Jumbled Up VI

A little catching up on our lives in the past week, a few photos and videos, a little over-sharing of my inner monologue, and you've got this week's edition of Jumbled Up.

* We set up the tree last week!

On the first night, we only managed to get the tree up and the lights working.  We had a handful of homemade ornaments that the girls hung up.  They were so inspired by the magic of it all that they put on princess dresses and danced around holding ornaments up:

 

Sorry for the grainy-ness and bad lighting... aaaaaand computer wouldn't let me fix the red eyes.  Darn.  You capture the moments when you can, right?

A few nights later we finally found our box of ornaments, after much searching.  M and I are definitely Forgetful Jones these days.  It was hiding in the attic.  Go figure.

 

Such an exciting, magical time.  I remember how special it was for me as a kid and it's always lovely to share it with the girls.

* Lately whenever the girls have a spill they have been making "Caution: Wet Floor" signs.  I wish I had a picture of N's last one after she sloshed some water out of the bathroom sink, because it was quite the masterpiece.  A very elaborate drawing and several warnings written on different parts of the sign.  L made one the other day, after spilling a glass of water in the living room, that was a bit more simple:

*We have become a bit obsessed with the Nutcracker.  It sort of started last year when M took the girls to the Boston Ballet, and it continued with repeated viewings of The Nutcracker starring Macaulay Culkin, which I have on VHS from back in like 1994.  Then as I mentioned on Sunday we went to see a friend dance in a local production, and ever since then we have had repeated at-home performances of various scenes from the ballet.

(Above you can see the dolls dancing while the Sugar Plum Fairy watches from the couch, and then puts the dolls back in their boxes... directed, of course, by the particularly bossy doll in the black leotard.)

I decided to take the obsession and run with it-- incorporating Nutcracker theme into homeschool as much as possible this week.  This helpful post came at just the right time!

We made Nutcracker books with our own illustrations yesterday.  N read us the story, and then we listened to the music from each scene as the girls drew:

N's version is above... I love Clara screaming about her broken Nutcracker in the bottom right.

I get the biggest kick out of L's drawings.  Her rendition of Drosselmeyer above (in a black cape, holding scribbled red Nutcracker) is just the cutest.

...and I love the tutu on the Sugar Plum Fairy!

I also printed out and laminated some instrument family cards from Every Star is Different, since we've been talking about instrument families as part of music class.  Tchaikovsky provided us with plenty of instrument identification opportunities as we listened!  Where else can you encounter a clarinet and celesta duet (Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy) followed by a woodwind chorale, a harp cadenza, and a french horn chorale (Waltz of the Flowers), all as part of the same larger work?

Later on in the day while the younger girls were napping, N and I made ballerina snowflake dolls, and learned a lot about symmetry!

N decorated hers to look like one of the snowflakes from the Nutcracker.

They make great tree decorations too!

I also printed out some handwriting sheets for N to do today.

Please don't think that I'm an awesome homeschooling Mom... I still feel like I don't know what I'm doing half the time, and I am learning by trial and error what the kids will find fun and/or challenging.  I hardly ever manage to get our lessons planned ahead of time or print out cool printables.  But thank goodness for motivational blog posts aplenty in the land of the internet, and trips to the Staples print shop at the last minute with three girls in tow.  The Christmas season certainly calls for a little inspired learning, don't you think??

*So I have been really peckish lately, and many times during the day I feel like I'm eating just to keep myself awake.  Anybody else feel that way?  Is it just the weather or the constant darkness this time of year?  Did I get used to overindulgence over the Thanksgiving holiday?  Is my inner cavewoman trying to store up fat to prepare for the winter?  Add to that the fact that it is really hard to squeeze in exercise and outdoor time given the shortness of the days, and the bitter coldness around these parts.  We've had some 18 degree mornings lately-- if it's below 30 degrees, especially if it's also dark, I usually opt for the treadmill.

Since treadmill running is about as fun and motivational as a root canal, that brings me to my next question, that I asked in a previous Jumbled Up post at one point.  Recommendations for treadmill show viewing?  Anyone?  Downton doesn't start until January, and Call the Midwife not until March I think.  Parenthood is over for a while, and Vikings is off until next summer I think... so... I got nothing.  I got a recommendation for Parks and Recreation last time, so I'm going to try that one.  Any others?  Movies, too, if you got 'em.

*L had her un-birthday celebration at school last week.  She made her birthday treat (blueberry muffins) totally by herself... I only put them in the oven for her.  I was super glad that, thanks to my friend Allison who took N to her homeschool program that day, I was able to attend circle time and hear all of L's classmates sing her the birthday song.  She was beside herself.

C joined right in for circle time, and sang all the songs and finger plays from memory, just like she was a part of the class.

She doesn't miss a thing, that one.

Okay.  That is all.  I hope all of you New Englanders are surviving the storm today!  We are warm and cozy and our backs are thankful that it was all rain and no snow.