The Accidental Blogger

Happy Groundhog Day!

2012-02-01T10:49:00.001-06:00

Look at me, celebrating all kinds of holidays I normally don't...what's gotten in to me?

Anyway, I was going to wait and publish this post super early tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, because tomorrow is actually Groundhog Day, but super early so if you wanted to do a groundhog craft on groundhog day, you'd have some time to get your mind around changing your plan for the day. Oh, yeah, and gather some supplies.

However, An Almost Unschooling Mom (who really should be added to the cool kids' listing over there -->), posted her groundhog craft today, which means it's OK. Right? It's OK that I'm doing this?

The kids had no idea what Groundhog Day is, so first we read Groundhog Day from the Celebrations in My World series.

This non-fiction book has sections on groundhogs and hibernation, as well as what Groundhog Day is, how it's celebrated in a few different locations, and "bios" of a few famous groundhogs.

Armed with our new groundhog knowledge, we made a cute little peek-a-boo groundhog craft, using a plastic cup, popcicle stick + wooden spoon (I was planning to use a tongue depressor, but was astonished to find we were all out), some felt, and googly eyes.

I won't give you a blow-by-blow (or glue-by-glue) account, because I think you can probably figure it out. But if you can't, just search for peek-a-boo groundhog craft--it's all over the internet. Just keep in mind, you don't have to follow the directions--you can substitute paper or craft foam for the felt, use a printable groundhog instead of making your own, use a stick or pencil for the tongue depressor, use paper or draw on eyes...it's totally up to you. Plus, you'll notice we used white felt to simulate snow (because we do still have a bit of snow here)--all of the instructions we came across used green for grass.

Peek-a-boo!

The kids had so much fun playing with their groundhogs, both in and out of the burrows.

Roger's little guy looks pretty apprehensive upon seeing his shadow, doesn't he? He also kinda looks like a bear...which is OK, because bears also hibernate.

Next, we read Substitute Groundhog by Pat Miller, illustrated by Kathi Ember.

On February 1, Groundhog is feeling under the weather, so he makes an appointment with Dr. Owl, who tells Groundhog he needs 2 days of bed rest. Groundhog decides to advertise for a substitute groundhog, who needs to be able to fit in the burrow, see her shadow, and pop up and stay up. Lots of animals try, but only one has all the qualifications--the kids had fun guessing which animal would get the job.

We are also planning on going outside on Thursday to see if we have shadows. I'll be marking their shadows, using sidewalk chalk, so the kids can see how shadow size and direction changes throughout the course of a day. And we might just have to play a game of shadow tag, too.

Truth be told, I'm glad An Almost Unschooling Mom posted her groundhog craft today...I think we're gonna hafta modify our Thursday plans to include it...I hope you're glad I posted mine, too :)

I've linked this project up to a story + art = a great stART over at A Mommy's Adventures

Craft of the Month--February

2012-01-30T08:00:00.005-06:00

Camp Scarlet's February Crafts of the Month:
In February it's time to celebrate love, so make a beautiful heart-shaped sun-catcher. If you'd like to make one, gather these supplies:
~ clear contact paper,
~ a sheet of red or pink (or whatever color you prefer) construction paper, and
~ various scraps of craft supplies, like paper, tissue paper, lace, ribbons, doilies, sequins, whatever--just make sure your supplies are relatively flat. Oh, and some should be translucent. It also helps if they're all in the same color family (we're using red, pink, and white).

I'll post a photo and instructions in the next week or so.

February is also National Bird Feeding Month, so show some love to your bird friends by making some bird treats (instructions and photos here) and hanging them outside.

Then make some binoculars so you can watch the birds when they visit your homemade feeders (instructions and photos here--if you don't have stamps, just use stickers, or paint, or color with markers or crayons--or, use all of these!).

{Photo source}

Have fun, and come back to tell us about your creations!

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-27T10:52:00.000-06:00

Chinese New Year is celebrated for 15 days, beginning on the first day of the lunar new year, which this year fell on January 23. I've never really celebrated Chinese New Year, but when I was searching for January crafts, Chinese New Year came up, and I thought it would be fun to learn about another culture, plus I welcomed the chance to get away from snowy projects and do something different. The ancient Chinese named each year for an animal, twelve in all, and supposedly people develop the character traits of the animal whose year in which they were born. This year is the year of the dragon.

So on Tuesday, we made Chinese Dragon Lanterns, using this template from First-School (click for instructions). Or, I should say, Pal made a lantern. Roger colored his dragon, but didn't want to cut it so he just has a dragon.

Pal's lantern turned out pretty cute, but unfortunately, I didn't get a picture. We learned that the Lantern Festival is celebrated on the last day of Chinese New Year, which this year is February 6 (so you still have time to make your lanterns for the big day :)

On Thursday we read Dragon Dance: A Chinese New Year Lift-the-Flap Book by Joan Holub, illustrated by Benrei Huang. It's a cute book, with colorful illustrations and a nice brief explanation and overview of Chinese New Year, just perfect for preschool attention spans. The fact that it's lift-the-flap is an added bonus.

Another bonus is the instructions for a craft printed on the inside back cover of the book--a dragon puppet! So, of course we had to make one. It was cute and very easy to make, using a paper bag, some construction paper, markers, and glue.

