This weekend at our house

My dad and Matt
James, aka: Naughty Body"
into the trees
a pretty oak tree behind our house
Grama and Grampa came to visit!!

We had a very nice time with my mom and dad this weekend. They arrived Thursday pm and we took them back to the airport yesterday. Unfortunately, they are now stuck in Memphis because of the ice and snow in Iowa and the Des Moines airport is closed. I hope they make it home soon. They should have quite a shock to their systems, as it was 82* here on Sunday, and 78* yesterday. I told them it was a good thing since otherwise they have to wait until next April to see temps this warm again! I called, and it is 25* there now. This weekend it was in the single digits. Somehow, I'm not missing that.

Home school craft party/cookie exchange

Our table, where the kids made Baby Jesus in his manger.

My mom and dad were here, and got to meet our friends and help. The kids thought my dad was really funny!
The Flanagan's very popular, "make it and eat it" table
Mrs. Kemple had glue AND glitter
The always lovely (always eating) Miss Helena
Mrs. Garret with some other lovely girls, making oyster shell Santas

We had a fun time, and came home with 6 1/2 dozen cookies and treats from the cookie exchange. Remember last year? We arrived in NC on the 6th; our truck unloaded the 7th, and we went to the craft/cookie party on the 8th. That was the first day we met the other home school families....the year has gone by quickly.

A visit from St. Nicholas

The shoes were lined up ever so neatly...
ER ornament for Marty--the ambulance lover
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots ornament for Theo--the rocker/socker
Amy specifically hoped for a nativity ornament, and was pleased
Sarah got another snow globe to add to her collection.

Pictures

Amy baked cookies all by herself for the first time. They were yummy! We took a plate over to our new neighbors, too.
Theo and Marty made themselves a nice bed of pine straw. James has taken it over now.

We're all alright...

Hey, just a short note (I'm crazy busy this week) to let everyone know we are still here and not dying of some awful virus or something. However, both girls are having flares with their asthma, and are back on nebulizer treatments for the first time in a year. But hey, when they have a flare, it's a doozy. Amy's even having to take the orapred--I hate that stuff and what it does to them. Think weepy and irritable.......poor things.....

Also, Iowa people--I'm sorry, but it's going to be 72* this weekend. Not very Christmas-y, but a lot more comfortable than you are right now. Hang in there!

Testing.....testing.......

Amy
Sarah
Theo
Marty
The new "ranking belts" Check out how loooong those belts are, too!

The kids all tested Wednesday night for their yellow belts in Tae Kwon Do. Boy, were they proud to achieve them! They take it very seriously, and practice a lot. We are very proud, too.

No substitute teacher available

when Mama was sick, so we made play dough and talked about caves.

Mittens, mittens, everywhere

but never a pair.........

I knit these 40 mittens (and a few more) for part of our Christmas gifts this year. On a wreath, I will attach a mitten of the appropriate gender for each family member in the family who will receive the wreath. I think they will be cute, and I hope they go over well. Maybe I'll get finished pictures posted too.