Tuesday's Sparkle

So I've come to the conclusion that I'd better really focus on Patience. For the last four days of the 28 day cycle. ahem.
As soon as I made the decision to stop Practicing Impatience, in comes Maddie.

"I've decided. I want a peanut-butter and jam sandwich for breakfast."
"Okay. Do you want it toasted?"
"Nooooo... I said peanut-butter and jam sandwich."
"I know. I was just asking if you wanted it toasted. Peanut-butter is good on toast."
"I said peanut butter and jam!..."
"I know you did. Sheesh. I was just asking if you wanted it toasted. Never mind." [Laughs in exasperation and to ward off Mama-grumpiness.]
"I said peanut-butter and jam!, and you just said peanut-butter, so I was confused."
sigh.
"Here is your sandwich, babe."
"I wanted it toasted."
~

"Is Christmas a long time?"
"No, not really. It's next month."
"But is it a looooong time?"
"I'm not sure what you're asking."
"Uh!" She huffs in irritation. "I'm asking if it is a looooong time."
"Do you mean the day? It's twenty-four hours, same as every other day."
"Is that a long time?"
Sigh. "Is every day a long time?"
"No."
"Then, no."
"But is Christmas a long time?"
oof.

Then...
After recovering for a few minutes, her Mama tries again. More loving, you know?
"I think what you're asking me if it's gonna be a big day, is that right?"
She nods.
"Yes. I think the day will be so fun that it will seem to last for a looong time."
"But is it a long time?"
Blink, says I.
"Like the day after tomorrow?"
"No. It's not the day after tomorrow."
sigh.

~




Music.


Glitter...and pretty papers...


make a beautiful paper chain.


And snowflakes make for pretty sparklies.

(We started some more today.)

Chocolate Snow Icecream.


Reading.
We finished up the second chapter of Explore Rocks and Minerals (go here to enter the drawing for a copy), and then read How Mountains Are Made.
Mmm, have a much better understanding of plates, now, thank you.
And did you know that Mount Everest is not the point furthest away from the center of the earth? The Earth actually bulges at the equator, so Chimborazo Peak in Ecuador is the furthest point-- even though it is only 7,113 feet above sea level. (Mount Everest is 29,028 feet high.)
Books are cool.
I had the thought that to go along with this we could pick up our book Fizz, Bubble, and Flash - Element Explorations & Atom Adventures for Hands-On Scientific Fun and further our investigations and explorations.
You know - since we are already here.
Seems to be going most excellently. Connections, and all that.


The States puzzle again.
And then the other one.


Toy research. Imagine that.

"This is a pyramid." says She.
"Yes, I can see."
"It's two thousand and one countries. Very old."
"Mmm... that is old!"

Godzilla scenes.



Icicles.

Art.

We read Snow Play, and thoroughly enjoyed the pretty sparkliness of it.
So naturally we got out two puzzles, Maddie and me, and we set to work with our markers and glitter glue.

Checked on the crystals.

began last night

began this morning

I love how quickly they form! Amazing.
Directions and the Science Behind It here.

Puzzelts.
(Different ones.)

Godzilla research.

Peep (And The Big Wide World).

More piano play.
She's learned how to set up the "follow me" feature on the keyboard, so we're all about learning to play songs right now.
"Cool." says the Mama.

A netflix movie downstairs for one,
research on the 'puter for another,
and catch up for Mama.
Daddy is To Be Expected Shortly.

Uh-
I love this sparkly life.
Have I said that?

It's 6:37 and All Is Well.
See you tomorrow. Prob'ly.

monday, monday

hmmm.

After that was some reading of Explore Rocks and Minerals.
(Be sure to enter the drawing if you're interested!)
The first part of the book (plate tectonics and seismography) left us confused and perplexed, but we enjoyed the beginning of the next chapter, Minerals and Crystals much better - now that's something we can understand, and find very interesting.

It was decided that we'd watch Magic School Bus Rocks and Rolls to see if we could get a better understanding of tectonics (though we certainly are familiar with the idea of continents shifting - ie Pangaea).
But first things first-- had to look at salt, sugar, and borax crystals under the microscope.


After making salt models



we added watching MSB's Meets Molly Cule to the list, too.
Rocks and Rolls was just about water erosion, so we wanted to watch Blows Its Top, too.

' Course... while we were watching the end of Kicks Up a Storm (to get to Blows Its Top), Trev was reminded of the water cycle one, Wet All Over, which we'll have to see if we still have.