I had another activity planned that we didn't quite get to this week, but hey, we still have another week, right? This is my kind of holiday :) Anyway, I went here, found the kids' Chinese names, and printed them out, along with their English names. Fun, right? I plan to cut them out and frame them with red paper (because red connotes good luck and fortune in Chinese culture), and then mount them to tag board (aka cereal box cardboard). I'll probably have the kids punch two holes in the top, and thread a ribbon through for hanging. I'm toying with the idea of incorporating their Chinese Zodiac animal in there somewhere as well--working on it...

In celebration of Chinese New Year, Panda Express sent me a bunch of coupons good for a free kids meal--many more that we will be able to use. If you'd like one (or some), just send me a message via my contact form.

I've linked this project up to a story + art = a great stART over at A Mommy's Adventures.

Our snowfriend

2012-01-26T16:21:00.001-06:00

It's been quite a while since the snowman-making conditions have been this good around here (a couple of years, at least), so this afternoon, the kids and I made a snowfriend.

I was going for a more traditional look, but Roger insisted on adding a second, misshapen head, which made our friend look like a snowbug or a snowmartian, so we decided to just go with it.

The kids were so proud of our creation!

Unfortunately, it didn't end well for our new friend...

...may he rest in peace (or pieces). Yup, the kids are standing on our snowfriend's broken body while Roger is eating our snowfriend's head. Oh well. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, snow to puddle...

Craft of the Month--January

2012-01-23T14:14:00.001-06:00

Some time ago, I reported about a trip I took to the craft store looking for gifts for my nephews. Didn't buy a darn thing, but I did leave the store with the most inspired idea I've had in a long time. See, my sis had mentioned her boys might like craft kits for Christmas (Chip claims she's craftitudinally challenged and therefore needs kits in order to do crafts), so I was looking for craft kits, but everything I saw, I thought, well I could put that together for less than that. Or, if I was going to make that thing, I would use this other material. I just couldn't bring myself to buy any of them.

And that's when Camp Scarlet's Craft of the Month club was conceived. Each month, the boys receive supplies and instructions for one or more seasonal crafts.

So much fun! Don't you think that's a great idea? The boys like to do crafts, their mom thinks she can't come up with crafts for them to do. Plus? It's the gift that keeps giving--every month, in fact (not sure if I can keep this up for a whole year, but we'll see).

So in January, the boys get to make 2x4 penguins,

relief snowflakes,

and glitter decorated paper snowflakes

If you'd like to craft along with the club, just look for my monthly posts (I promise next month it'll be up earlier so you've got some time to track down your supplies).

Odds-n-ends

2012-01-21T10:23:00.000-06:00

I've been reading the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan (thanks, Grandma & Grandpa Sheppy), and I finally understand how AKD can zip through them so fast. They are action-packed and compelling: very difficult to put down. I started reading a week and a half ago, and I've finished the 5 books of that series and I'm almost done with the first book in the next series (which, by the way, AKD read in 24, that's right: twenty-four, hours. Thanks, Grandma & Grandpa Bluefield).

I wanted to show you Roger's finished Advent calendar tree. A couple of the things we glued on didn't want to stay on, but it was fun. My favorite was the googly eyes glued to polka-dotted paper.

When the Bluefields were visiting, Beaver-ly, Chip, and I went after-Christmas shopping one day, and Beaver-ly bought a beautiful wreath. She wanted a box for it, so she grabbed some cardboard from the floral section of a grocery store we visited, to make one. The box idea got nixed by the vehicle packers, so we got to keep some lovely long sheets of cardboard--here's what we did with it.

MC and Sawblock went to Polar Camp early in January. What a difference a year makes, eh? No snow! Still, it was terrific fun.

Sawblock went ice fishing.

We tried this fun no-mess marble painting technique from Valerie at Frugal Family Fun Blog. The kids l-o-v-e-d it, and I found it mesmerizing, as well, so much so that I had to make my own because the kids didn't want to share. Just be sure to use colors that will look good mixed together, because they do eventually mix. Roger used red and green and it turned the color of mud (about which, by the way, he was thrilled).

Just for fun :)

Have a great week!

Snow

2012-01-20T12:56:00.000-06:00

Well, the weather forecasters tell me that snow is on the way--at this point I wonder if they're just trying to make me (temporarily) feel better, or if they really do think it's going to snow. I sure hope it does. I mean, what's the point of it being cold if there isn't going to be any snow to play in?

In the meantime, the Camp Scarlet kids and I have taken matters into our own hands with snow themed projects the past couple of weeks.

This one is from my good pal Valerie over at Frugal Family Fun Blog. Just use double-sided tape to make a snowflake shape and stick small pieces of aluminum foil to it. I found it was easiest to cut strips of aluminum foil and then let the kids tear squares from that (rather than just giving them a sheet of aluminum foil).

This one is also from Valerie. It didn't turn out quite how I had imagined it, but it was fun. See, the problem was, the salt covered up the eyes, nose, mouth, and buttons...oh well.

