Merry Christmas

Well, my kitchen is a wreck, cooking prep is complete, gifts are wrapped and awaiting placement under the tree.

From the Gayners, have a very Merry Christmas!

 

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.        Luke 2:16-20 ESV

Messy

Just a few days to Christmas now. In my mind, I want our days leading up to Christmas to look something like this: 

 And this:

 And sometimes it does. But sometimes, it can also look like lots of laundry (at least it's clean)...

 ...and an unmade bed...

...because Christmas, just like any other time of year, can get messy.

Lately, I've been tempted to succumb to discouragement and weariness because Christmas isn't always peace and joy. Those things haven't been absent, but there's also been a fair amount of dashing about, frantic list-making and plan-plan-planning.

I'm realizing a little each day, though, that while things are a little crazy (and perhaps some of it is self-imposed?), it's another reminder that this is why we celebrate Christmas in the first place - that our world and our hearts are so very messy that we need Someone to come and set things right. This messiness is why Jesus endured birth in a stable (messy), life in a family (definitely messy), and death on a cross (horribly messy).

Slowly, I remember that my messes - both big and small - don't have to stay messy, but in the hands of the Redeemer, can be made beautiful.

My first Cookie Exchange!

Sunday night was my first cookie exchange! I'd seen the idea online and decided (almost last minute) that it would be such a fun thing to do.

The seven of us enjoyed cherry almond cookies, pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip, chocolate chip & pretzel, peanut butter reindeer, cookies & creme cookies, red velvet brownies, chocolate-covered saltines, and gingerbread.  So much yum.

Toby printed out a bunch of little number for each (kind of) cookie and some voting ballots for ladies to vote on best looking, most unique & overall favorite. They were so cute, and a much better job than I could have done! 

While each of the winners got a little something special, each lady was able to take home a little homemade ornament as a "thank you for coming". The pattern is here.

It was so much fun and definitely something I'd do again. Perhaps a new holiday tradition?

One thing's for sure - 6 dozen cookies don't go too far in this house...

More Car Seat Covers

Remember the car seat cover I made for Caleb? Well, it seems I'm not the only one who likes it, because requests have been made to cover other car seats. Since I have plenty of fabric to use, I'm happy to help. Here's another I made for one of Caleb's friends from church (and her mom).

 This one has some of my favorite fabric scraps in it, and is lined with a pink jersey material.

 This may be another way to give clueless strangers a good guess to the gender of your baby, saving embarrassment from them and irritation from you. (ahem)

Teacher gift idea

It's been our first year at our homeschool co-op, and I'm regularly amazed at what these amazing moms manage to accomplish for their own children and for mine, so I wanted to give them a small token of Gayner appreciation. But what can I do that is simple, inexpensive, homemade and not another baked item? Pinterest to the rescue!

I had pinned this recipe to make Crock Pot Lotion Bars ages ago, and when I saw how easy it was and how many it made, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to give it a try.

I was able to order everything I needed from Amazon, and the crock pot liners were from the supermarket. My cupcake tins are actually silicone, which means I didn't need the liners and they still popped right out!

 I went and bought some of these perfectly-sized containers from the dollar store (10 for $1)...

...wrapped them in clear cellophane wrapping paper and tied with a ribbon and a homemade label...

...and the job was done! In fact, it was even easier than that, since I had one kid wrap the containers, one kid tie the ribbon and one kid add the label. We totally rock the assembly-line production.

All the teachers loved their gifts, and I was so happy to be able to show our family's appreciation for them without killing myself with all the making. Success.

My little stars

Last night was our Homeschool Co-Op Presentation Night. I had singers, dancers, speakers and kids who just managed to contain themselves. It was so fun.

So proud of my bright, shining stars.

Caramel Cake

Like everyone else, I read Kathryn Stockett's The Help last year and loved it, followed by taking the Man to see the movie. Even he enjoyed it.

So, when I saw this recipe for "the" caramel cake, I had to give it a try.

One Sunday morning that saw Dan poorly enough to keep him home from church but not poorly enough to keep him in bed, we decided to surprise the rest of the troupe by having this for dessert.

 It's not a difficult recipe, but it is time consuming, since you're making your caramel sauce. As you can see, mine is a bit runnier lighter in color than it was supposed to be. I also had to make it in two layers, rather than three, as I am currently lacking a third cake pan.

