Magic School Bus Marathon

The girls got the complete "Magic School Bus" series on DVD for Christmas. 52 episodes on 8 DVDs. I can hear the girls watching it in the morning before I get up, and they are watching it in the evening after supper. Sparkle noticed that the series is recommended for ages 5-10, and commented that in a year she will be too old for it. I told her not to worry, it is ok for older kids to like Magic School Bus.

Glitter is standing on the left. Sparkle is on the sofa on the left. The glowing box in the middle of the picture is ... well, you know.

 

Santa Came!!!

We spent Christmas Eve at home. We rented the movie "The Polar Express" and watched it on the iPad. Yup, all four of us watching that tiny screen. It reminded Wander of crowding around a tiny tv as a child. (Side note, why are so many family Christmas movies about believing in Santa with little to no mention of believing in Jesus?)

After the movie we made cookies for Santa (and us). Baking cookies went much faster this year as I had two helpers. We do sugar cookies with the cookie press. Sparkle could take the cookie sheets in and out of the oven. Glitter could take the bowl of dough in and out of the fridge to keep it cold. And of course both of them wanted to operate the cookie press.

I bought a flash for my iPad camera and it was supposed to arrive last Friday, but it has not arrived. So my indoor pictures are still blurry. At least I have pictures. I hope my kids will be sympathetic when they are older and wonder why I don't have good pictures of them.

We had a group nap on the living room floor before going to midnight mass. No pictures because watching the movie drained the iPad battery and it was charging. The girls looked beautiful in their Christmas dresses. Sparkle did her and Glitter's hair.

As we were leaving mass, one of the deacons asked Glitter if she knew whose birthday it was. "Of course," she answered. "Whose?" he pressed. "Jesus" she answered in a puzzled tone, as if she were wondering why he would ask such a silly question. She does not know that many little children do not know that Christmas is Jesus's birthday.

When we got home, Glitter was disappointed that Santa had not yet come. Yet the girls did not want to hurry to bed. I finally got them tucked in a little after two am.

Finally I got to go to sleep. A moment later, I was woken by screaming kids. "He came! He came! Santa came!" Then Wander informed me that the girls were waiting for me before opening presents. so I had to drag myself out of bed and stumble down the stairs.

The girls waiting not so patiently. They had already pulled all the presents out from inder the tree and out of stockings.

The opening frenzy begins. Ah, the sound of ripping wrapping paper.

Sparkle got some books, an angel nutcracker, jewlery making supplies, and more.

I love the looks on the girls faces as Sparkle opened this present. Glitter's jaw dropped in a perfect "O".

More ripping. Glitter had a little trouble trying to open the boxes. Thankfully she asked Wander for help instead of ripping the box. Glitter got a toy dragon, a glass rose paperweight, a gift card to the craft store, and more.

Wander got a new iPod Touch. The girls were so excited to get it for him.

A gift for the whole family was real gold, frankinsence, and myrh in decorative boxes for our nativity scene.

I love how the girls are always excited and please on Christmas morning. Later on they will hear about kids getting cool, expensive electronics, but for now they are happy and I can go back to sleep.

Biking on the holidays

One of the things I wanted to do during the holidays was go on a family bike ride.

Wander got the bikes ready. Sparkle made the sandwiches. Glitter filled the water bottles. And I enjoyed the trip.

Wander rides his bike, towing Glitter on the half-bike. Sparkle and I ride the tandem.

There is a nice, woodsy multi-purpose path at a park about ten minutes drive from our house. Too bad we can't ride from home, but the streets in between are narrow and not bike friendly.

There are no motorized vehicals allowed on the path, just hikers, bikers, and horses. We passes and were passed by several bikers and a few hikers, but no horses this time. Ome of the best parts of the path is that it is a single continous route that winds throught the woods. No forks on the road. No deciding (arguing) which way to go. No getting lost. Sparkle is already starting to note familiar landmarks, such as the dip in the path she has labeled the Grand Canyon.

The weather was perfect. Overcast and a slight breeze. The heat generated by the exercise was wisked away by the wind. I was glad I left the long sleeves at home. Leaves rustled. The occasional pinecone fell onto Sparkle's face.