{Oops--I didn't get a picture...just imagine a snowman, drawn with crayon on blue paper, covered with salt}

This one you've seen. I traced a few round objects in a snowman shape to give the kids a guide for placing their cotton ball snow. We found that it works better to pull the cotton balls out a bit--makes the finished man a little flatter, which makes it easier to glue other stuff on. The kids added "gem" eyes and mouth, button buttons, pipe cleaner nose, and a felt scarf and hat.

I got this recipe from Family Circle's December issue, but it doesn't really matter. Just take any round cookie and decorate like a snowman face--so great for developing those fine motor skills. I was planning to make these when the other half of our nephews were visiting, but based on some half-muttered overheard comments, I decided to skip it (by the way...I can hear you). Their loss--the cookies were delicious and cute. And on a side note, this was my first time ever working with royal icing. Totally easy and non-intimidating :) I can see now why bakers like it for certain projects, including gingerbread houses.

Oh, we also made some new snowflakes for our window :)

Ice

2012-01-19T10:16:00.000-06:00

We heard it was going to be bitterly cold today (-11*F when I woke up; -8*F right now), so on Tuesday, the kids and I made some colored water and put it on our back deck to freeze. In the process, we learned a little something about color mixing--Pal was pretty amazed that if she mixed yellow and blue together she got green.

We left our containers of colored water outside until this morning, when we dumped them out onto cookie sheets and got to work building.

I was a little concerned that this activity wouldn't hold their interest for too long. I mean, once you build a tower, what else is there to do? But the kids had so much fun--they were playing with the ice for over 45 minutes, and I'm sure they would have continued, but our third friend arrived and they raced off to do other fun things.

When we were done, we put our ice back in its containers and put it back outside to wait until the next time. If it's warm enough to play outside next time, Pal plans to set up a bowling alley (almost typed rink there--I don't know about you, but I think a bowling rink would be lots of fun :-)

Letting go

2012-01-18T08:00:00.058-06:00

Most of the time when I invite the kids to do art projects with me, I have an idea in mind of what the final product should look like. I kind of have to, right? So I'll know which supplies to get out.

And each time we do a project, I experience an inner struggle. I want to "correct" them. I want the kids to do the project the way I see it in my head.

But they never do.

For instance--just look at this snowman's arms. Don't you think they would look much better if they were angled down? And tucked underneath instead of laying on top? Snowmen arms in nature never look like this.

And what in the world happened to this snowman's face? Is that a puss-filled something or other on his forehead? And that must be a wart on his nose. And presents for buttons? What was she thinking?

It takes an almost physical effort to let go, to let them make their own decisions in the creative process: to realize that this is not my project, it's theirs. To remember that it's not about the finished product, it's about the process.

In truth: sometimes their projects just turn into a big gluey (or paint-y) mess. And I have had to learn to be OK with that.

If I really want a snowman, or flower, or turkey, that looks like the one in my head, I need to make my own (too bad we're out of cotton balls because Pal didn't want to implement my suggestion to pull the cotton balls out to make them flatter (and have more surface area) before gluing them to the page).

Parenting is like that, you know? We have this idea in our heads of how things should go--what our children should be like, what they should do and be. We want them to make the choices that will lead to them fulfilling that vision.

But really? We have to let go. We have to let them make their own choices; find their own vision of what they should be. And in the process, even if they don't turn out exactly how we imagined, we discover that their vision is beautiful.

Tuesday's Tip: Microwave Popcorn

2012-01-17T08:00:00.003-06:00

So I gotta apologize up front for the poor picture quality in this post. As I mentioned yesterday, my husband has run off somewhere with the camera again. My cell phone does not have a flash. It was night time.

Anyway, we ran out of microwave popcorn. I know--hard to believe such a thing is possible, considering that 67% of my children sell the stuff every fall. But, somehow it happened. The children were appalled--aghast, even, that I would allow this to happen. At the same time, we had some popping corn that someone had given us a couple of years ago, but that we had never popped because we don't have an air popper, and popping it on the stove seems like too much work (all that shaking).

So this microwave popcorn shortage gave me the perfect excuse to try out a fun little trick to make popcorn in the microwave.

All you do is put about 1/4 cup of popping corn in the bottom of a regular paper lunch bag. Fold the top down twice and put it in the microwave.

Set the microwave to cook at high power for 4 minutes, but just like with regular microwave popcorn, to prevent scorching, stand by, and stop the microwave when the popping slows to 1-2 seconds between pops.

Next, season as desired, and enjoy! So far, we've only tried melted butter and salt, but you could try commercially available popcorn seasonings, or I've heard dry ranch dressing mix, taco seasoning mix, or cinnamon/sugar is good.

(like our popcorn bowl? We got ours here)

You can even save the bag to use again next time!

Popcorn is a delicious, whole grain treat and making it this way is not only less expensive than buying commercially available microwave popcorn, it's also better for you, and you're not consuming a bunch of unpronounceable ingredients.

The first time Hubby saw me do this, he was amazed. He just couldn't get over the fact that all I had to do was put some popcorn in a bag and the bag in the microwave. Try it--it works!

New Frosted Toast Crunch

2012-01-16T08:00:00.006-06:00

So, last week, Pssst...General Mills sent me a full-sized box of their new Frosted Toast Crunch cereal to try. Wasn't that nice of them? I thought so, too.

