You Never Know With People

One day, my husband went out to do some Easter fun shopping dressed like this...

and no one gave him a second glance.

You never know with people. 

Even More Bonding Time

Thursday, December 18, was Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day.

I was all ready to when Jeremy called for family prayer that morning. However, his phone got bumped to "Do Not Disturb" so my texts never got to him saying we were ready. I eventually had to call him and he didn't think to answer the phone that way. Oh well.

The only other phone call I got that day was from the elementary school and I intentionally did NOT answer like Buddy the Elf because I knew they weren't calling for something fun. Sigh.

The kids and I did watch the movie, "Elf" (I stayed awake for the whole thing- Gasp). I even made spaghetti and got out the rest of the ingredients needed for a Buddy the Elf breakfast for dinner. Nobody was in the mood for all that sugary stuff, though. I don't blame them. What did sound good was me taking leftover homemade teriyaki sauce, cutting up veggies, adding some rotisserie chicken, and cooking them up together to have some nice teriyaki chicken to go with the spaghetti.

I was prepared, though, and throughout the next day, people did have some Buddy the Elf breakfast from time to time.

Jr. created a beautiful masterpiece. It sure "looked" pretty. 

Speaking of masterpieces, Jr. Jr. brought home a beautiful ornament he made at school... and cookies.

December Holidays

Let's talk some December holidays that weren't Christmas and New Year's Eve.

There were a lot we didn't end up celebrating because of sickness. Nobody found treats in their shoes on St. Nicholas Day. Sigh.

We did get back to our tradition of someone being sick during the First Presidency Christmas Devotional, though. Woohoo?

And since that day, December 8, was also National Brownie Day, somebody did make brownies for us to eat during the devotional. 

December 11 was International Mountain Day and I did take a sunrise picture with mountains.

I also managed to make Teriyaki chicken because that day was also National Teriyaki Chicken Day.

Jet helped me make waffle batter for National Maple Syrup Day on December 17. I love that he's my kitchen helper.

Jet loves decorations and lights as you know so he and I were able to go for a walk in City Center Park in Orem on December 18. Jeremy called us when he was going to pick us up but I totally forgot to "answer the phone like Buddy the Elf," even though that was the holiday and I knew it.

When we got home I was telling the story to the kids when my phone rang. Jr. Jr. had called me so I could answer the phone the right way that night. Thanks, Jr. Jr. We of course then had our traditional Buddy the Elf breakfast for dinner.

We used our Fablehaven Cookbook and followed one suggestion for making Tanu's Heartening Soup (shelf cooking style with substitutions) the night before the Winter Solstice.

Then I got out on the Winter Solstice, December 21, for a morning walk around City Center Park while the lights were on. I love doing that in December/early January when I'm up for it (which I wasn't much up for it before January- just those two times).

 We celebrated Lucky's birthday in December. He took balloons to his classmates and we "partied" at home. Jet helped me make Lucky's birthday cake (and put the candles in) and luckily Lucky asked for a really simple dinner. 

More Celebrating in December

December 17 was Maple Syrup Day. We tried out for the first time our four waffle waffle iron we got from my in-laws when we were visiting them this Summer.

Jet couldn't wait so he got a waffle to eat while I was still making them. The following happened when Jr. saw-

Jr.: Can I have a waffle, too?

Jr.: Sorry. May I have a waffle?

Jet: May you?

Jr.: Yes.

Apparently Jet learned that from me. I had no idea I did it. "May you?" Chuckle.

 

That day we also had the opportunity to go caroling around the neighborhood with other people in our ward. Jr. Jr., Lucky, and I joined the people going out. We caroled to several people who live alone. Some aren't able to make it to the church building on Sundays so have to watch church from home. We could tell that our brief visits and singing really meant a lot to some of them.

Jet joined in on a couple of the songs which was so sweet and said, "Merry Christmas," to a few people. I hope my boys learn from these experiences that it feels good to do service and I hope they want to find more ways like this to do it.

December 18 was Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day. When Jeremy called for family prayer that morning, I answered this way. "Kristin the Human. What's your favorite color?" He laughed and told me I was awesome but never told me his favorite color during that phone call.

We had Buddy the Elf type breakfast for dinner. When I put together my plate of food, I remembered it was supposed to be mixed by hand then shoveled into my mouth with my hands. Wow. That was disgusting. But funny. I did wait until after my kids had eaten most of theirs with a fork before doing that.

We started the movie, Elf, and ended up pausing it at this spot where one of these elves looked... um... kind of... crazy looking? 

Speaking of that particular elf with the glasses, did you know the actor who played that elf, Peter Billingsley, played Ralphie in A Christmas Story many many years ago? 

