CHRISTEPHI

A new year is nearly upon us!  And with the new year there will be some changes at our house in the way that we are homeschooling.  Up to now, Miss M has been steadily working through Calvert's First Grade.  She started in August 2011 when she was only four and will be finishing up the math in January and the rest in February 2013.  We took some long breaks in there, but now that she's a smart-as-a-whip 6-year-old, much of the material is too easy for her.  The child is a naturally excellent reader and speller.  I love, love, love Calvert and have fond memories of it from when I myself was a homeschool student, but I'm not convinced that it is the right curriculum for our family or for Miss M's learning style.  So the first change for us will be to drop Calvert and take up My Father's World for 2nd grade.  Or...a 2nd/3rd grade combo to be exact so we'll be working at an appropriate level for Miss M. I really like the idea of a curriculum that incorporates

Miss M adorned our nativity play set with a "palm tree." Merry Christmas everybody! December Photo Project

One final gift, made entirely by hand. This adorable polar bear will get lots of cuddles and kisses on Christmas Morn! December Photo Project

Olives on fingers is a Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition! Is it at your house too? December Photo Project

Hubby and Little Guy after ditching their Santa hats at our annual Christmastime breakfast at IHOP. Miss M and I followed protocol and kept our hats on! December Photo Project

Our lovely tree, haphazardly decorated by Hubby and the kids. December Photo Project

Snow day! And by a happy coincidence, Hubby has the day off! So he got to play in the snow with the rest of us. December Photo Project

When you have a young daughter, My Little Ponies are just a part of life. She arranged these today according to family after "having an orphanage" and making them "all get adopted into families." This family is actually made up of ponies from my own childhood. December Photo Project

Today's high, 58. Tomorrow's forecast: 3 to 5 inches of snow! We decided to take advantage of the nice weather with a little jaunt in the park. Of course, I forgot to grab my camera, so this one was taken with my phone. December Photo Project

A few indispensable tools of the sewing trade! The scissors are ones my grandma gave me for my 10th birthday. December Photo Project

I've been sewing like a fiend!  I made two patchwork peasant dresses with another one cut out and waiting. I made an underdress and overdress outfit for Miss M to wear in my dad's wedding.  I made Little Guy a vest and tie to wear in the wedding.  And I made this  massive   queen-sized t-shirt quilt! Mind you, I'm no quilter, so I probably did 101 things you're not supposed to do, but all in all I'm quite pleased with how it turned out!  I was given 30 shirts and used all of them (most had images on both the front and the back, a total of over 50 squares each measuring 15.5 inches).  I stabilized all the knits with ultra lightweight interfacing (a Black Friday doorbuster item at JoAnn) and backed the entire thing with a pretty purple geometric-print flannel (also from JoAnn on Black Friday).  I didn't get a photo of the back (lucky to even get this shot!), but there's also one row of t-shirts on the back.  The couple I made it for is giving it to their d

This cheery Christmas chickadee is joyfully gracing my living room. It makes me happy every time I see it! December Photo Project

No photo from yesterday. Today I'm keeping these sweethearts a little closer than usual and praying with a broken heart for the families and community in Connecticut that lost too many of their beautiful children. December Photo Project

My very tired boy was pouting in his sleep. I wonder what he was dreaming about! December Photo Project

It's 12.12.12 and my dad got married today! This is my daughter carrying the bride's bouquet. December Photo Project

Hubby has been practicing his soprano sax in preparation for my dad's wedding tomorrow, 12/12/12. December Photo Project

This cheery fellow and his 7 pals will be much happier were there a dusting or so of snow this Christmas!  Until then, they're content to grace our lawn and warm our hearts! December Photo Project

Dried tendrils of some sort of creeper vine. It has small white flowers in midsummer with a very strong fragrance. Some day I'll positively identify it! December Photo Project

This sycamore seed pod hangs on a towering 100-foot high American Sycamore tree atop a large hill overlooking a county courthouse in a small Missouri town. December Photo Project

This is a queen-sized t-shirt quilt I'm working on for a client to give her daughter for Christmas. Machine quilting a queen-sized quilt on a regular sewing machine takes some wrestling! December Photo Project

My grandma, June, made this wooden nativity set years ago when I was still a kid. It's a favorite part of our yearly celebration of Christmas! Grandma June is still very much alive and crafting! December Photo Project

My little scholar dressed in her finest and doing her schoolwork smack dab in the middle of Mama & Daddy's bed. December Photo Project

My six-year-old has a very clearly self-defined sense of fashion. She requested a photo shoot. December Photo Project

This wildgrass seed pod measures about 3/4 of an inch across. December Photo Project

Playing the board game Sorry. December Photo Project

Lolo is the Filipino word for grandfather. December Photo Project