And now, I would share a picture of our box of cereal, and maybe one or two of us enjoying the cereal, but Hubby keeps running off with the camera before I get a chance to download the pictures. So, for now, you'll have to make do with this:

I'm not really a fan of frosted cereals, or actually any cereal, so I decided to get some input from my resident taste-testers. These kids are highly qualified to offer an opinion on breakfast cereal, since they would eat it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day if I let them.

The verdict: thumbs up! Three out of three tasters loved it. With such glowing reviews, I knew I had to try it, too. The square itself tastes similar to the regular Cinnamon Toast Crunch square, which is neutral flavored, like crunchy puffed white rice. The frosting, described by General Mills as "the delightful taste of vanilla frosting flavor* and dusted with a delicious dash of cinnamon," tastes kind of like the topping on powdered sugar/cinnamon mini-donuts. Yes, it tastes vanilla-y and cinnamon-y. Pretty good, if you're a fan of breakfast cereal.

By the way, our box was gone within 2 days, and it only lasted that long because I told the kids to save some for their father. I'm actually not sure if he got any. They really, really like it.

And with 11 grams of whole grain, just 9 grams of sugar, and a good source of calcium, Frosted Toast Crunch is better for you than it sounds!

So are you ready to "take your cereal to the next level with this wholesome breakfast?" Frosted Toast Crunch is now available--look for it at your local grocery store.

Great news! ~~Now you can~~ ~~print your own coupon good for $1.25 off 1 box of Frosted Toast Crunch~~ ~~(just click the link)!~~ (all gone)

(*artificially flavored)

Where is it?

2012-01-15T17:07:00.000-06:00

Why is the thing for which we are searching always found in the last place we look?
Well, because after we find it, we stop looking, of course!

*********

So, the boys in my life have developed a new and annoying habit. OK, not so new for some of them. And I suppose it's possible that it's not so new for all of them but I just haven't noticed before.

They ask me where things are.

All 4 of them have decided that I know where everything in the world is. It's true that I know a lot of things, including where most of the items in our home are supposed to be, however, in real life, it is somewhat rare that everything in our home is actually located where it's supposed to be.

What am I saying? I don't think it has ever happened that absolutely everything in our home is where it's supposed to be. Maybe long, long ago, in a land far, far away, before we had children. It's entropy's fault, really. And while some days I am able to muster up the energy to battle it, I know it's a losing proposition. Entropy has infinitely more resources than I do.

So, when I'm looking for something, know what I do first? I look where it's supposed to be. It's a good first step, right? A resonable first step? I mean, it's possible that it actually landed in its correct location.

Know what my boys do when they're looking for something? They ask me where it is. And here's the problem. When someone asks me where something is, I assume that they've already taken that reasonable first step, that is, they've looked where it supposed to be. And, if they've taken that step, and still need to ask me that question, the item was not where it belongs. So if I want to answer the question, I need to start thinking of other places it could be.

Let me just pause here, to ponder: why in the world have I been elected finder of stuff? Really? Can't we all just keep track of our own things? Maybe it's my fault. Maybe after so many years of me telling them that if they don't put it away, whatever it is, I will put it somewhere, and I may not remember where I put it, they've decided that if anyone knows it would be me. I mean, I'm the one who insists on moving things away from where they so carefully dumped them out in plain view. I'm the one who insists that Roger's boots do not belong in the kitchen, and AKD's RC heli does not belong on top of the fireplace, and MC's Cub Scout uniform does not belong on the living room floor, and Sawblock's lunchbox does not belong on our bed. Anyway...

And so, being the nice mama/wife that I am, I start looking for whatever it is, not looking where it's supposed to be, because any reasonable person would have already eliminated that possibility before enlisting aid.

Apparently, the boys I live with are not reasonable people, because when the item is found, minutes, or hours, or days, later, more often than not, it is where it was supposed to be. Ugh. All that wasted effort. No wonder the floor hasn't been mopped since before Christmas, and the windows haven't been washed in over a year...

Soaking

2012-01-11T14:30:00.000-06:00

So I was walking along this morning, praying, as I often do while I am walking. And I prayed, among many other things, that God would soften someone's heart.

Immediately an image came to mind...

{Image source}

A pan, with food stubbornly stuck to it, soaking in soapy water: filled, and surrounded with suds.

Do you ever do that? Do you soak the pots and pans that are impossibly dirty, to make them easier to clean? The water and soap softens those stuck on food particles, and in the morning, when the soaking is done, what was impossible, now is easy.

I think we all have some of those stubborn places in our hearts that could do with a little God-soaking, don't you? Some empty places that could use a little God-filling, too.

Believe me, I have prayed hundreds of times for all kinds of hearts, including my own, to be softened, and never before has God replied so immediately and boldly. In fact, not 60 seconds before, I had prayed for someone else's heart to be softened, with no immediate response.

I think it means that God has heard my prayers and answered...be patient...I'm working on it...but he's not yet ready to be scrubbed--he's soaking.

So I will continue to pray, knowing that right now, God is soaking that hard heart in His grace, drenching it in love, preparing that stubborn heart to be cleaned. Knowing that sometime soon, that breakthrough will come.