Who cares, though? It was delicious. Everyone was so excited, especially when they found out that it was "famous". I hadn't thought about that, but it's true - how often do we eat food that's been featured in a movie?

A total aside - I love that face.

Birdlife

Toby decided to be a good friend to the birds this year by putting up a few bird feeders. It didn't take long before a couple feathered visitors told their buddies about all the free food, cause there has been so much avian activity! It's been great to see the nuthatches, juncos, woodpeckers, chickadees and titmouses (titmice?). Of course, the squirrels are turning up, too, which means we have a ball quietly creeping out to the deck, having a big ole' shout, and watching them jump a mile and scurry off. I'd be tempted to think that they would learn their lesson, but they don't seem to. No bother - we like the entertainment they provide.

 

 

None of us were quite prepared for this handsome fellow, though. I wouldn't have thought that he'd come to visit our feeders, though perhaps he had his eye on some of our visitors?

 We're not sure what kind of bird of prey he his, some kind of hawk, we're guessing. Regardless, it's always so cool seeing one perched up high, regally surveying his domain. Always gives me a thrill.

How it is

I may be the kind of mom that makes her kids eat oatmeal...

...but I'm also the kind of mom that lets them eat it with a scoop of ice cream.

I'm not all bad, then.

The Shirt Smock

A good sturdy apron, really. whose pattern is found in this book.

 Perfect for all around coverage, and a nice big pocket for carrying around all the little tchotkies little girls "need". A single button fastening on the back means they can get it on and off pretty independently.

Two happy customers. Worth it.

Meet "Emily"

You know your children have reached a new stage of creativity when they begin making things with no help at all!

With instructions from this book, Abigail made herself a sock doll:

 Yarn hair, button eyes and a drawn nose and mouth completes the face. The book suggests ways to embroider facial features, but I think Abi was keen to complete the project.

I have it on good authority that some sock-doll clothes are currently in the works...

Everyday Madness

I took all 6 kids food shopping last week. It's not as crazy as it sounds, though I wouldn't exactly call it a sane decision, either. First we went to Aldi, and we did fairly well. With one shopping cart for Dan, Ellie and Caleb in his car seat, all the food went into a second cart. There were a couple of hang ups at first, with taking up room and getting in other shoppers' way, and of course the spilling of sour cream on the floor, but we got into a pretty good groove. We were in and out in less than an hour. Not too shabby.
We had another stop to make at Giant, though, and this proved to be just that bit too much for them. No crying, screaming or temper tantrums - that's not our style. No, my kids go the other way - they make everything into a game, and not just a normal, don't-step-on-the-cracks kind of game, but a let's-race-down-the-aisles-and-hurdle-the-displays kind of game. Today, there was hiding in the shopping cart (not a successful game, as it happens), running and sliding down the aisle, and shooting boxes of sandwich bags into the cart (okay, so that was me).
Of course, once these games begin, it's hard to know where they end, so there was also climbing through the van, under and over the bench seats, not to mention a small biting episode (and not the child you'd think, either).
All that said, this crew of mine can really work well together. We got the shopping done, van unloaded and groceries put away with no bloodshed! Plus, fun was had. How often do I get to say that about a shopping trip? I call that a win.

Finallly!

It's taken a while, but there are finally a couple (for now) of things in the shop:

 A couple of Puerperium Cardigans in brown (above) and black (below) cotton.

Perfect for any new babies on your shopping list (hint, hint).

Did you know...

...that you can use almost any kitchen appliance as a dry/wet erase board? As long as your kitchen isn't fitted out in chrome or stainless steel, you can use a dry or wet erase marker on your microwave, fridge, dishwasher, oven, etc. Write brief cooking instructions, phone messages, the day's meal plan or just a quick note. Cool beans, right?

Ways with an old sweater

Since the Christmas season has officially begun, that tends to mean that there are a few people out there trying to pull together some creative gifts on not a lot of money. Can I help?
Chances are, you or someone in your home have a sweater that's no longer in circulation. Maybe it's small, been run through the dryer, has a hole, or simply doesn't speak to you anymore. Before chucking it or running it over to Goodwill, perhaps you can repurpose it? Here's a few ideas:

Way 1 - a skirt

Pretty easy, this one. Cut a sweater off under the arms, fold over the top and sew to make a casing, and insert elastic. Cute over leggings, and warm!