I was enjoying the ride so much that Sparkle and left Wander and Glitter behind. Finally Wander was able to yell to Sparkle to stop. We spread out the groundcover and munched on sandwiches, grapes, pringles, and cookies. The fresh air, light exercise, and peaceful environment made everything taste extra yummy. After lunch Glitter's tummy wasn't feeling good so we turned around and headed back.

When our Sparkles started to compain of a sore bottom, we stopped at a bridge and watched a turtle sun itself.

 

The afternoon was still young when we got back and Glitter was feeling better. There was a playgrounds by the parking lot so the girls played on the swings and climbed the jungle gym while Wander loaded the bikes back on the truck.

 

Silent Math with Glitter

Glitter decided that she did not want to talk during her math lesson.
She had a worksheet of mental addition problems to do.
I sat next to her while she did the worksheet.
When she had a question or comment, she wrote it on a scratch piece of paper.
In the interest of peace, I decoded her messages without commenting on spelling.

Here is a rough translation. I don't remember the exact order of her comments as she wrote in whatever part of the paper was empty at the moment, but her comments went something like this.

[I show her the worksheet.]
I don't think I can do that.

Can I have help yes no [I am supposed to circle my answer, but I just say yes. She has picked up the habit of asking me yes / no questions this way when I am teaching her sister and discourage interuptions.]

Can you help me?

[I read the problem aloud and wait for her reaction. She seems to know what to do now, so I say no more.]

Thanks mom!

[After she completes one of the problems.]
This one is complicated.
[I agree with her.]

[She gets a problem wrong, and I as if she is ready to discuss it.]
I am about ready but just a second.
[I wait.]
I am ready.
[We discuss the problem, she corrects, and then continues on.]

Can you help me the same way you did the other one?
[I read the problem aloud.]

Can you help me?
[I read the problem aloud.]

Can you check all of them?
[I check the ones she's done.]

Mom I almost finished the first column!
[All but one of the problems in the first column are done.]

Now I finished the first column.

You can check the next few ones.
[She has done a few more problems and I check them.]

Am I allowed to skip problems and go back to them?
[I guess the next problem is too hard for her. I tell her yes, and she starts skipping around.]




 

Science Museum

We had no scheduled exhibit this afternoon. Instead, I found our favorite docent and we got an impromptu tour of the gem and mineral hall and the wildlife touch carts.

At the touch cart outside the gem and mineral area. Sparkle thought many of the minerals looked like food. nachos, squash, grapefruit, etc.

Birds on sticks. I am amazed at the artifacts the girls got to touch.

 

Glitter holds a cat skin. The head is stuffed.

An elephant foot, including toenails.

The girls write and draw in their log books as we sit in the main hall. I wish This camera had a flash.

 

Santa!!!

We got to see Santa at church.

Then Santa drove through our neighborhood in his sleigh pulled by the fire truck.

The girls gathered candy that Santa tossed.

 

Getting Decorations for Christmas

Decorating the house

The girls got tired of waiting for me to decorate the house for Christmas and set up their own nativity.

This was the second year of having the kids take turns playing Christmas songs on the piano while we decorated the tree. Amazingly enough the kids had as much fun making music as hanging ornaments. And there were no fights over who got to hang what where.

We have the advent wreath and Jesse Tree from last year.

Our household decorations haven't changed over the years. Garlands on the stair rail. Stockings over the fireplace. Angels.

 

Lots of gore

Glitter lost her first tooth this morning.

 

Sparkle was so caught up in the excitement that she yanked out her loose tooth too.

This sure beats Sparkle falling on Sunday and hurting her foot so that she couldn't walk. It also beats Glitter getting covered in cupcake frosting on Wednesday, and clam chowder on Thursday. (In her words, it looked like her face was covered in bird poop. She would not let me get a picture.)

More Nutcracker

We got to see our second version of The Nutcracker today. This one was the Houston Ballet version. We went to the school performance. Seats that would normally be over seventy dollars were only $20. We were originally in the center orchestra section, but there was a mistake in the seating chart and we got upgraded to box seats!!!

Here are the girls in their Christmas dresses. The dresses came with red bows in front that the girls didn't like, so this morning we clipped the bows off and turned them into hair bows.

Here are the entries Sparkle and Glitter put in their log books.