Lots of Lights

December 6 was a day for being around holiday lights apparently.

Since it was St. Nicholas Day, we found candy in our shoes. Lucky let me know that he had learned about that holiday in the library so when he saw it on the calendar, it reminded him that it was that holiday so he went to look in his shoes.

I need to take a little break from writing now because Jet wants his turn so this is my way of doing service for him now- letting him type.

 

60223.3..3.371336

6| 6434242642342 6 33333333333333333333333333333333 

22222222222222222222211111111111111111111111111111111111111111 

 kjjkjkikijkjjujuygtr4w3ww2q1p0poo9887t54ee2222222q141274580222526222

141461341641341461334361431

 85\9\|9

233262263652326652262363252662511255215212222214152125115144114111626=-09.25538538258295

59295225859885958952829858888259522592598233588888222222952980958982

ytygytytyybytutyttytytytgytygtgytgygtytgtygyrgy5rjkjhhunhnumnnjimibbumgubguvnfvunvfvvv
6666636666612162162222222222225005250110.2020200020062022000030203202022 

 

Now it's my turn (after I edited his a little). 

Besides St. Nicholas Day, December 6 was also Put On Your Own Shoes Day. That happened. 

Since the lights are on at City Center Park now, I wanted to get out for a walk on the first morning I could, which was that Saturday (because weekdays during school, there's not enough time). You know I like going for morning walks there when the lights are on. It was Play Outside Day as well.

It was raining that morning so I was worried about going out until Jeremy encouraged me to unlock my "inner Oregonian" and I realized I could use an umbrella. So I went and got a good walk in the rain and enjoyed the lights (and an audiobook). 

That evening, Nichole needed to go some places for homework so I took her to the mall and to BYU, both places with holiday lights. 

She pointed out the cool Nativity they had on the windows of the library at BYU. 

The moon looked cool that night.

We ate breakfast sandwiches that night because it was Microwave Oven Day and I made sure to cook my egg in the microwave as well as sausage links. 

 

Celebrating In December

December 1 was Eat a Red Apple Day. We did.

 

Since it was also the beginning of December, we started our Countdown to Christmas scripture study. Pick a flag with a scripture for each day, answers questions, earn mint M&Ms.

The first Sunday in December is always the First Presidency Christmas devotional so we are able to say a song that was sung, a story that was told, something like that to earn our mint M&M. President Nelson encouraged us to gain our own testimony of Jesus Christ, that He is the son of God, and because of Him we don't have to go through challenges alone. That is a great thing to remember (I'm glad I took notes).

 

December 4 was National Cookie Day. We took Oreo cookies and cream pudding and Oreos and made "Dirt."

December 5 was Walt Disney's birthday. We listened to Walt Disney music and some interviews with him. I made sure to wear my bow earrings that night at Jr.'s holiday concert.

 

For St. Nicholas Day on December 6, everyone got candy in their shoes again. It was also Put on Your Own Shoes Day. Jeremy didn't think he'd gotten any candy in his shoes. Ha Ha Ha. He realized he did after he put them on. Tee Hee.

 

We had good intentions of celebrating Cotton Candy Day on December 7 and Pretend to Be a Time Traveler Day on December 8 but it didn't really happen. So December 9 we finally traveled in time to eat cotton candy but not before Jr. Jr. posed in an epic time traveler position.

December 11 was International Mountain Day. We took that day to make a mountain of latkes, ate challah bread, and played dreidel with chocolate coins which we ate, too. Yumm.

On Frank Sinatra's birthday on December 12, I listened to Frank Sinatra music while getting things done.

On Cocoa Day, December 13, we were going to do our annual Polar Express Party. We got as far as Jeremy dressing up and reading the book to us. Then I was tired and didn't want to deal with things, getting supplies out for cocoa. Sigh. I went to bed and the kids played video games.

December 14 was Monkey Day. I went to watch one of my monkeys play in his first real orchestra concert. Well done, monkey.

 

December 15 was Ugly Christmas Sweater Day. I didn't get any pictures of Jeremy wearing it but he got himself a t-shirt this year with this on it:

I love it.

That's enough for one post. Stay tuned for more December 2023 catching up.

St. Nicholas Day

It's St. Nicholas Day, December 6. It's also Put On Your Own Shoes Day.

The kids had different reactions to finding candy in their shoes this morning.

Some were confused but went with it. Some put their shoes on and walked around with the candy still in them. Jet put his shoes on himself but didn't quite realize their was something in it. I had to take his shoe off and hold it up until he took it out. Then we put his shoe back on and he pointed out the "snowman" on the outside of the coin. Funny? I thought it looked more like one of the presidents of the United States but... we'll go with snowman.

International Mountain Day 2021

Light The World for December 11 is "Recipe for Rejoicing." We were encouraged to "learn a traditional Christmas recipe from a particular part of the world." Since December 11 is International Mountain Day, I chose a place famous for its mountains- Switzerland. We learned how to make Grittibanz (Swiss Christmas bread men) which I learned is often made or eaten around St. Nicholas Day.

The children's calendar for #LightTheWorld encouraged us to learn something new about the people we eat with.

Mom: So as we eat people, let's learn about... people. That doesn't sound very good.

Nichole: Let's learn about the people we're eating.

Jr.: This is Bob. He had a wife and three kids. Had? Why past tense? Crunch.

*Giggles all around*

The kids got creative with their bread men. Nichole made one to look like an Egyptian hieroglyph. "Walk like an Egyptian."

Jr. made Link from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. He made foods to go in a cooking pot.

Lucky: Wow, the mushroom and apple was really cooked.

Jr. Jr. made a guy in the snow. His name is/was George. George the Jester.

Lucky made a penguin whose name was George the Jester Joe Jr.

Earlier in the day, we drove around to look at our own Utah mountains.

Candy in Our Shoes?

December 6 is St. Nicholas Day. In Hungary, children leave out their boots the night before and Szent Miklós comes by and puts treats in them. Our children were surprised and happy to find candy in their shoes Monday morning. 

It was also Put on Your Own Shoes Day so that worked, too. And it was Microwave Oven Day so you know we used the microwave throughout the day. That particular holiday had nothing to do with shoes.

 

I wanted to make challah and latkes for dinner that night. Since Jet is my baking buddy, I decided to put an apron on him this time. We've had to do some outfit changes in the past when he's "helped." He really liked stirring the dry ingredients, I finally had to use a different spoon since he wouldn't give up the dough hook and get another bowl with flour for him.

 

Nichole did such a good job braiding the challah when we did this last year. I got to do it this year and I like how it turned out. Jet decided to taste test the bread when it came out of the oven (after a few minutes when it wasn't hot) without waiting for an invitation.

After we ate latkes and challah, we played dreidel with chocolate coins. Like last year, Jet got a kick out of the spinning dreidels and thought the coins were fun, too. After we were done, Jr. had fun scratching designs into the foil and I gave the kids instructions not to open the coins around Jet. He didn't get the connection between the coins that we were pushing around and the chocolate we were eating later. I'd like to keep it that way.

We had fun. I love good family time like that.

Tuesday, December 7, was Cotton Candy Day so that's what the kids had for after school snack. It was also Pearl Harbor Day so the we talked a little bit about that.