Way 2 - fingerless gloves

 

Again, easy. Again, a great gift. Cut off a section of sweater that's large enough to wrap around a hand and sew up the seam, leaving a small hole for the thumb. You can hem or otherwise finish the cut end if you think it might unravel.

 

Way 3 - hats

  Had some trouble getting a photo on this one, but this website has easy instructions for how to get it done. Really good for manly gifts - it's not too hard to find a nice men's sweater to cut up, and almost all men wear winter hats, right?

 

Way 4 - baby pants

Photo from makebabystuff.com

I've made a number of pants and shorts for my kids from old t-shirts, and making warm woolen leggings from a sweater is really just the same song, different verse. This website makes them from the sleeves, which is a nice touch.
 

Way 5 - sleep sack

Photo from Rhythm of the Home

Construction is the same a for a hat, basically. Great gift for a new baby.

Need some more ideas? Check out http://tipnut.com/make-sweaters/.

You're welcome.

Thankful

It's about 4:30am, and I've just finished feeding the baby. I woke, not to his crying, but to the knowledge that my husband was changing his diaper. Right there are two things to be thankful for.

I went to bed last night with this delightful sense of having so much and being so happy. Our lives are full and busy and loud and chaotic and good and I love it. I am struck with a profound sense of gratitude for all the goodness God has poured out on my life.

1 Thessalonians 5:18  Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus

I think we must not only give thanks for the good and the not-so-good, knowing they are gifts from a sovereign God, but we must also give thanks for the details, the moments that we are in at any given time, lest we presume upon God's goodness and assume that we deserve the good we have or fail to see Him in the circumstances we would not choose for ourselves. I can thank Him for:

• the familiar nighttime sounds of my home
• my son's smile when he catches me watching him
• seeing my girls write in their prayer journals and the knowledge that they are praying for people
• filling my gas tank for less than $75(!)
• the knowledge that though I don't care for Dan's new hair cut, it'll grow back (ahem)
• the feel of lovely yarn in my hands
• my husband bringing me coffee in my favorite mug

Details, to be sure. Perhaps inconsequential to most, but these are the details and the moments that make up the life that I am so thankful for.

When you sit down to your turkey this afternoon and give thanks, don't forget what our Pilgrim forefathers remembered - whether your times are fat with blessing or feeling a little lean, all our thanks and praise can and should only go to Him, the Giver of all good gifts. How can we be properly thankful without One to direct our thanks to?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

The Schoolroom

I am well aware that our family is very blessed to have a house big enough that we have a schoolroom separate from the rest of the house. Most homeschoolers have a living room or dining room that is pulling double duty, and while we've done that and will probably do so again sometime in the future, we are grateful to have this dedicated space for all things "school".

May I show you around, mess and all?

 

Please, do come in...

We were able to pick up the two desk-and-chair sets for free when our church school closed, and the big desk and white board are items Toby found going spare at work. 

 

The pull-out couch was a freebie from a friend (thanks again, Danielle!), and is perfect for our guests when they visit.

 

I have big plans for turning those closets into useful work spaces, but that's going to have to wait for now...

 

A couple clever ideas: Toby mounted the white board on batons to give a gap between the board and the wall for storing a variety of maps that are mounted onto thick display board. If you're short on wall space and like your maps or whatnot, this could be helpful.

 

Another clever thing he did was mount an old plastic tub next to it, up high, for the dry erase markers and eraser. Some families may not need such things, but for us, storing the markers on the board's marker tray puts them within reach of Daniel. Need I say more?

 

My last clever idea was to record the kids' school assignments on schedule sheets, stick them in clear, plastic sleeves, and mount them on the wall near my desk. This is helping them to grow in self-government a little, rather than depending on me to tell them each little thing they have to do for each assignment, and they can check off when they've finished something with a dry erase marker. Then they (and I) can see at a glace whether they are done their work for the day.

 

 

The room is by no means perfect (the closets are an issue and I need to figure a better way to store toys and crafts), but it has been a great blessing and really goes a long way toward making our homeschool work that little better. I'll take that, any day.

