Lisa's Logbook - December 26

Outside: Snowy and overcast.

Sounds: James sneezing, Em and Suzy chatting

Home: hoping I can stand another week with the tree up.

Projects: Christmas cards (yeah, I know, I know!). and figuring out my new MP3 player

Pondering: how to re-do the chore chart; I usually make a new one each January.

Teaching: Xmas break!

Gratitude: Thankful that I was able to work extra hours to spoil my family for Christmas this year.

Recipes: Waffles with real maple syrup and bacon!

Duds: Black yoga pants, grey long-sleeved tee, socks, slippers.

Reads: Reading Sala's Gift (I set it aside for a week or so) by Ann Kirschner and Beguiled by Deeanne Gist. Listening to The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe.

Vids:
The Family Stone - a 3 kleenex movie, it's now a Christmas fav!
The Missing Lynx - a stinker of a kids' movie (but they picked it)
It's a Meaningful Life (Veggie Tales) - kind of a mashup of It's a Wonderful Life, Polar Express, and A Christmas Carol. Not so memorable really; we probably won't watch again
It's a Wonderful Life - I think I love every minute of this movie. The kids say they want it remade in color with new actors. They just don't get it!
Knight and Day - pretty good!
About a Boy - watched part of it on Netflix instant but ran out of time

Hopes: to locate a copy of the 1982 Tron movie that I don't have to pay an arm and a leg for!

Love: doing the logbook, but next week I'll change it up for 2011!!

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, Pride & Prejudice movie day, David's birthday (taking him and some friends to see Tron), thrift store sale on New Year's Day. Not sure what we're doing for New Year's Eve yet.

Pic: Love this pic of my kids on Christmas Eve!

Christmas Music - 10 Favs and 3 Stinkers

I've been listening to a lot of Christmas music lately, as maybe you have too. So, I came up with a list of 10 favorite songs. Next week (or tonight) the list could be different, but this is how it stands on Christmas Eve afternoon 2010. Some I just like the song itself and some I like a particular rendition. If I had a lot more time right now, I'd give you the music for all these, but you get the idea, right?

So, in no particular order:

1. Silver Bells

2. O Holy Night (any EXCEPT the travesty by Mariah Carey)

3. Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24 by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

4. Wizards in Winter by Trans-Siberian Orchestra

5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

6. Gloria by Michael W. Smith

7. Carol of the Bells (Straight No Chaser has a good version.)

8. anything at all by Johnny Mathis (nostalgia....)

9. Mary Did You Know (not sure which is my favorite, but I downloaded Kutless's version today)

10. Emmanuel by Amy Grant

And here are a few songs that make me change the radio station.

1. Christmas Shoes (Like the dying mom really wants SHOES???)

2. Little Drummer Boy (so repetitious.....so repetitious)

3. Simply Having a Boring Christmastime (Oh, that's not the title???)

No Words

OK, I'll admit it. I haven't written 1000 words a day at all this week. Or most of last week. Too busy with Christmas stuff and working.

Lisa's Logbook - December 19

Outside: Dark, cold. Winter.

Sounds: Movie on TV, chuckling from the kids, and the text message alert periodically

Home: Tree up and presents mostly wrapped.

Projects: Christmas cards and cookies

Pondering: some healthy eating changes

Teaching: Xmas break!

Gratitude: A very satisfying family Christmas celebration

Recipes: Penuche, fudge and cookies - sugar overload!

Duds: PJ's, robe, and woolen socks

Reads: Reading Sala's Gift by Ann Kirschner and Juliet by Anne Fortier. Listening to The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe tomorrow.

Vids:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - Was disappointingly not very much like the book. Unlike some have said, I don't think it quite captured "the spirit" of the Narnia books. But it was entertaining. And quite scary and violent too.
Castle (Season 2) - 3 episodes while wrapping presents
How to Train Your Dragon - watching now (Gerard! Butler! With an ACCENT!)

Hopes: Suzy to have a wonderful time with her grandparents, aunt, and cousin

Love: shopping online!

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, making cookies, visiting a friend or two, going to look at Christmas lights, wrapping presents, Christmas Eve service?

Pic: My siblings and me (in the red)

Lisa's Logbook - December 12

Outside: Very cold and very snowy.

Sounds: Furnace kicking on

Home: Put the Christmas tree and decorations up today, Also went through all of Suzy's clothes and most of Emily's.

