25 Days of Christmas!

For the past month or so, I have been trying to decide what to do for the month of December with ALL of my kiddos......I've been going over several different Advent Calendars (there are some great ones out there), but nothing seemed quite right (for what I was wanting to do).  Well, then I remembered back to a post that Kimberlee wrote with a link here.  Robyn spent her 38th birthday doing 38 random acts of kindness for people.....how great is that!!!  I was inspired to do 25 random (or not so random) acts of kindness for the 25 days of Christmas and I wanted to do them with my kiddos (all 10 of them!)  I am so excited.....some are very simple things and some will take some planning.  We have a pretty good list of 25, but I would definitely take some more ideas if you got 'em.....may do more than 1 a day. 

This first one we did early, since it needed to be in the mail before the 1st.  We made cards for our soldiers that are away from their families for Christmas.  The children were very excited about this.

I just let them pick construction paper to make a simple card and we found some Christmas clip art to print, cut out, and glue onto our cards.  Then the children colored them and drew pictures on the inside.  Then I helped them write their name and a little message as well.  I was told that if we gave them our address or email, they would respond back to us.....I think the kids will get a kick out of that.  Can't wait to see if we hear back from the soldiers.  I wrote a letter as well thanking them for their service and dedication to our country.  I also explained who we were and why we were sending them cards.  Such a simple thing to do, but yet it probably means a lot to them knowing that people care enough about what they are doing to send them a special card or letter for Christmas.....or any time for that matter. 
 
I explained to the children that these men and women don't get to be with their families for Christmas and asked how that made them feel......they all thought it would be really sad if they didn't get to spend Christmas with their families. :(

 1 down, 24 more to go......I will try and post what we are doing as we go along.  Saturdays and Sundays acts of kindness will be done with my 3 children.

I saw this quote and wanted to share.....so true!

Never get

tired of doing

little things

for others

sometimes

those little

things occupy

the biggest part

of their hearts!

Tracy

Kazoos

This week is kind of a transition week between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so to tie in with Christmas, we are making instruments so that we may Praise Jesus with music!!!  Today we learned some new songs and made some fun kazoos.....may not be fun when they get home, though!  Sorry parents!     

Materials you will need:
Toilet paper tubes
Construction paper (cut to the size of the tube)
Wax paper
Rubber bands
Markers or crayons

I had the children decorate their paper before attaching it to the toilet paper roll (much easier for them).  We just used markers.....you could use stickers as well.

When they are all done, attach to the outside of the toilet paper roll with tape or a stapler.  Then put a piece of wax paper over one end and secure with a rubber band.  Then let the children poke holes in the wax paper with a pin.

When they are all finished.....tell them to hum into their kazoo....for some it takes a little practice, they usually want to blow.

D wasn't too thrilled about humming into it while I took her picture!  The rest happily obliged and continued to play "beautiful" music to praise Jesus!

 

Tomorrow I will be sharing with you something the children and I have been planning......I can hardly stand it, I am so excited to share our plans with you for the 25 days of Christmas!

Tracy

Handprint Turkey

I love to do handprint turkeys for Thanksgiving......it's fun to look back each year at my child's growth and the changes in their hand.  We did these a little different.....typically I paint the child's hand......the palm brown and then paint their fingers different colors for the feathers.

Materials you will need:
Orange paint (or red and yellow like we did)
Pumpkin pie spice
Butcher paper
Construction paper (any color, we did orange)
White paper
Markers

We started off by squeezing red and yellow paint onto the butcher paper.  Then I told the children to finger paint.....mix the colors to see what color they make (they of course already knew it was orange).  Then I sprinkled pumpkin pie spice on the paint for them to mix in as well. 

When they were all done (some painted longer than others) I had them press their painted hand on a piece of paper.  When dry, cut around their handprint, attach to construction paper, and have the children use markers to put the eye, beak and gobbler on their turkey.  Then you can attach a poem to the bottom......here are a couple I have used before.

This isn't just a turkey as you can plainly see.

I made it with my hand which is a part of me.

It comes with lots of love especially to say,

I hope you have a very, Happy Thanksgiving Day!

You might think this is a turkey

running over all the land,

but really it’s just paint

that was stuck on my hand!

I think they turned out pretty cute and they smell really good too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tracy

Thanksgiving Feast

I love to have special days with my kiddos, and today was no different.  We had a thanksgiving feast for lunch today.....our menu consisted of turkey (my wonderful hubby smoked the turkey for us and it was DELICIOUS), potatoes, corn, pineapple, rolls, and pumpkin pie!  The kids helped make the pie......our last pumpkin recipe.....at least for awhile!  This is my grandma's recipe and is the best pumpkin pie I have ever had!!!  It's these holidays that I miss her so much and miss those times in the kitchen helping her get ready for all the family to come home and gather together.  :(  I am just really thankful for the time I got to spend with her and that she was around long enough to know all 3 of my children. 