Busy morning oatmeal

Now that it's colder in the mornings (if you live in the Northern Hemisphere, that is), cooked breakfasts in general - and oatmeal in particular - make more sense than a steady diet of cold cereal. However, few of us have time to be standing over a stove to keep the oatmeal from boiling over. So allow me to share three ways to fit oatmeal into your jam-packed morning:

1. Rice cooker oatmeal - if you have a rice cooker, you're sitting on a wonderfully underused gadget. Get that bad boy out and dust it off. Put in 4 cups of water, 2 cups of oats, and a handful of raisins. Push "cook". In about 20 minutes, you'll have perfect oats that cleans up great and serves about four. If you don't have a rice cooker, get one - it's totally worth the space it takes up.
2. Crock Pot Oatmeal - Seriously, there are oodles of recipes out there for crock pot oats. Often, steel cut oats are used. They do stand up to being in the crock pot a bit better than normal oats, but if you can't find steel cut, don't let that stop you. Shave a couple hours off the cooking time and give one of these recipes a try.
3. Make your own instant oatmeal - Dump half a cup of oats into your food processor or blender and pulse a few times. You want it chopped up a bit, not turned to dust. Stick that in a plastic snack or sandwich bag along with some dried fruit. Then, in the morning, empty the bag into a microwave-able bowl with a cup of water or milk and stick it in the microwave. Kids can make their own oatmeal! Easy.

Any good oatmeal recipes floating around out there? Do share!

 

In weakness

My church's Ladies' retreat last weekend almost didn't happen - for me, anyway. After sitting in a steamy bathroom with a coughing infant at 5am Friday morning, I was having some doubts. Fortunately, my sweet husband heard and put to rest most of my concerns, wrapping them all up with "If you need to come home, I'll come and get you." So, we packed up and headed out.
There was one concern I didn't share with him, though - one I wasn't even aware of myself, at first. It was this feeling we proud women have now and then, the one where we realize that if the reality of a thing doesn't match up with our vision, then we don't want to do it. In this case, it was a matter of not being free to talk to ladies and minister to them from a position of strength and comfort. Bringing along a poorly infant meant my attentions would be divided, that I would not be free to chat with women at my leisure, that my energy would be drained, that I wouldn't even be able to take part in all the sessions. And all these concerns were not only valid, they were realistic - I was tired, didn't talk to all those I wanted to, and missed out on some things.
However, I realize how kind God has been to give me some limitations this time around. I did get to talk to a few ladies, and was greatly blessed by their care for me and for Caleb. What a blessing to have these lovely women check on me, visit with me, and pray for both of us. It's more than likely that if things had gone my way, I would have run myself ragged, trying to minister to ladies in my own strength, and doing a lousy job. This time, I couldn't even kid myself that I had anything of note to offer - I was on the receiving end of the blessing. And though it's not the most comfortable place for me, I am thankful to be the receipient of the love and care of God, expressed through a body of faithful believers.

The Lurgy Invades

So, it began with a stuffy nose...

Caleb came down stuffed up last week. The next day it was a cough.

I was due to go on my church's Ladies' Retreat, but it shouldn't be too bad. For a two-month-old, he coped manfully - better than some men I know (except for my husband, who is the best patient ever.)! We get home on Sunday, and by Monday he's doing much better, which is good, as this allows me to focus on the next batch of sickies...

By today, Ellie and Dan have coughs, runny/stuffy noses and coughs. I have a stuffy nose. It kind of feels like living in an illness thriller, wondering whose going to come down with the "dreaded disease" next...

We're working hard to keep the healthy staying that way and ease the sick. For us that means:

• lots of rest and fluids
• some cartoons on YouTube and the only the basics of schoolwork
• vitamins and cough meds and fever-reducers
• steam inhalation - steamy showers, humidifiers (when they work, grr), hooded head of a bowl of hot water
• washing hands & cups - a lot - and wiping doorknobs, taps and lightswitches
• 1/4 tsp of cinnamon mixed with a tsp honey for sore throats and a preventative measure
• 1tsp each of honey, lemon juice and brandy to ease nighttime coughs
• Vicks on the soles of the feet and covered with socks to help those nighttime coughs, as well
• this homemade remedy as an all-around helper (just don't forget the water like I did!)

 

Any other helpful suggestions to kick the dreaded lurgy on it's way?