On the bright side

2012-01-09T11:53:00.000-06:00

This morning found me in the boys' room, putting their clean clothes away. Lest you think less of me, let me assure you that this is a rare occurrance--generally, the boys put their own clothes away. But, I happened to be down there, and was feeling generous, so I started putting clothes away. It was all going rather swimmingly, when suddenly, it occurred to me that today is Monday.

{insert sinister music here}

Do you know what that means? Today is laundry day. *gasp!* Again. *sigh*

(Just in case you didn't catch that, I was just putting away clean laundry from the last time we had laundry day.)

Never. Ending.

A split second later, my brain pipes up, "well, at least you have clothes to launder," which reminds me of a friend of mine. She has this habit of always looking on the bright side. Always. That is exactly the kind of thing she would say if I complained to her about the never ending drudgery that is my laundry.

I actually find this habit of hers a little annoying. I mean, all I want to do is wallow in my misery for one (ok, maybe five...or ten) measly moments, and here she is pointing out that I am blessed beyond measure. Thank you kindly, friend, but I already know that--it's kind of a given. That's the knee-jerk unspoken thought that accompanies each and every one of my gripes and complaints. I am so blessed to have these trivial things to complain about.

But you know, there is power in the spoken word. You know there is. Even if no one is there to hear it, words, once spoken, can never be recalled.

I've mentioned before that the voices in my head sometimes tell me terrible things. Well, because of them, I've kind of gotten used to the fact that not everything my brain tries to tell me is true. It's all in my head, and therefore, is suspect, including the good stuff, like "I am so blessed to have these trivial things to complain about." Might not be completely true. Nobody said it out loud.

So I'm thinking I might be speaking these things out loud a little more often. Love you, friend--you teach me so much.

Hopefully I won't annoy myself too, too much.

***********

By the way, if you just sorta skipped over that link up there, take another look. It's a worthwhile post to read--a great reminder to be gentle with ourselves.

More like her...

2012-01-05T16:51:00.000-06:00

I know a woman who has never met a stranger. She is so friendly and open and can talk to an.y.body. I want to be more like her.

I know a woman who can do anything, and do it beautifully. Cooking, sewing, decorating, gift-giving, mudding and taping drywall...she is good at everything. I want to be more like her.

I know a woman who is incredibly generous with her time, talents, friendship, and resources. I want to be more like her.

I know a woman who is gorgeous and so witty--she's the life of every party. I want to be more like her.

I know a woman who is great at setting goals and following through with them. She can accomplish anything. I want to be more like her.

I know a woman who just oozes Christ-like-ness. You know that song that goes, "they will know we are Christians by our love..."? That's her. I want to be more like her.

Do you recognize yourself, sisters? Because these women are you. I want to be more like you.

Several weeks ago, one of my Facebook friends posted this status update:
"Girls: There's always going to be that girl you think is much prettier, funnier, sweeter and just generally more perfect... but have you ever realized that you're probably that girl to someone else?"

No, actually. I hadn't. Have you?

I mean, I live with myself. All the time. And I am the very best person in the world at noticing my faults and imperfections and ugliness. How could anyone (in her right mind) want to be more like me? I don't even want to be like me sometimes.

But even though I find it difficult to believe that I could be that girl to anyone else, I've realized that while there is something extraordinary about each of these women that I admire, something special that I wish I had, none of them is perfect, either. At least, I don't think so.

So let's make a pact, sisters, to remember always that each of us is that girl. Each of us has an extraordinary quality (or two) that is worthy of admiration, even when we are unable to see it. And maybe, just maybe, there is someone out there who wishes she was more like you.

Laugh out loud

2012-01-04T07:06:00.000-06:00

So Valerie (my crafting hero)'s 7 year old daughter has a blog.

Let me say that again.

Valerie's 7 year old daughter has a blog. What? I'm so impressed. Really. I'm sure there are other 7 year olds in the world who blog, but I haven't met any of them.

Anyway, Emily said that she was inspired by another blog, Crappy Pictures, which, of course, I had to check out.

It is so funny. It is rare that I can say something I read makes me laugh out loud, but Amber's Crappy blog...well, you'll just have to read it, too.

Oh. I should mention that probably 87% of the reason I think Crappy Pictures is so funny is because I'm a mom entrenched in my kids' childhood. So if you're not a mom, or not in the same stage of life as me, you might not think it's quite as hilarious (but it still might coax out a chuckle or two).

Here's to more laughter in the coming year!

Christmas Greetings

2011-12-31T10:16:00.000-06:00

**Spoiler alert: if you are a person who thinks you might receive an actual Christmas card sent in the mail from us, you might want to hold off on reading this...**

Let me just preface this by saying I didn't mean to send our Christmas cards out this year after Christmas. I put a great deal of thought and effort into our Christmas newsletter each year, and this year, I just wasn't inspired until after the big day. I thought this would be the year without a letter, which saddened me tremendously, because over the years the letter has evolved from something I did for you, my friends and family, to something I did for me. Which is not to say that I don't think of all of you as I'm writing, just that I've come to realize that while you enjoy the letters, I treasure them. It is such a treat to read through our previous letters each year to remember again where we've been.

I didn't mean to send our Christmas greetings after Christmas, but I think you'll see why I think it worked out perfectly.

Read on...

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas!

