Two Weeks in December

 It's Christmas Eve morning as I write.  We've got a full day ahead of us including caring for babies (yes, 4 of them are coming over today!), wrapping presents, baking and decorating cookies, picking up the teen car from the shop (someone tried to steal the catalytic converter!), possibly meeting my parents at the Giving Machine downtown, and cleaning up in preparation for Christmas Day.

I don't think we can do it all.
 
 
We've kept up with school through most of the month.  We're in a working routine, and I don't like breaking working routines!  Yesterday was our first day off from school, and that will continue today.  My best guess is that we'll return to our school schedule on Monday in order to provide everyone with a sense of normalcy and comfort.



The kids are generally doing well.  

We did have an incident of traumatic proportions when Beowulf got angry at Lola and pushed her down and stomped on her.


Both radius and ulna are slightly chipped.  

Yes, I have sought further services for him.
No, I have not been successful.  
So far, all organizations are too full right now, and my instructions are to call back after the first of the new year.

It hurts my heart that we failed to protect her.  It happened too fast for anyone to stop it, though!  We were all there in the room together, and we all raced to help, but . . .

Beowulf is sorry.  He's holding it all inside, but he's been extra helpful and extra solicitous of everyone's needs lately.  I know he wants to make up for what he did, and he doesn't want to do it again.  It's even been a cautionary tale for Brother . . . who remembers and hates his own violent outbursts.

Otherwise, we've had our Lighting Ceremony, we've enjoyed the bizarrely mild winter we're having, and the kids have filled their free time with making presents for one another.



I didn't include the picture of the younger kids gathered around the popcorn bowl eating like a herd of animals . . . just couldn't bring myself to do that!   They ran in and out of the dark and light, screaming with all the abandon of childhood while the 12 and ups talked and laughed on the lawn in the twinkly light.

Belle finished her first college class.  I made her pause so I could take this photo as she reported in after her final.

Pixie came home!

She has filled our days with excitement and fun.

She organized a Chubby Bunny contest on the deck one morning.  Some of us abstained.  Some of us gagged.  Some of us crammed a lot of marshmallows in our mouths!



It came down to a contest between Pixie and Brother, and Brother won with 8 marshmallows!!!

(It makes me gag just thinking about it.)

She has taken sisters on shopping dates, run errands for me, taken the youngest half dozen to the park, and has generally enlivened our days with her delightful gratitude and goodwill.

She took this cute picture of sisters and babies at the grocery store when they all did my weekly shopping one day.

We helped the babies make Christmas ornaments one morning.




 
We read another 13 Christmas picture books, and I failed to record titles or take pictures.  I will say that of those 13, we found 3 treasures that we will add to our permanent collection.

Star Bright by Alison McGhee
The Christmas Magic by Lauren Thompson
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston

Even with the mild weather and sunshine, the short days have still encouraged quiet indoor play, and one afternoon the kids just played games.
 


 We made "gingerbread" houses last Sunday.












We also read The Best Christmas Pageant Ever . . . crying our way through the end, as usual.
 
Here are a couple of Nature Angel's creative moments.  She sketched the face during church last Sunday--she likes to keep her hands busy when she's listening.  And she took the photo one night this week.



 
We've completed another year of Come, Follow Me.  This year's study was The Doctrine and Covenants, and we're going to start our study of the Old Testament on Monday, as that week will end on the first Sunday of January, therefore counting as the first week of the new year.

We've been reading The Jesus Storybook Bible through the whole month of December, and our reading lined up perfectly for us to read of the birth of the Christ Child at our Morning Meeting an hour from now.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas!!!

Comments

  1. DawnDecember 26, 2021 at 7:36 AM

    Merry Christmas! I do hope relative calm continues. I love how winter days just seem to bring on game playing. Blessings to all of you. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
    Blessings, Dawn

    ReplyDelete
  2. grtlyblesdJanuary 1, 2022 at 11:30 AM

    Best wishes for speedy healing for Lola.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JudyJanuary 3, 2022 at 9:04 AM

    Such wonderful pictures which tell your stories!--the one with the 'twins' holding the babies while doing grocery shopping kills me!--in a good way! Thank you so much for sharing!!

    ReplyDelete

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