 

 

More School Scheduling

So, as usual, I started the academic year with a schedule for our homeschool, and as usual, I've had to make some changes. This is not surprising (to me, anyway) - I've learned over the years that it just doesn't work for me to set up a system and expect it to be a "once and done" thing, mainly because I've forgotten something, or because there is tweaking to be done.
This time, it was piano practice. It just wasn't really happening very much when it was listed as a part of the girls' daily chores, and I didn't really like the idea of their practice being considered a chore, anyway. I figured it was really the best thing to incorporate it into their school day, since it is a music credit. I also figured it would be best to have their daily practice occur at the same time that their fortnightly (every two weeks) lessons would be. Of course, when you tug on one thread, the whole net moves, but this is what I came up with:

	Mom	Abi	Anna	Noah	Ellie	Dan	Caleb
8 – 8:30	Chores/Nurse	Chores	Chores	Chores	Chores	Chores	Nurse
8:30 – 9	Bible & Read with Littles	Literature	Literature	Bible & Read with Mom	Bible & Read with Mom	Bible & Read with Mom
9 – 9:45	Bible with Girls	Bible	Bible	Play	Play	Play
9:45 – 10	Check work/ diapers	Make Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack/Diaper
10 – 10:30	History with Girls	History	History	Play	Play	Play	Nurse
10:30 – 11	Grammar with Anna & Noah	Piano	Grammar & Spelling	Grammar	Color	Color
11 – 11:30	Grammar with Abi & Play with Littles	Grammar & Spelling	Piano	Play with Mom	Play with Mom	Play with Mom
11:30 – 12	Math	Math	Math	Math	Math play	Play
12 – 12:30	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
12:30 – 1	Nurse & Read to Littles	Read	Clean up & Read	Read	Read	Nap	Nurse
1 – 2	Rest	Quiet Craft	Quiet Craft	Quiet Craft	Nap	Nap
2 – 2:45	Help with work/Chores	Finish work	Finish work	Lego	Nap	Nap
2:45 - 3	Nurse	Clean up	Clean up	Clean up	Wake up	Wake up	Nurse
3 - 3:15	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
3:15 – 4	Exercise/Craft	Play with Littles	Play with Littles	Play	Play	Play
4 – 4:45	Special	Special	Special	Special	Special	Special
4:45 – 5	Clean up	Clean up	Clean up	Clean up	Clean up	Clean up	Nurse
5 – 5:30	Dinner prep	Shower/Free	Shower/Free	Shower/Free	Shower/Free	Shower/Free	Bath
5:30 – 6	Dinner prep	Help out	Help out	Help out	Help out	Help out

Bible * Literature * History * Math * Grammar * Piano * Lunch * Rest * Naps * Exercise

 Specials:

Monday – game

Tuesday – Outing

Wednesday – Movie

Thursday – Computer

Friday - Craft

 

 

Overall, I'm pretty happy. We don't always start on time, so when that happens, things get a bit squiffy, but it all still works pretty well. During the rest/quiet craft time is the perfect time for the bigger kids to be doing things that they enjoy but can't do with Dan around. Often they're just reading, but I'm in the process of putting together a collection of stuff that they can do with out my supervision. The question is where to keep such things that the big kids can get to and the little ones can't...
I'm liking the time for the bigger kids to be playing with the little ones as well. I kind of see it as babysitter-training time, as it's really an opportunity for the girls (mainly) to be playing in a way that serves the littler ones, not just including the littles into their own game. It's also nice for me to be able to pursue some of my own interests and they can see those things as a priority for me - perhaps they'll pick some of those interests up for themselves one day?
A word on the "Specials" category - it was an inspired idea, even if I do say so myself. It's been such a blessing to have a time where we do something all together that my kids love but would tend to get pushed aside for lack of time. It doesn't always happen, but the times where we've played a game or gone for a walk or done a craft project has really blessed them and allowed me to love on them in a way that is meaningful to them. It's also a great way to get to know them - walking along and chatting with Noah or seeing what a clever artist Anna can be has been so worth the effort. I'll be honest, though - movie day and computer day tend to be my extended craft/chore/nap time. For real.
So there it is. I'd love to know how some of you divide your time and spend your days, mom or not, homeschool or not. It's always fun to glean some good ideas from others, so please share!