Making Ice Cream for FHE

Olivia got this little machine at school during her school auction.  It only makes 1 cup of ice cream.

Jeremy got this ice cream maker from his secretary. 

It was a lot fun rolling the ball back and forth to make ice cream.  We were playing word games while we played.  Example When it was your turn you would say Christmas is...

It made perfect ice cream! And it was so delicious.  I love homemade ice cream.  It makes about a quart of ice cream.

Crafts

Found these beginning cross stitch kits with the patterns printed on them.  Garrett did the frog and Olivia did the rabbit.  They turned out cute and the both of them enjoyed doing them.

We made "stained glass windows" for our kitchen

We made melty bead ornaments.  The kids designed and made them all on their own.

Hats

The kids decided that they wanted to wear hats the last day of school before Christmas break.   So here is Ms. Claus and her two elves.

Meeting Santa

The kids all loved meeting Santa, sitting on his lap, and telling him what they wanted for Christmas.  Devin wants anything Mickey Mouse,  Garrett wants a Bowser and 3D DS, and Olivia said she wanted a phone.  Now we will wait and see if they get what they ask for. 

Also we used this picture as our Christmas cards this year.  

Food Drive Competition

And our school lost.  This was the what I had to wear.

About Garrett

Garrett had a mole on his face that looked like it was growing and people were starting to make fun of him. I took him to the Dr. to have them look at the mole and remove it. Apparently it wasn't a mole it was a WART!. The Dr. said that they weren't very common and still wanted to take it off. Now Garrett has had moles on his back removed in the past. It was a very traumatic experience for him. The Dr. didn't tell him what was going to happen and it was pretty painful. So this time Garrett told the Doctor that he wanted to know exactly what was going on all the time. He did cry when they gave him a shot but he didn't get hysterical and start screaming because he wasn't prepared for it. He had the wart zapped off and now has just as a small red spot that will go away soon. I was proud of him for being so brave and being able to tell us what he wanted.

Also Garrett has turned into a great reader and he is reading at least on a third grade reading level. He is reading George Brown books, The Stink books, Magic Tree House books, and Horrible Harry Books. He is reading books from when I taught 3rd grade. He is also getting to be really good at Math. At school his teacher had a contest to see who could skip count by 2,3,5,and 10 to 100. He was only one of three kids who could do it. But he proudly said when he got home, "When you skip count by 3 you can't get to 100 you have to go to 102." For being one of the few who could do it he got a new 3 ring binder and a folder from his teacher. I wanted to take his picture but since there is one pink strip on the binder he wouldn't let me.

This story reminds me of one Jeremy's story when he was in 5th grade and was the fastest at his Multiplication so he won a big box of crayons.

Can I have Juice?

Devin came to me this morning and asked, "Mom, can I have a capri sun?"
I said, "No."
He then asks, "Mom, can I have some juice?"
I reply, "No we don't have any made."

He then goes to the kitchen get out the Crystal Light opens a package, pours it into a pitcher, adds water from the sink and then starts to stir it. I walk into the kitchen and ask what he is doing.

He says, "I am making juice I did it myself. It is EASY. You open the package, put it in here, add water and stir. It is EA-SY and YUM-MY." (I had to add a little bit more water but he did it make it himself.)

When we got home from today he says he wants juice and then reminds me that, "I made it myself." So he then proceeds to get a cup and then dip the cup into the pitcher and get himself a drink. And he wanted me to have some juice too but he didn't want to share with his brother or sister.

He was so proud of himself.

So Weird

Yesterday we were driving our van around are neighborhood delivering snowmen. Jeremy got out of the car to go with the kids to deliver one. When he got back in the car the windshield wipers were going. He asked who touched them. We hadn't touched them. Then a few minutes later the odometer started blinking, then the engine light came on, then the brake light came on. Jeremy stopped the car but then it wouldn't start again. The lights in the car wouldn't turn off neither would the headlights. A neighbor stopped by and asked if we need help. He had battery charger. We didn't think it was the battery but we hooked it up and the car started. We were really relieved but we weren't sure if it start again in the morning. Jeremy said he would take it to school and I could drive his car. He got in and it started immediately. He called and said nothing was going wrong with car this morning so far. I just hope it stays that way and he gets to school safely. But it was very strange. But not just one neighbor stopped to help us but several stopped and asked if we need help. Some of them we didn't even know. So nice to have people being willing to help.

HaHa!

I include a comic with each weekly email I send my teachers. I had to cut out a couple of these but I definitely thought they were all blogworthy.

Festival of Lights

Last night we went to Spanish Fork and saw the "Festival of Lights" They have an amazing display of Christmas Lights. We went with Jennifer's Family. We drove around twice. The kids were playing eye spy in the back with the different things they saw. Afterward we went back to Jenn's and had cookies and hot chocolate.

Santa and some elves

Garrett Claus

Olivia the Elf

Here are my activity day girls wearing the elf hat that they decorated.

Gingerbread Men

My friend Marianne invited us up to her house for family home evening to make Gingerbread men. She had these great big cookies and we loved the smell of ginger.
It was fun to decorate them and eat them.

By Robin

By Jeremy (I like the tie and glasses)

By Olivia (already half eaten)

By Garrett

By Devin

This was so much fun.  Thanks Marianne for letting us be apart of one of your traditions.

Snowman Attack

What are we doing with all this Candy?

I know Devin would love to eat it all

But no, we are wrapping them in white paper

This is their idea of helping.

And making adorable snowmen

Jere and I made the hats from socks and the kids put on the buttons and decorated their faces. A fun family activity.

Sleeping Bag

A couple of weeks ago the kids got out a whole bunch of blankets and sleeping bags and were playing rough.  They were having so much fun and giggling.   I love when they are getting a long and playing.

November Sayings

Devin: I was picking up Devin from the sitter. I was talking to the sitter maybe 2 minutes about how he did that day. He walks out the door and starts walking down the road. I tell him to come back. He says, "Since you are taking so LONG, I will just walk home." Nov. 2011
 
Garrett: Garrett lost a tooth recently. He left a tooth fairy a note. It said, "Dear Tooth Fairy, For my tooth can I have 3D DS."
(Not likely). November 2011
 
Devin: "Mom, I don't want to go to the babysitter's house." I tell him he has to. A couple minutes later he says in a sad voice, "Mom, my belly button hurts, I can't go, I can't." (The days he stays home he wants to go he just wants the opposite of what he is doing.)
Nov. 2011
 
Devin: I was looking at Devin today and thinking how much he his growing up. He notices me staring at him and asks, "Why are you staring at me?" I reply, "Because, I love you." He replies back in a few seconds, "Fine, I love you too."
Nov. 2011
 
Olivia: I was typing on my computer and I misspelled a word. I said to Jeremy I can't spell today. Olivia pipes in and says,
"T O D A Y, that is an easy word, Mom." Nov. 2011
 
Garrett: The kids wanted cookies. Jeremy says, "We haven't had no bake cookies in a while." Garrett gets an excited expression on his face and then sighs, "Mama, Mia!"
Nov. 2011
 
Devin: After being told No for something he yells, "I am super duper angry at you now." (Still not
going to get his way) Nov. 2011
 
Garrett: I told him he he needed to wear a hat because it was cold outside. He said, "Fine, I will wear a red hat and it isn't because I like the Utah Utes." Nov. 2011
 
Garrett: Olivia was in a play. After the play he was clapping really hard. I asked him if he liked the play. He replied, " I didn't even get it." Nov. 2011
 
Devin: As we were carving pumpkins he said, "The beans are slimy and gross." Oct. 2011