posted about sleds and received TWO today – a two seater and a saucer. The kids took a peek at them and are VERY pleased. Now if the snow would just stop melting… we get some on the ground and then it turns to slush the next day! No skates yet but I am looking.

And now I really should get back to the crafting… time is ticking!

ALMOST walking SOLO!

CHRIS B!!! Who sent me a lovely email asking to be entered into the draw as my number THREE entry!!! I will send you out an email asking for your Feltie idea! Thank you for entering everyone! I had 11 entries on my very first draw! Friends, family, people from near and far! I feel very thankful for all the comments on the site and in emails as well as all the interest my blog has had over the years. I look forward to continuing on with it! 

We have begun our week on much the same note as we ended it. Some resistance to working on school things but the willingness is there! We had a peptalk before bed on Sunday about how if we DO get all our work done in a timely manner there WILL be more time for fun! And I was right. The boys both worked on pages in their reading and math books successfully before going onto a Michaels buy. Mini activity books with a Christmas theme. There was 6 in the pack and they should be ok for Emanuel to do as well so I am limiting them to a book a week which will hopefully slow them down on the rushing through. 

Workbook time

Sunday was a special day for Trinity – she got herself a brand new (to her) bike! It needs a bolt for the one training wheel and I am debating some paint and Gavin suggested brightly coloured tassels so I have some searching to do to find the best way to make those in a way that will be weather resistant. Thank you Freecycle! Though by the same merit, a lady dropped off a box of clothing for the twins that they said were size 7/8 and then up to 14. Well… I really didn’t see any 7/8 and their 14 yr old must be a TALL boy! So I am planning on holding onto them for now and then if she does not contact me I will pass them along! 

Bike!

I have been working on MORE bows and now a new craft project – though thankfully meant for Christmas presents! Of course, felt and rather a quick stitch! You can follow the instructions HEREand make your own… though they are NOT for resale.

Done so far

I have a stitching completion after WAY too long – an ornament – well it is now (the pattern originally calls to make it a pin). I am not sure who will get it for Christmas but I have decided it was way too much fun to create to keep for myself… This one had more assembly than my santas… I had to attach the hat and tree! 

COMPLETION!

We are at work on our November letter package to head off to my brother-in-law overseas. This one has a much more winter/Christmas flavour. So far Trinity drew him a picture on her favourite purple paper, Emanuel made him a Christmas card printed off of here and the twins are each writing a letter with a picture. I have to write up my letter before we send it and I think the kids want to make him a small gift… Maybe a bracelet or something? 

One thing that IS making me very happy is how much Zander and Gavin WANT to play with their siblings, suggesting they play trains in Emanuel’s bedroom… later working with Echo to teach her new things (Emanuel did this too!). She is one lucky baby to have so many teachers! 

Building with Echo

With lots of gaming time yesterday and my crafting today… I have quite the mess to tidy tonight. But I think that the past few days have been GOOD days! I am hoping we continue an upwards trend! 

Sitting pretty