Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all! December 20th, 2020 - January 2nd, 2021
We opted for two weeks of light school and lots of playing these last two weeks. The kids did about two and a half days both weeks and it was lovely to keep up a bit but also have a nice break.
School highlights these last two weeks have included a really neat science lesson via Zoom with our friend Anica Brown right before Christmas. She recently retired from teaching science and we actually met her at our last church home. Her lesson fell right in line with Micah's science curriculum this week as she shared some information about microfossils. Anica spent some time on the The JOIDES Resolution (JR) which is a research vessel that drills into the ocean floor to collect and study core samples. Per their website, "scientists use data from the JR to better understand climate change, geology and Earth’s history. It is a part of the International Ocean Discovery Program and is funded by the National Science Foundation." She showed the boys the ship and told them all about the cool science that was happening. At the end we cast our own fossils which they thought was pretty fun. I didn't get any photos as I was trying to keep the younger two occupied and listen in with the older kids. Phew.
Emmett's science lesson this week was all about magnets! Since he got in on the fossil and research ship fun, we saved the magnets for this last week. Of course, what's not to love about magnets so they all had a turn with the compass and the magnetic "tricks".
Emmett's other exciting advancement this week was learning to write his name/signature in cursive. He thought that was so cool and he wrote it over and over and over. So many letter "E", "M" and "T" in that name. Ha!
Micah and I continue to work through his math curriculum. I came into the kitchen one day to find this...
Fairly creative use of the magnetic numbers and correct (after he fixed it), I might add.
We also played a matching game to help with understanding of the equals sign. That concept seems to be a bit of a challenge. We have switched over to saying "is the same as or equals" so that it makes more sense.
Oh, and while Emmett was learning cursive, Micah learned how to tie his shoes! I'd say that is a huge first grade win!
Jonah has been working in his Fundations book with me each day but these last two weeks were a bit of a wash for him. I am completely ok with that. Jonah is my Christmas guy and he's been in the Christmas spirit since June!
On the last Sunday in Advent, he and I made some button cards so he could practice his name. He wanted me to place and glue the buttons and he wrote the words.
Later that day, we all went outside to play in the snow and we saw Santa drive by in a classic convertible! He waved and honked at the kids and they were pretty stoked about it, especially since it was snowing again!
The next day, he and I also made a snowman, which he has wanted to do for over a year!
I even snuck in a 3 mile run in the snowy woods with E! 💚
We celebrated the winter solstice on 12/21 with a fire in our new fire pit. We acknowledged the longest night of the year with light and fire and warmth (and a roasted marshmallow or two)! We talked about how the days will start to get longer bit by bit and the nights will get just a bit shorter until it is summer again. Over and over again.
On December 23rd, the boys helped Patrick and Rev. Cydney put up the outdoor Nativity Walk. They were so happy to be outside and honestly, just happy to be with their dad. Despite the fact that there were no in person services this year, he worked endlessly for weeks and we didn't see much of him until the morning of the 25th. They had fun and worked hard getting everything together and the Nativity Walk was quite a success. Kudos to Patrick and Cydney for their ingenuity!
On Christmas Eve day, I started a fire and we performed our birch bark burning tradition that we have done each year. This started in 2016 when we moved to Connecticut and left almost all of our traditions behind. We discovered that there was a gentleman that would light a fire in the fireplace at the little park across from the church on Christmas Eve day. He had sharpie markers and bags of birch bark and you could write an intention for the new year, or something that you might want to let go off from the previous year, or maybe just a wish or a prayer. After you wrote it on the bark, you threw it into the fireplace and watched it curl up and send that thought into the universe. I loved it so much and then in 2019, the city removed the fireplace. We invited this same guy to bring his little chimney across the street and hold the same open door policy in front of the church in 2019 and then shortly after that... he moved away. By golly, this is the one tradition that I had leaned on and so I collected birch bark from fallen trees on my runs in the woods and we had our own little private burning. Micah wrote "foxes" and wished for all the foxes to be healthy and taken care of. Jonah wrote that he was grateful for "Santa and the spirit of Christmas". Emmett wrote "I wish that covid will be gone in 2021.) Be still my heart.
Christmas Eve was strange this year for us, just as it was for everyone. Patrick sat in the Meetinghouse alone, streaming the services that he and his team had put together. He turned the lights on in the sanctuary to red and green and they looked really cool from outside through the stained glass.
Through all of the noise, laughter, and rambunctiousness, Norah has just stayed right in the middle of things. She loves to help me in the kitchen and often you can find her measuring the extra ingredients or cutting something up.
She is also a big fan of a small cup of decaf coffee with almond milk or a splash of soy creamer. Oy, don't judge me.
Christmas came with excited kids and lots and lots of games. Santa brought Mouse Trap and that was really fun for Emmett since he had studied Rube Goldberg.
Other favorites include Scrabble, Sneaky Squirrel (thanks Betsy!), Outfoxed (thanks Steve K!), and Husker checkers.
Micah and Jonah have had great fun with a train that goes around the track or on the floor. (Thanks Craig and Vance!) And Jonah can almost always be found on the floor somewhere driving his new firetruck and ambulance around.
Santa came through with a blue arctic fox for Micah.
Norah painting with her dot paints (thanks Betsy!)
Just a little tea for everyone. (Thanks Grammy and Pops!)
Also, I don't have a photo yet but Grandma Barb and Grandpa Levin sent Norah some play food and pots and utensils and that has been a hit with all 4 of them.
In the week between Christmas and New Years Day, Patrick had the good fortune to assemble a treadmill that he surprised me with. I think that Emmett, Patrick and I will all enjoy it. Yesterday, I ran in Japan, Patrick ran in Greece, and Emmett ran in Thailand in an elephant sanctuary. Cool, right?!
Our family New Year's Eve tradition is to have "Fancy Dinner". This started before we even had kids. I think the impetus was that I can't hardly stay up past 10p and neither of us really enjoys going out. Each year I make a fancy meal and this year we went extra with the good wedding china that had never been out of the box, candles with crystal candlestick holders and goblets for everyone, not just the grown ups. The kids loved being trusted to use these things. It was so fun to watch them. I figure if a plate breaks or a glass breaks, who cares. We will clean it up and try again. I was disappointed that the new chargers for the plates and the table runner didn't get here in time but it was still lovely.
Our menu this year included...
- vegan cream cheese with cranberry chutney on crackers
- mashed potatoes
- vegan macaroni and cheese baked with bread crumb topping
- portobello mushroom steaks with avocado chimichurri
- baguette with vegan butter
- sweet and sour Brussels sprouts with grapes and chestnuts
- vegan pumpkin creme brule (with vegan chocolate cheesecake as a backup plan, which we did end up needing)
- a splash of red wine or sparkling grape juice
Happy New Year and Joy to the World.
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