Projects: Wrapping gifts, addressing Christmas cards, baking holiday goodies, and some last minute shopping

Pondering: the ways I am an enabler and how to stop it

Teaching: lots of reading aloud and Christmas preparations

Gratitude: that I stepped out of my comfort zone and it turned into a good thing

Recipes: Roasted a turkey and then made the carcass into SOUP

Duds: PJ's, robe, slippers, and woolen socks

Reads: Started Sala's Gift and have as a book by Deanne Gist waiting to be started. Going to start listening to The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe tomorrow.

Vids:
Sorcerer's Apprentice - liked it very much; helps that I enjoy Nic Cage
Date Night - I saw this in the theater and it was pretty funny so I watched it again on DVD
Charlie St. Cloud - I'll admit to putting this in my Q because it stars Zac Efron. Yeah, yeah, I know. But it was actually very enjoyable and I would have liked it even without Zac. And there's no basketball, no dancing, and no singing! LOL
Disney's A Christmas Carol - I avoided this last year thinking: 1) why do we need ANOTHER version of A Christmas Carol and 2) Jim Carrey? Really? But we read the book for book club and voted on seeing this version. And surprisingly it was REALLY very good. Do yourself a favor and watch it. I was pleasantly surprised.
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse - Even though this came to theaters in June (I think), I hadn't seen it until now. As far as a representation of the book, I think it was pretty good. My conflicting feelings about the Twilight Saga itself remain the same.

Hopes: my friend's foot surgery goes smoothly and her recovery is fast and effective

Love: my husband!

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, Gymnastics, Leadership dinner, maybe a movie or time with a friend, Christmas party, and then Family Christmas in GR

Pic:

1002 words in 30 minutes

1001 words in 33 minutes

Christmas School Day 1

Day 1 of Christmas School:

Sadly the day had to begin with a long lecture from mom on doing what you're told.
Read aloud a chapter from The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
Read aloud a chapter from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
Each child did their regular math work (50 min for the older 3, 30 min for Suzy)
Each child did their regular reading (Emily finishing Pride and Prejudice, David began Mansfield Park, James is reading the Phantom Tollbooth and Suzy worked on Explode the Code phonics online)
Suzy and David put lunch on (sandwiches) and James and Emily cleaned it up.

After lunch, I pulled out some old Christmas cards and the kids worked on making THESE ornaments while listening to Kenny G holiday music. The ornaments turned out to be too hard for everyone except David, whose ornament turned out very nicely. He also finished Emily's. We used the glue gun instead of tacky glue. The little kids had trouble getting their circles a uniform size. If I had helped, I'm sure they could have managed though. (I was working while they attempted this project.)

We also discussed some gift ideas throughout the day. And I roasted a turkey.

Attitudes were bad all around today. Hopefully tomorrow will bring out the Christmas cheer!

Lisa's Logbook - December 5

Outside: Dark and only in the 20's - BRRRRRR!

Sounds: Utter silence except the clock ticking and my typing

Home: trying to figure out where to set up the Christmas tree

Projects: Decorating for Christmas, baking for Christmas, making and buying gifts, oh - and writing 1000 words a day

Pondering: why people back out of things (is that vague enough? lol)

Teaching: Finishing up reading aloud The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind and also Voyage of the Dawn Treader, so we can go see the film over Family Christmas weekend

Gratitude: Spent a really nice day shopping with Suzy today - even though our ballet tickets were not honored, we had a lovely time together.

Recipes: FUDGE! Going to make FUDGE!

Duds: jammies, robe, slippers, fuzzy pink socks

Reads: finished everything I was reading and haven't picked up something new yet. I have Sala's Gift as well as a book by Deanne Gist waiting to be started.

Vids: Elf, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, an episode of Clean House (Netflix instant) as well as a ton of movie trailers on Zune (Xbox Live), and I think there was something else, but I can't recall now. Oh yeah, Van Helsing! (very Christmas-y, LOL)

Hopes: this week is fairly clear so I hope I can get a lot accomplished off my "to-do" list rather than my "run-around" list, if you can catch the difference

Love: sleeping in on Sundays (yeah, this is probably a BIG part of why we haven't found a new church - lol. Yes, I know, we're lazy! So, sue us!)

Plans: Working 5 hours M-F, a couple of meetings (both on the same night at the same time?!), ordering stuff online, a gingerbread house party, babysitting fundraisers?, BOOK CLUB!

Pic: I think this may be one of the best photos ever taken of Emily. The others aren't bad either. And did I order the pix? No, I did not. But I will.