When I (Scarlet) was in high school, I used to go around saying, “Merry Christmas” all the time. If you’ve known me long enough, maybe you remember. I think it must have been my I-am-unique-remember-me response to being one among hundreds of students in my high school. Oh, yeah, and there was also the turbulence inherent in adolescence—that makes people do strange things. It didn’t matter what time of year it was—always, my standard greeting was, “Merry Christmas.” Kind of silly.

Now that I’m older, and (presumably) wiser, I’ve come to realize that maybe it wasn’t so silly after all. You see, every day can and should hold a little bit of Christmas, because God, first in the form of Christ, the Son, and now in the presence of the Holy Spirit, has come to live among us.

And so, I think it’s fitting to remember, after the hustle and bustle and excitement, after the anticipation and build-up, followed by the inevitable let-down of the busy holiday season, that God is here with us. Every day. And that is why we celebrate.

We hope that you have found peace and joy in this truth, even through the busyness of the season which often masks the truth. We pray that you will be blessed by God’s presence, and experience Christmas joy, every day in the coming year.

Love and peace,

The Bluefield Family

Sawblock, Scarlet, AKD, MC & Roger

(if you're new to my blog and you're wondering who those people are, just click on "Cracking the Code" up there near the top of the page)

Sawblock is still enjoying his job as an engineering consultant, working with a variety of different companies to address their engineering needs. Most recently, he enjoys mentoring other designers and engineers as they join the company, helping them to be successful. Sawblock is also the volunteer Cub Master for MC’s Cub Scout Pack, and continues to enjoy people-powered sports, especially kayaking with AKD.

AKD is doing well in 6^th grade. His favorite subject is, as always, PE, with science coming in second (if he has to pick a second favorite), and he plans to become a marine bio-archaeologist. AKD is our go-to problem solver, and he loves to read and to take stuff apart. AKD played soccer in the spring and fall and continues to enjoy Boy Scouts.

MC is in 3^rd grade. His favorite subject is (no surprise here) PE, and he tells me his second favorite is music. MC plans to be a football player (wide receiver with the Vikings) when he grows up. MC started karate last spring and finds it challenging, but rewarding. He loves staying active, playing football or basketball almost every day. He also played soccer in the fall and continues in Cub Scouts.

Roger attends preschool 2 days a week, and he tells me his favorite part is playing with the machines. He loves playing sports of any kind and antagonizing his favorite brothers.

Scarlet continues to work as mom, wife, and homemaker (whatever that means). She still cares for 4 year old Pal two days a week, and participates in a child care co-op with another mom once a week. To stay up to date with Scarlet’s activities and ponderings throughout the year, check out her blog at bluefield5.blogspot.com.

A noisy Christmas

2011-12-30T11:14:00.000-06:00

So, the other half of the parents, siblings, and nephews came to visit for Christmas this year (click here to read about the first half visiting at Thanksgiving).

We had some good times. First, Hubby and I went to the dentist. Are you noticing a theme here? Every time the Bluefields come to visit, Hubby and I go on a date. Last time it was the kids' school conferences (which made me cry and gave me a migraine the next day); this time it was the dentist (which caused me to have to skip eating supper because the left side of my face was numb). We really know how to let loose around here, don't we?

AKD & Roger: Waterworks

Anyway...we took them to the children's museum.

Music video with AKD, Chip, Ua, BL, Grandpa Blue & Sawblock

I think they liked it there.

At the grocery store with Roger and Ua

We played

BL & AKD

and played

Bbil and MC

and played.

Ua & Roger

We went sledding (well, everyone else went sledding: my favorite brother in law and I bonded over ginger cookies--baking, not eating) on the one morning it was possible to sled.

This one was taken in November, but you get the idea :)

We went to church. Twice.

I went on a date with my favorite mother in law and my favorite sister in law-who-lives-east-of-the-Mississippi-River while the boys did who knows what (I'm not sure I want to know).

Good times!

As you might imagine, with 5 boys, aged 2, 4, 4, 8, and 11, in the house, it was pretty noisy around here. And it wasn't just the boys--some of those grown-ups have some loud voices, too. Adding to the cacophony was the fact that we didn't have any snow to send the kids out to play in, and all of the indoor playgrounds around here were closed during their visit because of the way the holiday fell. It was kind of funny--about 2 minutes after our guests were out the door, the fam was still in the living room, when AKD looked around and said, "wow, it's pretty quiet in here." It was that noticeable.

I think the noise and activity bothered all of the adults at one time or another--some of the adults were bothered more than others. And I'm pretty sure that each of the kids was bothered at least once during the course of the visit (judging by the younger ones screaming for everyone to be quiet ;) and the older ones retreating to their rooms).

At one point, I just closed my eyes and listened, and I thought, yes, this is loud, and could be annoying, but just imagine how different it would be, how hollow and sad, if one of those voices was missing.

For so many, including my family, Christmas just isn't the same because one of the voices is missing.

So it was music to my ears: such joy to listen to the sounds of my boys playing with their cousins. And I pray that we will celebrate many more noisy Christmases, together, in the years to come.

