I spent the day cooking (roast), cleaning, and table setting (which I love – I used one of Samuel's preschool projects as our centerpiece).  We also enjoyed puzzle making, story and scripture reading, and general quietness (ya right, I have 3 boys). That afternoon  we skyped with Derek's parents and the boys got to open…

I like to do something "artsy" each Christmas season and luckily, it seems that there is always lots to choose from in this area.  Last year we took the big boys to see "Grinch" (the musical).  This year I got us tickets to see A Christmas Carol at the Kalita Humphries Theater…an older building designed by architect Frank…

With the Hicken's now leaving us for a better life in Utah (*sniff), Mae asked them if they would host the Christmas piano recital.  They did and we enjoyed a fun night of music and food and visiting – I will miss the warmth and coziness of the Hicken home. Jacob played: Angels Voices, Batman and…

I loved seeing these boys work hard on a recent homeschool science project.  Jacob was studying viscosity and was asked to create a ramp and test the viscosity of various household liquids by measuring how far a drop of the liquid would travel on the ramp after 10 seconds.  Luckily Caleb got home from school…

Samuel continues to love his cute little preschool "Dalmation" class.  They had a teacher change – we loved Ms Tami (who left), but now we love Ms Holly too.  I joined his class for their Christmas party last week and brought gingerbread cookies for each of them to decorate.  They made those cute Christmas tree…

I get to be the room mom for Mrs Rutter's 3rd grade class this year.  I LOVE this teacher (Jacob also had her) so I jumped in line to be her room mom.  This year I also needed to step into the role of "lead room mom" in planning the 3rd grade "winter" party.  So…

Anne let me babysit my cute roly-poly nephew, Graham, as she was wrapping up things at work to be a full-time momma.  So for two weeks in a row I got to spend a few hours of Graham time!!  SO FUN!  She hasn't let him come back yet, (hint hint), but I'm hoping we can…

"I think we need a house elf." (He's been reading too much Harry Potter, I think). "Mom – how are you at first impressions?  Because I'm unsure of how I am at first impressions."  (We had a great conversation about that – I love that he thinks of things like this.) "When I grow up…

Sam.I.Am has a birthday on New Year's Day, which is wonderful!  But it's also hard.  We're usually tired (after being up late), people are "partied" out after the holidays and it's usually when we're packing things up and getting ready to go back to school. So I felt like a brilliant Mom this year when…

Caleb LOVES being part of the choir at school.  I think he likes it because the choir director/music teacher is fun and engaging.  I think he likes it because he gets to go to school super early and sing fun songs.  I think he likes it because his best buddies are in it (including several…