Catching Up January 2025 part 1

We toasted in the New Year at midnight and had New Year's Nachos.

January 2 was National Buffet Day. I made dinner Fend For Yourself that night.

We also finally got out to donate to the Giving Machine right before it closed for the season. We donated "piglets," "art classes," "five visits and meals to a senior," and "empower through play."

We did not get a good family picture like we did in 2022 but that's not the point so... who cares?

 

I got out for morning walks before school started up again.

January 4 National Spaghetti Day. We ate spaghetti. It was also National Trivia Day and Utah's Birthday so we did some Utah trivia. It was also Play Outside Day (which is every first Saturday of the month). A few of us went out to see barn owls (and some other birds but we went specifically for the owls). When we got home we warmed up with hot chocolate.

We celebrated National Bird Day, January 5, a day early with the owl search, although we did eat chicken for dinner on the 5th. We watched The Big Year on Saturday as a family.

 

January 6 was Sherlock Holmes' Birthday. Lucky celebrated by going to "elementary" school the first day back after Christmas Break. I watched a TV show with a Sherlock Holmes character.

It was also National Cuddle Up Day and National Bean Day so you better believe we cuddled up while eating chocolate (which comes from beans). 

 

January 7 was Old Rock Day and National Bobblehead Day so I got out to take pictures of Jr.'s bobblehead with mountains (old rocks). I haven't done that for a few years so it was fun to do it again.

 

January 8 was Elvis' Birthday. We watched Lilo and Stitch.

We started over with "A Season of Family Meal Plans," volume 1, by Jordan Page.

That's enough catch up for now.

How Did We Celebrate?

Let's see if I can remember how we celebrated on January 6. First of all, Sherlock Holmes' Birthday. I was going to watch a Sherlock Holmes movie but didn't so it's the thought that counts, right?

Next, National Bean Day. We had refried beans in some form, either as a side dish or in burritos. Who knows?

Then, National Cuddle Up Day. There were cuddles that day.

And, National Technology Day. We used technology.

Last, National Shortbread Day. I tried Funfetti Shortbread Bites, another recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Thanks again, Mel. Those shortbread bites were yummy. The boys helped make them. Yumm.

Some Celebrations in January

December 31 and January 1- New Year's Eve and Day
We had nachos. Our friend gave us individual sized sparkling cider bottles so we each got one to toast the new year.

At midnight, Jeremy again had the kids starting the year off on the right foot or left in Jr.'s case.

January 4- National Trivia Day
The younger boys and I told each other bits of trivia that day.

With my time (and arms) filled up with baby, I realized I could celebrate some of the same ways I celebrated when Lucky was a baby- watching movies based on the holidays.

January 6- Sherlock Holmes' Birthday
I watched the Sherlock Holmes movie with Robert Downey Jr.

January 8- Elvis' Birthday
I watched an Elvis movie, "Fun in Acapulco."

January 11- National Step in the Puddle and Splash Your Friends Day 
Jeremy was out birding with the older kids that day so they got a picture for me.

January 13- National Rubber Ducky Day
I watched a YouTube video of Ernie singing that song.

January 14- National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
We had hot pastrami sandwiches for dinner.

I already blogged about Appreciate a Dragon Day on January 16. 

We didn't celebrate Popeye's birthday on January 17 like we sometimes do. Recently, friends of ours gave us a calendar that lists national holidays. Woohoo. On the calendar are some we already celebrate and some that we don't... yet. One of the holidays listed for January 17 is Hot Buttered Rum Day. Now we're not going to celebrate anything with alcohol but Nichole pointed out that some of the candies we got for Christmas were toffees and some of those toffees had the flavor of butter rum. Ha Ha. Victory. So I handed out butter rum flavored toffees so we could celebrate this holiday that was on the calendar.

Blah Post

I should do a blog post, but I don't feel like it. I am tired. Instead this is now a blah post. BLAH.

If you want to know the holiday today you will have to figure it out yourself. Search for the clues. Make deductions. Seriously. It's elementary.

I shall continue regular blog posting tomorrow... or the next day.

Another Mystery is History

January 6 is Sherlock Holmes' Birthday.  To celebrate, we solved a 7 or 8 year old mystery.
Nichole was missing a book and she remembers being on the couch while reading it.  Our couch eats things.  So Jeremy checked back and inside the couch as much as he could (and found some things), but if you really want to find things, you have to use Mommy's small hands.  So I started looking... or feeling.  I pulled out crayons, pens, and pencils.  I pulled out numerous balloons (obviously).  I pulled out a toy ring, a snap bracelet, a plastic plug for some toy, a bow tie, a calculator, and some other things I can't remember.  At one point Jeremy told me, "Kristin, stop looking."  He had in his hand Nichole's book which was over on a table near the computer.
However, he did not stop me before I pulled out of the couch a My Friends Tigger and Pooh toy figurine of Tigger.  We lost that toy years ago- 7 or 8 years ago, before we moved to where we are now.  We looked everywhere for that toy, even in the couch.  I guess I just didn't go that deep when I looked before. 

We found it funny that on Sherlock Holmes' Birthday, we found something we'd been missing for years, something that happened to go along with a set of toys including "Super Sleuths" from My Friends Tigger and Pooh.

Happy Bird Day to You, Sherlock Holmes

Yesterday, January 5, was National Bird Day.  I spent some time looking through a book about birds of Utah.  It made me smile because quite a few of them I've seen around, but I learned some facts about them from the book.

Some of the birds in the book were these:

Crow

Redwing blackbird

Robin

Mallard

Goldfinch

Mourning dove

Some of these pictures are like a game- Can you spot the bird in this picture?

Today, January 6, is Sherlock Holmes' Birthday.  I know National Trivia Day is over, but I celebrated Sherlock Holmes' birthday by watching a Sherlock Holmes movie while thinking of some actors I know played Sherlock Holmes and other things I've seen them in. 
Here are some:
Basil Rathbone- He's in The Court Jester which I watched recently.
Jeremy Brett- He's in My Fair Lady which I watched recently.
Michael Caine- He's in The Muppet Christmas Carol which I watched recently.
Robert Downey Jr.- He's in The Avengers which I watched recently.
Benedict  Cumberbatch- He's in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey which I watched recently.
I've been watching a lot of movies lately.