More Christmas projects

2011-12-22T10:30:00.000-06:00

I'm feeling a little "under the gun," wanting to tell you about all of these wonderful Christmas projects before Christmas. Which is actually a little silly, because (and tell me honestly now) are you really going to run out and buy all the supplies you need to make these before Christmas? No, you're not. (unless you are a crazy person like me). If you decide you want to make any of these, you will bookmark or pin this post and do it next year.

If you remember.

See, and that's the problem really. I know that I need to post about these before Christmas or I'm not going to post about them at all. And I really want to share these with you, so buckle your seat belt: here goes.

Wooden letters j and y glued to a wooden snowflake from the craft store. Don't forget the glitter!

Yes, that is a pineapple upon which these stars are hanging. Don't ask why.

Clay pot nativity set--I love that the kids can play with this set! Instructions from Family Fun magazine (it's easier than it looks...if you have a glue gun).

Disregard that dust in the background--I'm planning ahead for next Halloween. Roger said Mary was kissing baby Jesus (awwww!), and remember our angel from this post?

Christmas necklaces and bracelets--use ribbon (and beads with big holes) for a more festive look.

Nativity pack from 1plus1plus1equals1.com--I'm so glad I found this site--such a great resource. I love that you can print just the pages you need (although, for some reason, every time I've tried to print page 13, my printer started doing strange things--I think I've figured out a way around it now, but I need to restart the 'puter to try it). Like our cool feather-y pencil?

And that's all. That wasn't so bad, was it?

Merry Christmas, with love, from all of us at Camp Scarlet.

Tuesday's Tip: Gingerbread

2011-12-20T09:51:00.001-06:00

It seems like making gingerbread houses (or trains, or sleighs, or whatever else is out there these days) is the thing to do. I remember thinking, as a child, that it seemed like a fun thing to do (but I can't remember ever getting to make one), so now that I'm an adult, of course I need my children to fulfill all of my here-to-for unfulfilled childhood wishes.

Someday, I will make a gingerbread house from scratch (it will probably be with my grandchildren, but I was encouraged to learn that now you can buy gingerbread house cookie cutter sets, so at least I won't have to measure, which has honestly been the biggest stumbling block for me), but in the meantime, there are kits.

But the kits are kind of expensive. Of course, when you're living vicariously through your children, cost somehow becomes less of a factor. So that's an option.

{Just in case you still need one, these houses are available from amazon with free shipping (just click the pictures).}

The option that I choose for my family is to make "gingerbread" houses using graham crackers. Last year, Honey Maid even had gingerbread flavored graham crackers (I haven't seen them yet this year). I know! Isn't that great?

Using graham crackers as a base, prepared frosting, and candy from the bulk bins at your grocery store (or, if you're really planning ahead, or your kids had a really big haul, candy left over from trick or treating), you can make a whole village for about half the cost of a kit.

Added bonus: each kid gets to make his own (those of you with more than one child, you recognize the value in this).

First, cover a sturdy piece of cardboard, or a cutting board, with aluminum foil. Then, place a heaping spoon-full of prepared frosting in a small zip-lock bag, squeeze all the air out, seal, and cut off one corner. You will use this bag to place the frosting where you want it.

Start with a base of graham crackers. If you have younger children, you might want to do this yourself ahead of time and let it set for a bit. I always pipe a line of frosting on the bottom edge of the cracker, too, so it'll stick to the board. Remember that you can use a serrated knife to cut the crackers if you need a shape other than square or rectangular.

Once the base is built, start decorating! Use your ziplock bag to apply frosting to your structure, or to the candies, and place the candies on the building. I got out a muffin tin to hold the candies--much easier for the kids than reaching into bulk-bin bags all the time.

Ta da! Roger added a Peeps Christmas tree to his front yard, and MC used chocolate covered pretzels to make a fence.

Triple bonus: you're likely to have leftover supplies, which means you can eat these and make more to display! :)

Have fun!

P.S. Next year, we're making a train.

One last shameless plug for Amazon

2011-12-19T13:19:00.000-06:00

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Shadow

2011-12-18T14:15:00.000-06:00

As I set out for my walk in the early darkness this morning, I noticed that the light from the moon was bright enough to cast a shadow. It wasn't bright out, by any means, in fact I was glad my neighbors were not out and about yet, since I was none too visible, but the light reflecting onto the earth from the half-moon cast a shadow as I walked.
When I was about halfway done with my walk, I noticed that I couldn't see my shadow any more. The light from the sun, even though it wasn't up yet, overpowered the feeble reflection from the moon. By the end of my walk, as I turned to walk up the driveway, I noticed that I could see my shadow again, this time cast in the light from the sun, even though the sun still wasn't yet above the horizon.

These observations got me thinking about light again, how the sun and the moon both provide light, but the light from the sun is so much more powerful that the moon's light disappears in the light of the sun. The light from the sun is so much brighter that just a fraction of the sun's light causes the moon's light to fade to obscurity. And these thoughts brought to mind these verses from Isaiah, chapter 60:

¹⁹ The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
²⁰ Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow will end.

In coming days, when He returns, the light of Christ will be even brighter than we can imagaine. His light will be so luminous, so radiant, that the light of the LORD will overpower even the sun's rays, and there will be no more darkness, no more fear, no more sadness, no more pain.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes.

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.

