Almost Christmas

 It's December 20th and it pretty much looks like Christmas and homeschool threw up in our house.  I'm okay with it...right now...I'm sure I'll insist everything gets picked up before the insanity of decorating the Christmas tree begins...but for now...I'll blog.  

We have two teenagers in the house!  Sam turned 13 this week.  Simply blows my mind that he has gone from the chunky baby with fuzzy ears and a shock of black hair that was generally displeased with life outside the womb...

To this kind, thoughtful, dancing, history loving, airplane obsessed Boy Scout who camps outside in a bivouac he built and has the biggest heart I know.  Happy Birthday, Sam!  You are amazing.  Keep being YOU.  We love you very much.  

It takes bravery to sleep outdoors like this!

Sam's friends surprised him by attaching balloons to our porch for him to wake up to.  He was so happy.  

But next time he camps, he'll have more light.  

We got the first real snow we've seen in years on Sam's birthday.  I ventured out in the beginning of the storm to get take out for lunch and was overwhelmed at the beauty of where we live. 

 O Frederick, My Frederick.  Isn't it gorgeous?  

Once we got everyone shoveled out, we got a chance to play outside.  It was HayHay's first snowstorm.  She wasn't sure what to think.  Benjamin tried to show her the ropes of sledding, but she was so bundled up that it was too difficult to move - resulting in multiple faceplants.  So we pulled them up and down the street in a sled instead.  The neighborhood kids all built snow tunnels. It was fun to watch.  I appreciate the shoveling workout.  The only part of my body not sore afterwards was my eyelids.  

Before things got going, Nate went outside to catch some snowflakes.  

In typical Nate fashion, it was a dramatic production.  It's looking like there may be more snow and a flash freeze on Christmas.  Since we can't go anywhere anyways...I can't say I mind.  We got the fireplace fixed and have been really enjoying using it.  I'm considering moving the homeschool area out near it.  It's warm & cozy - so far we're getting our work done there...All I want to do is curl up in front of the fire with a cup of tea  hot apple cider spiked with fireball and a good book.  

The cats have been particularly ridiculous lately.  Tseitle doesn't venture out much - she seems to be a snuggler once people are situated in bed.  Tessie has been very interested in the fire.  We've found her curled up in the stuffed chair so many times.  

We snuck PD a little bit of pork.  Five minutes later, this is how we find him laying on the floor in the middle of the kitchen.  

Herkimer hangs out with us during school now, too.  She likes to "help" Caroline with her writing. 

Nate had to do an experiment where he soaked an egg in vinegar and then corn syrup, measuring the mass periodically.  When you don't have grams for your balance scale, Homeschool Rules dictate that stacks of Ritz Crackers are a perfectly acceptable substitute.  As Melanie pointed out, I used it to teach the Transitive Property, too.  Win.  Win.  


Since the Kris Kringle Parade in Frederick was cancelled, the kid's dance studio had their own get together.  We decided to try our hand at whoopie pies.  They weren't difficult to make, it just took us multiple attempts to get the sizing of the cookies correct.  With ingredients like butter, sugar, vanilla, cocoa, flour and marshmallow fluff - we didn't anticipate them tasting terrible - even if they flopped.  But they were marvelous.  They tasted almost like the half moon cookies that we would get at the bakeries in Utica.  I may try to tweak the recipe to see if I can reproduce those for a nice treat for New Year.  We've decided we're still doing our Friend New Year Eve Celebration.  It will be outdoors, with masks and socially distanced...but we'll be together.  And that will be good.  

We only have two ornaments on the Christmas Tree so far.  We could not think of something more 2020 than to put Dr Fauci at the top.  

Caroline made this gorgeous ornament from a Herkimer Diamond.  

I have one more pair of Christmas pajamas to complete.  Hope to get them done today.  The chosen themes were bacon, taco cat, sharks with Christmas sweaters and sushi.  I'll put up the pics when they're finished.