While we were downstairs watching videos, Mama went through a shelf of books looking for Earth storybooks-- found (unrelated to geology) Macmillan Children's Guide to Endagered Animals, and then Teaching the Fun of Science, Blows Its Top : A Book About Volcanoes, Geology Crafts for Kids, and How Mountains Are Made.
Hmm, a nice stack for the current subject. If we find the time, of course.


During the Meets Molly Cule episode, we had a hankering for seeing crystal molecules stacking themselves up on their own. You know... provided nothing was in their way.
Well-- we know how to do that.

So..
Sledding.


Because we can.

And borax crystals.

Because we can.
And because Trev wants to know.

And Frosty the Snowman,
and Peep,
and dinner,

and then downstairs for a little Christmas Vacation.
Ha!

We're tired.
And life's good.

sunday : snow

girls reading.

girls sledding.







godzilla
and the unlocking of the mothership
"Is this The Mothership?"
"Nah... this is Sidney, Australia."
"Oh."
"Don't you recognize this little piece of Sydney Opera House right by my feet?"
silly me.

snow painting.


this is one of my favorite things (I first had the idea a couple of years ago)...
painting with watercolors,
planting icicles (sculptures),
icebergs and rivers,
creating a frozen arctic-
seals, penguins, orcas, snow shoe hares...



snowplay while being warm inside? awesome.

here's something-

almost an inch in 19 days.

make ready.



three sled.
(daddy and baby and baby.)


uum... make that four.

tired of sledding pictures already?
what to do?
we have snow and this fabulous hill just two houses over....

at 4 : something--

still snowin'.

snowy ice lantern

waiting for the gear to finish tumbling in the dryer...

time to go!


so good....

so good.

the soul of sunday

what is the story of yours?


a space for moments,
or snapshots,
or entire days of Shine.

The system I use has decided to require a subscription after this week, so we'll have a different linking system next week.

The 24 Days of Christmas

We're sort of a Celebrate! kind of family. :) (You knew that, right?)

I believe that life should be lived grandly- with lots of flavors and colors and big, sweeping whirlwinds.
So we celebrate often. Celebrate the freedom we have to acknowledge and appreciate this joyful life.

December is no exception; we celebrate the 24 days before Christmas as well as Solstice and Christmas. We love all of it!

I bought an advent calendar a few years ago that I fell madly in love with. I knew it would be something that I'd still be filling thirty years later for the grandchildren.
Because--you know. I always want my house to be a place of Magic.

Usually the little cupboards hold tiny toys and things for my children. Little surprises that I've picked up at the store that made me smile.
Chocolates, too, of course. They adore chocolates.


This year as my focus is less on worrying about gifts and more on living with Joy, I want our "24 Days" to reflect that.
There will be miniature presents, too, of course in the windows, but I'll be including other things as well.
I thought I'd share my ideas with you--and you can share yours with me!
(Not all of them are holiday related particularly, but special things my babes have been wanting to do.)

~ . . . ~

Going sledding. At night. With soup, fire wood, and cocoa would be nice. (We did this last New Year's Eve with friends, and I completely loved it.)

A day at Classic - our Kid Paradise skating/bouncy/climbing place. (And if they give us free bounceback passes, we'll go a second time.)

Holiday sugar cookies. Trees, stars, wreaths, Santas, candycanes...

Gingerbread house (that would be from a kit).

A trip downtown to see the Christmas lights.

Build a snowman. (Hopefully the snow situation stays friendly.)

Have a Family Movie Night downstairs. Complete with popcorn and every pillow in the house and whatever else we want. A holiday film, of course.

A visit with Santa.

Make magic reindeer food.

Make cookies for birds (around Solstice).

Make and deliver treats for wooded friends (on Solstice) - nuts, berries, oats, seeds, apples, raisins...

Make holiday crackers for visiting friends and family.

Make holiday treats (fudge, toffee, mints, chocolate chip cookies, white chocolate covered pretzels...)

Make gingerbread men for the tree.

Ice Lanterns for Solstice.

A date for bowling.

Go to the movies (the dollar movie).

Go iceskating outdoors at the Gallivan Center. (Complete with Holiday lights and music.)

Days for choosing (home). These would be days for choosing anything at home - one day for each of them. Favorite breakfasts (which would mean cinnamon rolls for Madd and french toast and sausage for Trev, I imagine), things we'll play, things we'll create, things we'll do... whatever they'd like.


Other ideas I have for Winter Play are things we've done in the past or more regular sorts of things: snow cones, build a snow fort, go skiing, snow painting (with water colors), go to the theater for Babes In Toyland if we can swing it, fancy teas... whatever winter magic we can think of.

What's in store for you?