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.

End of July

July 28 was Refreshment Day. We put out a cooler of drinks and snacks for delivery people and people working on a leak in a pipe in our yard.

July 29 was Talk in an Elevator Day. It just so happens I took all the kids with me to an appointment that day in a building with elevators. We talked.

 

July 31 was National Cotton Candy Day. Apparently there are two dates because we also celebrate it in December. Check out what's in our home. Right?

Snails and Towels

May 24 was Escargot Day. I finally took a picture of a couple snails that have been sticking around (pun intended) for a while. Why the small one decided to crawl on the larger one's back, I don't know.

May 25 was Towel Day and Brown Bag It Day. Lucky took lunch to school in a brown bag. We used towels a lot. Nichole watched Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy while doing dishes which were dried with towels. I repeatedly told the kids, "Don't panic."

The last couple years we've had picnics at dinnertime with brown bags for these holidays. This year the boys, Jeremy, and I went to a barbecue instead. We ate food, the younger boys played games, it was enjoyable.

Jet decided on the way out it was fun to splash in a puddle he found. It's a good thing we had a towel with us. 

Before we went to the barbecue, however, Jr. showed me what happened in biology. Apparently, he won the encounters contest in two categories. He had the most invertebrates and plants. So taking him to the park was worth it as was visiting the Butterfly Biosphere and all the other things we did to help him.

He was happy to get a new shirt as well as a couple of gift cards. Well done, Jr. He worked hard for those.

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.

Let's Travel Through Time

Everybody say, "Merry Christmas!"

December 8 is Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. So let's travel back in time to last night when we should have decorated someone's door for LightTheWorld after writing nice messages.

We quietly put signs on my sister's door then left a plate of brownies for them as well (we did knock so they would find the brownies, though). December 8 is National Brownie Day.

I also didn't get pictures last night of the kids and their cotton candy so I got a picture today of Jr. giving Jet some cotton candy. 

How The Weekend Went

Real quick about the weekend. Some LightTheWorld stuff went on including watching The Christ Child. I appreciated thinking about Luke 2:19. "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart." In the video, it shows Mary's reactions when the shepherds came to see her baby and later when the wise men came. Mary had already been visited by an angel when she was told of her important role of being the mother of the Son of God. The shepherds and wise men were two more witnesses. The scriptures teach us of even more witnesses. There was plenty for Mary to ponder about this special child. 

We also watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. I loved it again this year.

Jet and I went for a drive and I looked at some birds- lots and lots of coots and a few other things.

We did service around our home including when Jet and I got home from our drive, the other boys met us and helped carry things in.

Jr. Jr. looked at the decorations on the lawn and commented on the shivering bear. "I thought polar bears were supposed to be adapted to cold weather."

December 7 is Cotton Candy Day so for Family Home Evening Treat, cotton candy was eaten. For our activity, we wrote nice notes which will later be put on a door to LightTheWorld. Lucky called it Family Home Giving.