David and I spent the holidays decluttering and rearranging the house.  Those of you who have been to our house understand what a LARGE chore that is.  Anyway, that's why I've been away from the computer for awhile.

 

We tend to keep Christmas/Yule low-key and just enjoy the time off.  KJ's main present from us this year was a GameBoy SP.  He also got a carrying case, a Scorpanok Transformer, new coat, and new shoes.  He was thrilled with everything and thanked us profusely.  Low-key and low-budget. ;-)  Of course he gets gifts from the rest of the family too...plus his dad's side.  KJ says that a double Christmas is one advantage to your parents being divorced.

 

KJ and I went on a nature walk across the road today.  The weather is wonderful and it was so relaxing.  We collected some things for KJ to draw and even saw a snake.  Pictures are here.

 

 

 

Yesterday was David's birthday.  I made him a birthday cookie that looked like the sun since we would be celebrating at a winter solstice party that our friend's, Karen and Bryan, were having.

 

 

I had some extra cookie dough so I made some plain round cookies and used the last of the icing to make some faces.  They were just some extra cookies to keep at home, not for the party.  KJ saw the faces and said, "Hey Mom, Are these all of Dude's moods?"  (KJ calls David, "Dude.")  I laughed until I was crying over the different "moods of Dude."

 

 

The winter solstice party was a blast!!  Our friend's outdid themselves.  Karen had craft areas for adults and children.  David, KJ, and I all made beeswax candles, and KJ and I both made a magic wand.  We also had a choice of those oranges with cloves stuck inside, I can't remember what they're called; 6-sided snowflakes, tissue paper lanterns, wooden ornaments, paper sun crowns, and coloring sheets.  Everyone brought food and drinks which were delicious,  Karen asked people to bring instruments so we had several guitars, a banjo, violin, drums, and a basket of rhythm instruments.  We sang and sang, laughed, and sang some more.  KJ commandeered a drum and had the time of his life jamming along.  He's actually very good.  He switched to maracas a few times, but always returned to the drum.  We sang everything from children's songs to Spanish songs to Christmas carols to popular hits from the 60's and 70's.  Needless to say, KJ was wired up on the way home.

 

Our neighbor's grandson, Jared, is here visiting from Hawaii so he and KJ have been playing constantly.  I barely saw either of them yesterday afternoon and they're back at it again today.

 

Yes, Mom, I'm going to blog again.  I just got busy. *hmmph**

 

Oh Laura,  I laughed and laughed about you and overpasses.  Between the two us, it's a wonder KJ has any common sense at all.

 

There have been lots of little blog-worthy things to tell about so this blog is just a hodge podge of stuff.

 

*We stopped at the grocery store one evening.  David was just going to run in real quick so KJ and I stayed in the car.  While he was inside, a little old lady driving a car the same color as ours pulled in beside us and proceeded to finish up eating a hot dog before getting out.  You know where this is going, don't you...I saw David exit the store and head our way.  I saw him go to the passenger side of the other car, but didn't have time to do anything about it.  I watched in horror as he opened her door and started to get in.  I saw the shock on his face as he realized his mistake.  Luckily the little old lady wasn't the easily excitable type and laughed it off.  We were at our small town grocery store which helped the situation. 

 

*KJ was massaging and beating on my upper back one afternoon.  When he finished, he heaved a sigh and said, "I feel like a machine gun that has shot all its shots!"

 

*I was asking KJ the narration questions about Charlemagne from the Story of The World II Activity Guide.  He was answering the question about things Charlemagne had done to improve the lives of his people.  KJ listed several things and finished up with Charlemagne conquering other countries and making them be baptised as Christians or die. He paused and said, "a bit of a control freak, I think."  I laughed and laughed about Charlemagne the control freak.

 

*On Thursday we had a "Christmas at the Mayborn" field trip to the Mayborn museum with our homeschool group.  The kids loved it and I got to meet two new families who have joined the group.  There were 4 school groups and us rotating between 5 activities.  We were asked several times what group we were and told how well behaved, how cool, how inpressed they were, etc.  One activity involved the kids acting out the Christmas story.  There were four innkeepers and KJ was innkeeper number 3.  Mary, Joseph, and the donkey were to go up to each innkeeper and knock.  The innkeeper would ask, "Who's there?"  Joseph would say "Joseph."  The innkeeper would say, "What do you want?"  Joseph would say, "We need a room," and the innkeeper would say, "No rooms."  This was to continue until the fourth innkeeper who would of course let them stay in the stable.  Well... when poor Joseph who happens to be one of KJ's good friends, got to KJ and answered, "Joseph,"  KJ said, "Joseph who?"  The whole room died laughing (parents included) while poor Joseph was wondering what his last name was. 

 

 

 

What do you get when you mix 20+ people, a medium size house, plastic cups that look exactly alike, lots of finger foods, and a couple of sick people?  A cesspool of germs...that's what my dad called Thanksgiving this year after half of us came down with some viral crud a couple of days after the great eating frenzy.  In our family, David was sick first, but is now on the mend.  I started with the sore throat, headache, fever, cough yesterday, but can function if appropriately drugged.  Amazingly enough, KJ has remained healthy. *knock on wood*  Anyway, David had lunch at Co-op with KJ today and brought him home after Narnia class so I could stay home and rest.  After they had been home a few minutes, KJ asked David if he had told me about the sign.  David said that he hadn't yet and asked if my bladder was empty. (a sure sign that he was going to say something funny) Apparently the following conversation took place on the way home from Co-op.