Speaking of A Christmas Story, during the holiday season I daily passed a house with a full size leg lamp in the window. It's a yearly tradition for that house. So awesome. I didn't get a picture of it but I love it.

December 19 was Oatmeal Muffin Day. We ate those.

 

We got Nichole home from college for Christmas Break. Yay. Just in time for some celebrating. The new Percy Jackson and the Olympians series was premiering so we had blue foods to eat while watching. We didn't have any blue jelly beans unfortunately but had some fun with blue pancakes, blue scrambled eggs, blue milk, blueberry bagels, and blue butter on toast.

The butter totally looks like frosting so there is a certain taste that is expected from it but it does not taste like frosting. I would not want a spoonful of that to snack on. Ugh.

There were no food coloring fiascos during this, either. Hooray.

By the way, it's been a few weeks so there have been a few episodes we've watched now of the series. We're enjoying it. We are book lovers of course. Most of us have read the Percy Jackson books. Lucky is reading them now for the first time. The discussions while watching the show together have been fun. I love family bonding.

 

The Winter Solstice was on December 21. It was a perfect excuse for another Fablehaven Feast using recipes from The Fablehaven Cookbook. Told you we're book lovers and love to find ways to celebrate based on books.

This time we had more Ogre Stew (it's a favorite). We quadrupled the recipe so we could have extra to freeze. Yeah, it was gone in about three days. Didn't end up freezing any of it.

We had Muriel's Pretzel Knots and Olloch the Glutton's Caramel Biscuit Bars.

For months Lucky has been wanting Zombie Cake Eyeballs so I finally made them. Wow. That is an ambitious recipe from the book. It's not so much hard as time consuming. Definitely not one I'll make often like Ogre Stew. We didn't even decorate all of the cake balls we made. There was another jarful of just white chocolate covered cake balls.

 

December 21 was also Humbug Day. It has become tradition to watch The Muppets Christmas Carol on Humbug Day if possible.

Back in 2020, Nichole said, "Happy National," before Scrooge said, "Humbug," then she said, "Day," after he said it each time. This year I said, "Happy Humbug Day," after he said, "Humbug," the first time. This is what happened then-

Nichole: We forgot to do the traditional...

Mom: We've done it like one time.

Nichole: One time makes it a tradition.

I love this family. I love finding reasons to celebrate.

Elf Days

December 17 was National Maple Syrup Day. We had pancakes with syrup and watched the movie, Elf. Appropriate since syrup is one of the 4 main food groups for elves.

 

The next day, December 18, was Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day. When I called Jeremy to pick me up from choir practice, he answered the phone in just that way.

Later, the kids were in charge of making dinner. They made us an elf type breakfast for dinner.

Yes, they did.

Caroling Elf

December 18 is Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day. While I was out running errands I had to call the kids. When Nichole answered with a normal greeting I reminded her that's not how Buddy would answer the phone and she fixed it for me. The kids watched the movie, "Elf," and we ate spaghetti with spaghetti sauce and syrup again like last year.

Something else Buddy shares in the movie is, "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is by singing loud for all to hear." Light The World for today is "Songs Worth Sharing," singing together with loved ones. So after our advent scripture study, we sang, "Angels We Have Heard on High" as a family.

It's funny because when we were all sick with our coughs we didn't sing much together because we couldn't so it was really nice to have us all sharing this hymn. I really love music. And I love the messages of Christmas that can be shared through music. I loved having that feeling in our home tonight.

Two Birds with One Stone

"Kristin the Human. What's your favorite color?" I waited all day for someone to call so I could answer the phone that way. December 18 is Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day. At the end of the day, I finally got my wish when Jeremy called so we could all do family prayer together. His response when I asked? "Green like a Christmas tree." Woohoo. While he was gone the kids and I watched the movie Elf and ate spaghetti... with spaghetti sauce... and maple syrup on it. That's what Buddy gives his dad's wife for breakfast in the movie. I told the kids they all had to have sauce on the spaghetti since we were doing it because of the movie. They all did even if for some it was very little. My pickiest eater kept coming back for more helpings (including the sauce).

Every year I'm determined to read A Christmas Carol to my kids. I've never read the whole book to them even though I try practically every year. This year, though, I am doing it- a little bit every day. We're almost finished. Tonight I sat down with the kids in front of The Piano Guy's Yule Log and when we were ready we muted the music and I read to them. #LightTheWorld says, "Make time for children like Jesus did. Read a beloved children's story to a child."

Like the Summer Reading Program, we're now doing a Winter Reading Challenge with the Provo Library, since the kids will have two weeks without homework during Christmas vacation to read. One of the activities is to "read a book by the fireplace." Ta-da. Two birds with one stone.