Revelation 21:4

Cooking with MC (and sneaky math)

2011-12-16T10:56:00.000-06:00

When Ty-Guy and his family were visiting, he rode with our family in the 'burban whenever we were out and about. One day, the conversation turned to Christmas cookies and Ty-Guy mentioned that he really likes Oreo Truffles. Well! Mention Oreo and truffle in the same sentence, and you've got my attention. Oreo is not just milk's favorite cookie--it's mine as well. And truffles! Mmmmm.

AKD, Ty-Guy, Roger, Con-Man, MC

Then and there I decided that I needed to add Oreo Truffles to our family's list of Christmas treats to make. So I asked Aunt Buckwheat for the recipe, and seriously, folks, these are so easy, but look impressive and taste delicious! If I ever get invited to another cookie exchange, guess what I'm bringing (you can keep that in mind, if you're doing the inviting).

EASY OREO TRUFFLES

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 pkg. (16.6 oz.) OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 4-1/4 cups), divided

2 pkg. (8 squares each) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted

MIX cream cheese and 3 cups cookie crumbs until well blended.
SHAPE into 48 (1-inch) balls. Dip in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with remaining cookie crumbs.
REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

The Oreos had been sitting, in plain view, on top of our fridge, for days. If you ask MC, he'll tell you it had to have been several weeks. He. wanted. those. oreos. And made sure to tell me that at least 10 times a day. I kept saying, no, we need them for the truffles, to which MC would respond that I needed to hurry up and make them. Now. Or yesterday--that would be even better.

So, of course, I asked MC to help me make them the other day when we had a free evening. Finally.

But we weren't just making truffles. Oh, no. We were learning about multiplication, too.

As you can see from the recipe, we needed to mix 3 cups of oreo crumbs with the cream cheese. But remember, we wanted to be able to eat some of the oreos, so we didn't want to just go around willy-nilly, crushing all of the oreos if we didn't have to. So first, we counted out 10 oreos, placed them in the food processor, and let it do its thing. We poured the crumbs into a measuring cup and discovered that 10 oreos produces about 1 c. of crumbs (thank goodness it worked out so well--it would have been more difficult to do the math if it had been, say, 7/8 of a cup or something).

So I asked MC, if 10 oreos yields 1 cup of crumbs and we want 3 1/2 cups of crumbs (I didn't have the recipe in front of me, so I guessed--turns out I guessed wrong, which is sad, because that means we didn't have as many oreos left over), how many more oreos do we need?

It's a story problem, people! Or a number story, as they're calling it these days. Mrs. W would be so proud. MC correctly calculated that we needed to crush 25 more cookies. So I asked him to count out 25 cookies and put them in the food processor. He laid them out on the counter in rows of 5 to easily keep count of how many he had. As he was placing and counting, MC said, "it's an array, mom! I'm making an array!" And he thought he was just making truffles.

Sweet! And I'm not just talking about the truffles...

Angels

2011-12-15T14:09:00.000-06:00

Pamalama, this is just for you!
Right now you can buy a Unicorn (pillow pet) on amazon.com for only $9.99!

For just $1 more, they'll send you a book about a Unicorn, too!

Anyhoo...angels. We've been talking about angels at Camp Scarlet--can you guess why?

But we didn't want to just be all talk, so we made these cute clay pot angels.

First, paint a small clay pot white (ours are 1.5"). You will want to do a couple of coats if you want your angel's robe to actually be white. Optional--sprinkle glitter on the pots while the paint is still wet.

Next, draw a face on a wooden bead or doll head (ours are 1"). Optional--add hair. Either draw it on, or glue it on--you could use ribbon, yarn, or moss.

Glue a pipe-cleaner halo on top of the head.

For the wings, fold a length of wired ribbon so that the ends meet in the middle and gather with a twist tie. Glue wings to angel's back and adjust as desired.

If you'd like to hang your angel on a Christmas tree, use a wooden bead for the head, and glue a loop of ribbon inside the hole before gluing the head to the pot.

A couple of days ago, I told you you'd have to come back to see what we made with our de-sap-ified pine cones, and folks, you're in luck, because today is the day! And, since this post is about angels, and you're such smart people, I bet you can guess what we made.

Yup, angels.

After the cones cooled, we painted them white. We just held them upright and used a foam brush with downward strokes. Before the paint dried, we sprinkled the cones with glitter.

Next, I hot glued on a wooden bead head, pipe cleaner halo, and a ribbon for hanging. The wings are poinsettia bracts and holly leaves left over from my wreath project. I also added a bouquet of berries.

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.

⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Luke 2:8-14

Winner

2011-12-14T12:20:00.000-06:00

Hey guys, thanks for entering my amazon.com gift card give away. Today's the 14th, which means the contest has ended. Random.org's random sequence generator helped me pick a winner by generating a random sequence:

Random Sequence Generator

Here is your sequence:

Timestamp: 2011-12-14 18:13:00 UTC

Which means the winning comment is number 4:

Pamalama Alanana said...

I finished up my christmas shopping online 2 days ago! I bought my uncle a humidifier, my dad a nice sweatshirt, and I bought myself a camping percolator and 6-5 gallon containers for water, since our new cabin has no well.

Pamalama, watch your inbox for your amazon.com gift card (and don't forget to go through my amazon search box when you use it :)!