Yellow Frame

One of our parishoners gave us this charming hand-stitched picture - with a note that said we could bring it back and they would change the color of the frame if we didn't like it - like I would ever do that...

Anyway - it matched our yellow bathroom walls perfectly and it was just what the little room needed...

Raw Cookies

I followed a link to a Raw Oatmeal Raisin cookie and then I couldn't find it again to share it with you...

...but thanks to the wonders of the internet search engine I found it at The Raw Dessert - I know there's no oatmeal in them - they're really good 'though - and I think I might add some raw oats the next time I make them...

Makin' Merry

We've been making very merry this Christmas... There's been Gingerbread baking... Making new tracks in the snow... Building forts...

...and then zipping down the hill on the new sled Santa brought...
Staying outside until dark and our eyelashes were frozen... ...then coming in and having cocoa and warming up - that's Jack the 'cat-dog' perched on the arm of the sofa...

Christmas Program

The annual Children's Christmas Program...

...was adorable as always...

The Man-Cub was Joseph...

...and the finale - was 'Shalom'...

Mom of the Year

Apparently - that would be me...

After the party - when I was clearing things away - the Man-Cub's class presented me with this poster/certificate - the class had made and signed it for me - I was touched - and his teacher said she loved it when they came up with things like this all on their own...

5th Grade Party

We had the 5th Grade Christmas Party Friday - I'm wondering if I'll be helping with a party or not next year - they are getting so grown up - you know they eventually outgrow school parties like this...

The Man-Cub had made all of his teachers an ornament - and he had a lot of fun delivering them during the party...

We had brownies...

and Punch in a pretty punch bowl of course - it is a party after all...

The Man-Cub and a friend got to serve the brownies...

Then there was game time - and everyone moved from group to group playing games - this is a game of 'Spoons' - only played with clothespins because we didn't have any spoons - haha...

Teacher Gifts

The Man-Cub made ornaments for all his teachers this year. We had a little party with his class - I took punch - in a fancy punch bowl and Christmas brownies - it was a lot of fun...

The Man-Cub drew pictures with permanent markers on acetate sheets (the kind you use for an overhead projector).

Then he cut a circle and curled it up and put it inside a clear glass ball.

That was the most fun part he said.

Craftiness

The Man-Cub made a few little star ornaments and bookmarks to tuck into each family gift as well...

The bookmarkers were fun and easy to make - you just rub a crayon over the raised plastic image - then hole punch and tie on some ribbon - and the ornaments were a kit project from Stuff Mart - really simple - just count and string some beads on a wire and bend appropriately into a star shape...

Christmas Goodies

Well the Christmas goodies should have been opened at the ancestral home by now - so here's a little peak at some of the goodies each family received...

This could be like a matching game - match the theme to the family...

Christmas Craft

The Man-Cub insisted on getting these two little pilot figurines for Grandma and Frank...

But you can see that their hair color is not quite right - and the Man-Cub is quite the stickler for proper costuming - the hair simply has to match the recipient...

So Grandma Pilot got a coat of brown followed by a coat of silver grey and Frank Pilot got a coat of brown followed by yellow - and according to the Man-Cub they match perfectly now...

Karen's Gift

Karen's pressies came in the mail yesterday...

...such a wonderful basket of goodies...

I love it all of course!!!

Fruit Bowls

We got this rather interesting looking box in the mail over the weekend...
...we opened up to reveal...

...a plethora of fruit...

...we love it all - thanks baby bro' - the Man-Cub has 'sucked' on an orange every evening since we got the box - do you remember doing that as a kid?

Strike

Your Christmas presents may be late - there's an elf strike you know...

This is a watercolor the Man-Cub did - click on the image and you can even make out Santa and his sleigh in front of the moon...

I absolutely love the grumpy face of the little elf - no idea where the idea came from or the image in his head for the grumpy little elf...

Red Bird

My final Giveaway Day prize came in the mail yesterday...

It's a lovely Red Bird from Christie at And Sew it Begins...

Can you see it's tiny little feet - and it smells wonderful!

It's beautiful on the tree and we love it!

Random Stripes

I organize my stash by color (doesn't everyone) - So I have a mini bin of baby colors...

The Man-Cub's Tae Kwon Do instructors (a husband/wife team) are expecting their first baby in February. I'm sure they're going to get lots of baby themed Christmas gifts - so here's another one...

The Random Striped Baby Blanket

For a Crib-size blanket:
Cast on 100 stitches on size 10 needles and work in stockinette stitch as follows - joining each new color at the end of the row and weaving in threads as you go along:
White - 8 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 10 rows
Green - 2 rows
White - 5 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Blue - 2 rows
White - 3 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Purple - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 5 rows
Pink - 2 rows
White - 3 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 5 rows
Green - 2 rows
White - 9 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 11 rows
Blue - 2 rows
White - 5 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Purple - 2 rows
White - 3 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 5 rows
Pink - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Green - 2 rows
White - 9 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Blue - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 3 rows
Purple - 2 rows
White - 7 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 5 rows
Green - 2 rows
White - 5 rows
Yellow - 2 rows
White - 9 rows
Cast off in Stockinette Stitch. Work a border in yellow by single crocheting around the blanket with a size H crochet hook. You could do the border in another color if you knew the gender of the baby.

The finished blanket...

Mama-to-be with her blanket - she liked it so much she cried...

Christmas Tree Napkins

Another package came in the mail yesterday - I love when that happens...

...this one has a lovely fabric gift bag...

...holding the cutest Christmas Tree Napkins you've ever seen!

Thanks to Sandy at Quilting Nanny

Tae Kwon Do Christmas Party

We had the annual Tae Kwon Do Christmas Party and Potluck last night...

The lower belts had a test and the Man-Cub got to serve as one of the 'obstacles' to a board break - he had to lay on the floor and the orange belt has to jump over him to break his board. He did a super job as an obstacle and only winced when someone landed on him...

Then we had the potluck - I took a broccoli salad and corn pudding - thanks to Karen for the recipe...

Then there is always a wild game of tag - that's the Man-Cub in the center yelling like a Banshee...

Snowflakes

The snowflakes that I won on Giveaway Day from Suzie Button Creations arrived in the mail yesterday - I just love little packages in the mail...

aren't they gorgeous...

...as you can see by 4:00 PM we have almost no light...

...I love these hanging in my kitchen window...