Happienss Project : Daddy sews a new dress

It makes me so happy to see my husband hand sewing a new dress for Jetta's new doll.

This Moment: Santa's little helper

This is a special moment from the past week that I want to stop, savor and enjoy. If you want to see other moments being shared this morning, go over to SouleMama.

This Moment: Helping Hands

 This is a special moment from the past week that I want to stop, savor and enjoy. If you want to see other moments being shared this morning, go over to SouleMama.

The Nutcracker Comes Alive

Every year we go to see the Nutcracker Ballet. The kids get so excited about it. They love to dance the story of the Nutcracker around the house enacting all the different characters. The morning that we went to see the ballet performed by Ballet Theatre of Maryland, they danced around the kitchen listening to the music. Pilot loves to be the Nutcracker, the mice and the Godfather while Jetta loves to be Clara and the wind up doll. I have to say, I really do like their version of the ballet.

They brought their nutcrackers to the show and let the kids behind them hold them and play with them until the show started.

The show was wonderful! My two little dancers loved it. I love the joy that live theatre brings to our lives.

Creative Advent Calendars

Happiness Project : Week 11

It makes me so happy to see my kids wake up each morning and run to their very own handmade advent calendars and open their box to see what they will find. This year the kids made their own creative advent calendars.

They drew 25 boxes on a piece of paper and then traced them onto another paper. On the first paper they drew a Christmas picture of their choice on top of all the boxes. Then they put numbers on each box. I did Pilot's numbers.

On the second paper they drew little pictures in each box.

Jetta put elves and starts and happy faces in her boxes while Pilot put presents and people in his.

I took an exact o knife and cut three sides of each box on the first paper and then we taped the papers together.

Each morning the kids open one box and count the days until Christmas.

Paper Snowflake Madness

St. Nicolas came last week and brought lots of shinny, colorful origami paper and some chocolate covered raisins. The raisins were gone in minutes and then we all sat down at the art table and made snowflakes with the paper. Although John doesn't usually do many of the craft projects with us, when he does he get really into it. And he is so good at it. This was such a fun way to spend a morning together. Folding each piece of paper and cutting little shapes in it, then opening it up and revealing this beautiful work of art. Even my three year old made some beautiful ones and none left the table until every sheet of paper had been used. That took about 2 hours. Wow, we had a full day and it was only 8:30am.

After we had finished we decided that we were all hungry and made some breakfast before hanging them up in the windows.

John and Jetta worked on a huge snowflake made by using a bunch of snowflakes and twisting them together to form one large one. You can see how to do it yourself here. John added the two sided effect by gluing two pieces of paper together first.

We hung it on the door and we love it so much that we have decided that we will make one every year to hang on our door.

This Moment: Cracking Coconuts Together

This moment from the past week is a special one that I want to stop, savor and enjoy. If you want to see other moments being shared this morning, go over to SouleMama.

Happiness Project: Week 10

Trimming the tree with family is something I look forward to each year. I love unveiling each ornament and finding a special place for it on the tree. Whether is it an ornament I made myself in preschool out of dough or  it is a handmade wooden ornament I got at the Christmas market in Germany, each ornament has a memory from my past attached to it and a story to go along with it that is shared again each year. As each year passes we make or get new ornaments and create new memories that I know will be added to the rest and retold year after year.


My little drummer boy (Pilot found a tin in one of the boxes and created a little drum)

I just love this time of year.

This Moment: Hammock time

I know this picture is a little blurry, but this is a special moment from the past week that I want to stop, savor and enjoy. If you want to see other moments being shared this morning, go over to SouleMama.

In Memory of Luna

Our sweet little cat Luna passed away this morning. She will be missed.

In My Kitchen This Week

:: Pumpkin Bread

:: Sprouted and fermented Quinoa/Nut Granola

:: Soaked Oatmeal

:: Spinach fritata muffins

:: Cultured Red Cabbage

:: Cultured Green Cabbage

:: Apple Pie