This Week

This week we are trying to just keep our head above the water line. I'm not kidding! Monday was the only day we were able to get any book work done. Here is how the rest of the week is playing out:
Tuesday - Choir, art, and three hour Willy Wonka practice. Late afternoon included preparation for this months food pantry distribution.
Wednesday - Food pantry from 10 - 1, then Willy Wonka practice from 3 - 5, then Christmas play practice at church 7 - 8.
Thursday - Choir, art, and Willy Wonka practice. Willy Wonka performance tonight.
Friday - Willy Wonkay afternoon performance.
Saturday - Christmas play practice 10 - 12, dinner at a friends in the afternoon.
Sunday - Church, then final Willy Wonka performance in the afternoon.

Did you get all that. I will put posts for each of these a little later.
Ah, the Christmas Season.

Christmas Decorations

Of course this first picture is not a decoration. This weekend Grace and Scott went to the local Christmas parade. Grace thought it was great.The rest of these pics are ones Grace has been after me to post to show everyone our decorations.

Church Happenings This Weekend

Each year at the beginning of the Christmas Season our church has a Hanging of the Greens Service. While singing Away in a Manger each child gets to bring up a piece of the nativity and set it in place. This is a picture of Grace - this year she had Joseph.

We also decorate the tree while singing Christmas hymns with crismons. The banners are new for our church this year also. This was the best turnout we have ever had for this service. About 100. After the short service we all went down to the fellowship hall for refreshments.

On Friday night our women's ministry had an "Ornamental Evening". We brough ornaments to decorate the tree with and at the end of the evening through a game each one of us took an ornament home. Our youth provided daycare and play music as we ate goodies.

These two lovely girls are in my middle school Wednesday night class.

Each table was decorated by a hostess and that is who took care of you for the evening. Many sweets. So each table was decorated according to the taste of your hostess. The bottom picture was our table. A very lovely evening, spending time with sisters in Christ.

Crazy Busy Day!

It was such a long day. Started off with chorus and handicrafts. Made cupcakes with roses on top. After lunch was a three hour long practice for Willy Wonka. Did I mention we perform next week. Yikes!!!!!!! Lots of work still to do. Had to go to Wally World after practice and picked up needed supplies (chips, sweets, bread, dog food). Really not needed just wanted. Except for the dogs, they would probably put the dog food in the needed column. Anywho, after Wal-mart went to McDonalds for dinner and over to my parents house. Needed to cut my dads hair. Back home then at 7:00. Did I mention we had been gone since 9:45 in the morning. Needless to say no school work got done today. Grace is reading right now but that is about it. But as any unschooler or relaxed homeschooler would tell you, she did have school today, just maybe not the 3 R's. Which I totally agree with. Now off to some much needed rest, but first I am going to crochet and read for awhile. Not at the same time of course.

What We've Been Doing

We have been schooling. All the regular stuff - Bible, History, Science, Writing, Reading, Spelling, Grammar, Drama, Art, Math, etc. But we have also added in some fun stuff for the Christmas season. I have three books planned for us to read - the first is one we are almost finished with - The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. I am really loving this book. Grace cannot stand it when Imogene takes the Lord's name in vain. It almost makes her not like the book.

Christmas ornaments.

Christmas cards.

These guys surprised me. All of the golden finches have been gone since like July or August, but low and behold, yesterday when I looked out on the deck we had about five of them. I just love the little finches, they add so much color to nature.

Giveaway

Barracudas Memory Box is giving away a years subscription to Family Fun Magazine. Get on over there and sign up. Since I have so much trouble with buttons here is her link www.barracudasmemorybox.blogspot.com.

Girls Day Out

Yesterday we decided to get out for awhile and go Christmas shopping. I only had to more people to buy for and got that accomplished. The closet mall to us is Mall of Georgia which is about an hour away from us. Our first stop was Olive Garden for lunch, grannys treat. We all really love their brick oven pizza. So we ordered three different pizzas which come with all you can eat salad plus some breadsticks. For those that don't know, on the far left is granny, then my niece, Grace, my sister, and me.

After lunch it was off to the mall. Granny decided to have Grace get an early Christmas present. Every girls dream (another build a bear). This year Grace decided on Holly the Moose. So very cute in her little elf outfit. Papa had also given her 15 dollars to spend. We all know how she is about hats. Well, she found two new hats at Claires for a total of $3.16, what a deal. The black and white hat she is wearing is one of the new ones. She also bought a new book and dinner from Burger King on the way back hom. She really stretched that 15 dollars. She has great grandparents that always look out for her and us too. It was a fab day and we all enjoyed each others company so much. I am now offically finished with all my Christmas shopping. Yeah!!!