Anyway, the kids were so excited today.....they kept asking when the pie was going to be ready and how soon lunch was and then over and over until the pie was done and then is it lunch time yet, what are you making, can we help????  I love it that I can be in the kitchen and they can play or watch or help, depending on the child or their mood.  I love these kiddos so much and am so thankful that they are apart of my family's life and that I am apart of their life......they make life interesting and make it worth getting up each day to take care of them while their parents work.  I am also so thankful for their parents that they trust me to take care of their precious children each day.....thank you!!!

Ok, now on to our day!

We started out with them helping me make the pie.....I made the crust and they helped with the rest.

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 large eggs (or 3 small eggs)

(Yes, Reese is still in her jammies!)

1 can pumpkin (my grandma ALWAYS used Libby's)

  1 can 12 oz. evaporated milk

(So is Cooper)

Mix well. Put in pie shell and bake at 425 for 10 minutes.  Reduce to 350 and bake till knife comes out clean (45-50 minutes)

Let cool and serve with cool whip!

Our Feast!

 The Crew.....minus 1.....B was sick today :(

Maddox trying to use a fork, but usually puts it in one hand and uses the other hand to shovel it in! 

 I thought maybe the kids would wait and have their pie for snack, but they insisted on having it now.....how could I say no, they had waited sooo long!

I think D just ate the cool whip!

Did you see the placemats we made the other day??

Maddox really enjoyed the pumpkin pie as well!!!

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!  I get a 4-day weekend....hopefully going to get lots of Christmas shopping done.....yes I am one of those crazy shoppers that goes on Black Friday.....it's a tradition and look forward to spending the day with my mom shopping!

Tracy

Paper Plate Pumpkin Pie

Tomorrow I will have ALL of my kiddos here.....there is no school, so we will be making pumpkin pie and having a feast for lunch.  So, today we made our own individual pumpkin pies.

Matrials you will need:
Paper plates
Orangish, brownish paint
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Cotton Balls

First cut the paper plate into fourths.....cut in half and then cut the halves in half.

Then mix up some pumpkin pie looking paint and add some pumpkin pie spice and let the kids paint their pie.

Then top with a cotton ball for the whipped topping!

Very simple and they smell really good!

Tracy

Pumpkin Cake Roll

This recipe is probably one of my favorite pumpkin recipes besides pumpkin pie.  I could literally eat the entire thing it is that good.....I mean pumpkin wrapped around cream cheese filling.....yummmy!!!  Oh, yeah the kids really enjoyed it too!!!

This recipe is very similar to the recipe on the back of the wrapper of canned Libby's pumpkin.....this is the recipe I have always used.  But, keeping with the rest of my recipes I got it out of the Pumpkin Patch Treasury. 

I am honestly surprised that the kids aren't tired of pumpkin yet, but every Thursday they ask what we are going to make.....have I told you lately how much I love these kiddos, well I do.....lots!!!  And they are so good about taking turns and counting how many scoops we need of something.

 

They all wanted a chance to stir.....such good helpers!

I sprayed my jelly roll pan and then layed wax paper down and then greased and floured it....works much better to get it out of the pan.

Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Heavily sprinkle tea towel with powdered sugar.

Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel (after you have baked it of course).  Carefully peel off paper.  Roll up cake and towel together.  Cool on wire rack. 

Spread cream cheese mixture over cake.

Reroll cake, wrap in plastic wrap and refigerate at least one hour.

And this is what they were all begging to do.....lick the beaters!  Each one got a section of the beater.....they need to make a mixer with about 6 beaters so everyone has their own! 

Slice and serve.  Doesn't it look purdy!

Pumpkin Cake Roll
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Sprinkle of salt
3 whole eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (we left these out)
Powdered sugar

Sift together first 6 ingredients and set aside.  Beat eggs 5 minutes with electric mixer until very thick.  Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar.  Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.  Fold dry ingredients into pumpkin mix.  Spread in greased and floured 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.  Sprinkle top with chopped nuts or nuts may be added to filling.  Bake 15 minutes at 375 degrees.  Loosen edge and turn out on a towel heavily sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Starting at narrow end, roll towel and cake together.  While cake is cooling, mix filling.

Filling:
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
4 T butter
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat above ingredients together.  When cooled, unroll cake, remove towel and spread filling.  Reroll.  Wrap in foil and chill before slicing.  Can also be frozen.

Tracy