Light the Family Tree

December 9 Light The World was "Light the Family Tree," learning about ancestors or anything about family history.

So I shared some generational family history with the kids... with food.

For after school snack we had ice cream with potato chips just like their Grandpa likes. I asked my dad why it was a thing for him and he told me about some of his unique tastes which I shared with the kids. He likes sweet and salty together.

At dinner we had eggs and bacon. I told the kids that when Jeremy and I would visit my grandma (their great grandma) and stay overnight, she would make us eggs and bacon for breakfast and put potato rolls in the toaster oven. Good memories of Grandma.

For dessert, I made oatmeal cookies, but the kids had to eat them while reading Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys mysteries. 

My mother used to sit on her grandmother's porch and eat oatmeal cookies while reading those books. So the kids got to experience something from their grandma and great great grandmother's history.

I stopped by the library earlier to pick up Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books for this reason. I made sure to wear my llama mask for National Llama Day on December 9. I then wore my llama mask to the grocery store to get some potato chips for our after school snack.

We finally got some real snow. The day started out with rain just like I remember from my Winters growing up in Oregon. The day ended with snow like my family's Winters in more recent years in Oregon.

Celebrating the Season

The best way to celebrate in December is by remembering the real reason for the season, the birth of Jesus Christ, who gave everything for us. That's why we do Light The World, so we can be a little more like Jesus and give a little back to him. That's why we also make sure to learn more of him and in our family that means our Countdown to Christmas scripture study.

As always we read a scripture or scriptures each day and answer questions about them and we each get a mint M&M if we answer correctly. We always tell the kids it's an open book test. They can always turn back to scriptures in order to find the answers or get hints if they're young enough. If they don't participate (because of a bad attitude) or are on their way back from another fair convention, this time in Texas, and are only on the phone for prayer and to listen to the scripture, they don't get an M&M.

 

Nichole and Jr. both had concerts on December 1. Jr.'s concert attire was ugly sweater, which his teacher explained as something very very very Christmasy. He also wore a white and red striped face mask because it looked like a candy cane. 

 

After Nichole's concert, she had an activity so she didn't get home until after we had prayer and read the scripture and got off the phone with Jeremy and Marcus because they both went to the convention together so as they traveled, they both joined us by phone for family prayer. But when Nichole walked in the door, I mentioned that the scripture we read was 2 Nephi 25:26 and she immediately said, "Oh, that's the one about talking about Christ and rejoicing in Christ..." That immediately earned her an M&M. If she knows what the scripture is by the scripture reference, that's an immediate reward. 

The scripture says, "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." And that is why we celebrate the season. And that is what we try to teach all year long. That is why family scripture study and family prayer and gospel discussions in our home are so important.

That is the best thing to celebrate, even though it is fun to celebrate other things like Eat a Red Apple Day on December 1 and National Fritters Day on December 2 and National Cookie Day on December 4. And fun Santa things from time to time (including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day).

 

The emphasis should never be taken away from the Savior, however. So we daily have our family prayer and Countdown to Christmas scripture study and we remember Christ and we rejoice in Christ and we teach our children that "...through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel" (3rd article of faith). That is worth celebrating.

Evermore

It wasn't the anniversary of Edgar Allen Poe's death but Jr. wore all black to his orchestra concert. He even made sure to wear a black mask.

Jeremy was able to make it to Jr.'s concert so we enjoyed watching it together.

Carving Pumpkins- Zoom Style

October 21 was Reptile Awareness Day. Jr. Jr. and I talked reptiles while doing spelling homework. "Spell 'screech' as in screech owl, which is not a reptile but a bird." Chimpanzees are mammals, not reptiles.

Later that day, Nichole and Jr. participated in a pumpkin carving youth activity via Zoom.

Jr. thought he'd carve one appropriate for 2020. Nichole made hers two-sided. One side had a triforce on it and the other had a Guardian from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Fall Break- Dance Productive

We told the kids we need to catch up on dishes and laundry in order to do other activities. Jr. and Jr. Jr. put on music which I thought was a good idea. I even pointed out that they could dance while they were being productive. Jr. Jr. immediately called out, "Dance productive!" in a singing voice so I joined in, every once in a while singing out, "Dance productive."

 

That afternoon we braved the crowds at Ashton Gardens for the scarecrow festival.

We had some favorite scarecrows such as "Room on the Broom" and a dragon. Of course there were some COVID related scarecrows. How could there not be?

We had more time this year than last so we were able to see some other gardens.

Somehow "Now make a funny face" isn't quite the same with face masks on.

 

 

Ha Ha Ha. The little cherub statue is still there in the same spot. It looks like it has a little more privacy now, though.

When we got home, we watched Bambi and Jeremy made us some yummy macaroni and cheese because October 17 was National Pasta Day.

Mother Taught, Daughter Learned

Nichole wanted to get some practice with the sewing machine since she's taking a sewing class at school. So we got the sewing machine out and she made a face mask. I gave her the instructions I used to make masks for Jr. Jr. and Lucky back in August and she went at it. She did a good job.

Nichole wanted to learn how to make skillet chicken parmigiana (yumm) so she could add another recipe to her repertoire. I helped her follow the recipe since it's a little more involved and time consuming than some of the things she's cooked before. She did a good job.

First Day of Fall

Everybody say, "First Day of Fall!"

September 22 was the Autumnal Equinox. I had Jeremy close the windows the night before... just in case.

It rained the morning of the Equinox. Ah, fresh. Jet and I went for a drive up Provo Canyon.

After school we drove up to Cascade Springs as a family, enjoying the Fall colors.

I commented to Jeremy recently how I'm not missing the Fall colors this year. I've been out so much in nature lately. I love it.

 

What a nice baby brother holding his sister's homework.

 

Jr. Jr. saw a few places where he wanted to get videos of me juggling. I love that he wanted to do that.

"You can't see me."

 

We all brought face masks and ended up using them. It wasn't too too crowded but there were enough people we passed and the paths are narrower than some places where it's easier to just keep to the side and turn your head. It worked out.

It was so pleasant. I love getting out in nature with my family.

 

We stopped at Deer Creek Overlook briefly so I could get a few pictures of a view you might imagine in a Tolkien novel. September 22 is Hobbit Day after all.

 

On the drive up, I commented to Jeremy that what I really wanted on this drive was to see moose. On the drive back down there were a few cars stopped on the road at one point and Jeremy called out that they were stopped because of the moose running along the side just down below us. They came up and crossed the road in front of us. Woohoo! We got some horrible pictures but I got to see moose like I wanted!

For a while on the drive down I kept exclaiming how excited I was to see the "meese," which sparked a little conversation about plurals of certain words. Goose geese. Moose moose. Mongoose mongooses. Octopus octopi or octopuses (either one is correct).

On the drive down Jeremy also told us a Jackerina story about the leaves on trees producing spores that make the Telford family sleepy. Jackerina called the North wind to help blow the leaves off the trees and when it got dark, the leaves couldn't photosynthesize and went to sleep. Yay! We were saved once again.

 

When we got home, we had caramel apple cider, a recipe I got from Stephanie O'Dea's slow cooker website, ayearofslowcooking.com

Mmmmm. Fall.