Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat...

The countdown is on! Who is done with shopping, cooking and cleaning??? Not this girl! I thought I was in good shape when I had the trees up and decorated the day after Thanksgiving and the presents wrapped and under the tree by the end of that weekend. But then, real life hit...

Let's start with the lights, for the first time ever they were up and running on the first try on BOTH (yes, I said both...as in two full size trees) of the trees until we unplugged them for the evening and the next day only half of each tree lit up. Very strange. That was a battle that lasted a full week and conquered both my youngest daughter and my very tired boyfriend. One tree is now fully functional (weeks later) and the other we choose to just squint and imagine...

This led to the outside light, they too were on some kind of conquest to drive us all crazy. Went up without a hitch, lit up beautifully, until...it got dark out and then a mysterious patch of blackness appeared above the door. Luckily, Ken wasn't so tired the next day or he prayed to the light bulb gods because with one switch of a bulb we were back in business. Snowflakes and candy canes were added last night and without incident, that called for a click of the eggnog goblets!

Presents... Only another parent can truly appreciate this one. So as I said I thought I was ahead of the game not only in purchasing, but in wrapping until, as always, my darling children decide they no longer want the items that they so desired with every ounce of their being just two months before. Go figure. So back to the stores I go. Still shopping as of this afternoon and plans to head out in the morning as well...ughhh! 

(***This is definitely a teaching opportunity. It's time to involve the teenagers in the family finances.  Great way to teach life skills and practice mathematics... have them work out the budget for the months of November, December and January. )

And lets not forget the wonderful Christmas Eve dinner. I was all organized and planned for this grand event of the year that I gladly took over from my mother last year when my luck struck again...Broken oven! To my dismay and a selection of words I cannot print, Carbon Monoxide detectors let out the wail that we all wish we never had to hear. After an midnight evacuation and an early morning visit from the gas company I was given the wonderful news that my oven was going to the appliance heaven in the sky. To most women this is a god send but for me I've been living in "Hell" for the last couple of weeks. No Christmas cookies for my family this year and Christmas Eve dinner has been moved back to my moms to my disappointment ( and to my moms, and those of you that know her know how true this is, she loves the company but her disdain of cooking these days is a punishment to all of us...shhhh). So I guess I will be back to my old M.O. of running around my moms kitchen being her sous chef for the day and night. I'm still up in the air about Christmas morning breakfast and how that is going to be pulled off. Maybe Santa will leave me a new stove (might as well wish for a whole kitchen while I'm at it!)

Even with all the craziness, I wouldn't wish this time away. It truly is my favorite time of year and I cherish every moment of it with my amazing family and friends xoxo. Wishing you all a splendid week of prepping and a wonderful Christmas day filled with love and blessings.

Enjoy your Holidays! Make every moment meaningful!

(***Great time to teach your children about the gift of giving. There are plenty of opportunities at this time of year for teens to fulfill social expectations they may need as graduation requirements, soup kitchens, food drives, clothing drives and toy drives. Teaching children the importance of being responsible and productive contributors to society is just as important as academic success)


http://www.helpothers.org/ideas.php

How sweet it is...

How sweet it is...

To the ones I love... I'm so proud of you each and every day in all you do and all that you are! <3
Please know that you teach me just as much as I try, and hope, to teach you. I'm so proud to be your mom...and your teacher xoxo

Voki.com introduces the virtual teacher!

COOKIES!!! UMM-NUM-NUM-NUM-NUM!!! - Cookie Monster

Time to bake the cookies! Baking with kids is a great way to reinforce math skills and the finished product is a built in reward. Choose recipes that are quick and easy to start with so the young chefs can gain confidence.  Look for recipes with whole numbers at first then work up to fractions. When they feel secure in using a combination of measuring cups and spoons to fullfill the called for amount in the recipe you can try having them double or triple a recipe to work in multiplying fractions. Good Luck!

 These are Quick, easy and require only a few basic ingredients. A great way to start your cookie plates this year! They will be a hit with young and old alike.  After all, everything is better covered in powdered sugar ;)  How sweet it is....

Nutty Butter Cookies
1 cup butter
6 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup nuts
powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar together. Add flour, vanilla and nuts. Roll into walnut sized balls onto a greased cookie sheet and lightly flatten. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, place on waxed paper and sprinkle with or roll in powdered sugar.

Helpful Links:

http://www.lotsofkids.com/LOK-Kitchen/KitchenCenter/conversionchart.php

http://www.get-kids-cooking.com/cooking-conversion-chart.html

So little time and a whole lot to cook...

“The best way to execute French cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit. ”
― Julia Child

You want a meal that is hot, healthy and wholesome for your family but you barely have time to order a pizza or swing through a drive through... Solution...Crockpot!!! I love mine and am glad in times like these of "negative time days", that I have a few of them.  Plan your week to include a couple meals that can be made in a crockpot and you will save yourself time, money and the aggravation of a lot of clean-up.  Not to mention that when you walk into the house 6 hours later, exhausted and starving, it smells like your personal chef has been hard at work making you a gourmet meal! Carrots, onions, celery, a chicken roaster, some basic seasonings, and a cup of white wine (the rest is for dinner, so choose well) and you have a meal worthy of Julia herself. Reserve the carcas and cooking liquid to make an easy chicken soup tomorrow night!

The only thing left to do is to set the table which I recommend delegating to the children since, according to the thought of my children, is the reason we give birth to them...so we have built in servants to do chores. Really?! The response to that was as matter of fact as to my response of the issue of allowance owed to do these chores..."You get an allowance every day, your ALLOWED to live here :)". That was the end of that conversation.

But seriously, conversation is key to a successful and full education.  Take the time to talk to your kids about their day.  Sometimes it seems as though it might be the worst torture in the world for them to share what actually happened in their day past the obligational "fine" we often get when we ask how their day went.  Be patient, calm and sometimes a little sarcasm goes a long way...just saying.  Accept what they have to say but continue to ask more specific questions than "what was the best part of your day?", because their response will likely be "lunch" or "recess".  Ask about science, math or english.  Ask them to show you their notebooks or handouts.  Be sure to plenty of positives, even when seeing the "not so perfect" test grades. They may not act like they care, or they may even get agitated with the talks at times, but I assure you they do care and some day they will look back fondly on those moments. 

With that being said, I toast to you for being engaged parents and remind you to pat yourself on the back for being the best and most important "teacher" in your child's life! That is something to be proud of...Bon Appetit!

Our first game is called Well Begun is Half-Done.- Mary Poppins

Starting this blog as a class assignment for my technology class in my Grad program.  Anyone who knows me, knows my disdain for computers...and it is mutual according to every computer I ever met.  This is going to be an interesting endeavour. This blog will be a place to gain insight into the ever changing world of education.  I hope to provide informational pieces that will clarify what really goes on in the learning communities locally, as well as around the world. This sight will also serve as a resource for parents looking to be better equipped to help their children with projects, homework and daily learning experiences.  I'm hoping to share some helpful hints (and comic relief) for busy moms/dads in hopes of adding a few extra minutes of peace and sanity to your day :) I'm hoping to learn from this too, so please feel free to share your wisdom! Every opportunity is a learning opportunity!