Public school is the only thing holding me together.

Christmas break was fun for the first few days.  But I am now fervently praying that I will make it until January 4th.

I decided to make one thing for each member of my family this Christmas.  First up, the small.  For the small, I made a play makeup kit. 

I can link you to the tutorial where I found the idea, but basically, you just clear out some old make up containers, then dump LOADS of nail polish in them and wait.  And, if you don't die from the fumes, in about a week, they'll be nice and solid and not stinky anymore.  Add a free makeup bag that Target sent, and a dollar store brush set and you are in BUSINESS!

And oh how the small adored!!!

 




That one might have been the most satisfying.  She is SO happy with it.  It cost me $1 to make (that was buying the brushes), and otherwise it was free, environmentally friendly, crafty, creative, just lovely.   Fun to make and I anticipate hours of fun for her. 

For the Code... anyone who has hung out with the Code recently knows that he is currently nurturing a grand Ghostbuster obsession.  He watches an episode of The Real Ghostbusters (the cartoon) on YouTube pretty much every day.  He loves it.  But, given that Ghostbusters went out of style sometime during the 80's, there isn't much Ghostbuster paraphenalia to be found.  And the 3 people that DO have some are charging $90 for them on Ebay.  No go.  But it is the perfect thing for a gutsy Mama to attempt...

1 cannibalized vacuum, 5 bucks at the thrift store and a few pages of printed Ghostbuster labels later, here's what I came up with:








It doesn't matter that it isn't all the way authentic.  It's Ghostbuster equipment, he can run around the house with his pack and his vacuum hose, and slay ghosts to his heart's content.  Happiness.

Nathan was hard to think of what I could make for him.  But recently, he's been wishing that he had a small stuffed animal that could fit in his pocket.  I'm pretty sure he's going for a Calvin and Hobbes thing... anyway, I thought, hey!  A small stuffed animal?  I could do that.  I settled on a soctopus.  Or in this case?  An octo-ninja.  It was unintentional, but once I started doing it, I realized that the argyle looked like a ninja mask, plus I thought that might encourage Nathan to like it better.  I didn't follow any tutorial for this (I know, you're shocked because the quality of the final product is so very very fine).  I just took an old sock of mine with dudely colors, sewed across the top, so the toe part would be on the inside, sewed eyes on, stuffed it with some scrap fabric, then tied the head together, cut 8 legs and then sewed them together. 




Let's not dwell on the poor bedraggled little guy too long.  He looks very... homemade.  :)  No pictures of Nater in action with it because he's too sick to force to pose for photos.

Now for the Ry, I made something of sentimental value.  So while it may not knock your socks off, I really kinda like how it turned out.

2 seconds ago when I typed that title, I meant "sick" in only one way-in the throwing up not feeling good, waking up at 3 and not sleeping for the rest of the night, throwing up again Nathan coming in, him throwing up a few times, then Leah coming in SUPER early because somehow she hurt herself, etc, etc, etc Christmas.  But then in the two seconds it took me to click down to type the post, I realized that actually, we had a "sick" Christmas in the other way, too.  For those of you who may not be so super hip (probably none of MY actual readership, but you never know), "sick" also means "cool."  So, even though as the kids ran out to see their Santa gifts, I ran to the kitchen sink to hurl, and proceeded to do so all throughout the major excitement of Santa stuff, it still was a good Christmas.  (Ok, missing the Santa thing really stunk.  Let's just say that.)  (Also, missing out on eating the Christmas breakfast that I slaved over yesterday also really stunk.)  Ok.  Now we've got the truth out, let us proceed.

These red boots are the defining item in Leah's closet at the moment.  She wears them pretty much every day, whether they match what else she's wearing or not.  And I guess they really do make an outfit.  And I don't mean, like, they "complete" an outfit, I mean they make an outfit, as in, just them, alone = an outfit.  At least, in Leah's world, they do.

Speaking of that morning snuggle, this morning when we were snuggling, I started telling him about the day he was born.  I told him how my heart felt so happy as soon as I held him and how much I loved him.  I told him that I knew, on the first day that he was born, that we would be best friends.  He was beaming throughout my story, and when I finished, he said with shining eyes, "That makes me want to cry!"  Ok, that is darling.

Happy Birthday, sweetest Cody.  You bring so much joy and happiness into our house.  I can't imagine this place without you.

So Nathan is on the "Christmas Team."  He's "crossed the wall."  He's... eaten of the Tree of Knowledge if you will.  And he's a good team member, constantly reinforcing the beliefs of the other team, if you know what I mean.  Anyway, so, imagine Cody's delight, when upon going to get the mail with Nathan, he found a letter addressed to him!  Guess what... it was from Santa!  Instead of describing it, allow me to just scan it in for you...

Let me also transcribe it for you, but I will leave it's original spelling.  For funsies. 

Dear Cody, Merry Christmas!  I will try to get everything on your list, but I would like you to be a bit more kinder to mabe your big brother for instance.  Be good

Sined,

Santa. C


Wow.  That's... just... wow.

I went to Cody's school to help with his Christmas party.  We made gingerbread houses together...

we were surprised when Santa walked in the door...




So Cody told him what he wanted




and laughed when Teacher Genia sat on Santa's lap, too.



And here's Cody's only boy pal in the whole class.  Class of 8 kids, only two boys.  These two fellas gotta stick together. 



And, for your Christmas merriment and enjoyment, here are a few of the songs they sang in their little Christmas program.






Untitled from Bethany Weed on Vimeo.



And this next song has a story.  We went out as a family to look at Christmas lights this last Monday.  As we drove, we sang Christmas songs.  Everyone had a chance to choose their favorite.  Cody requested that we sing this song and was totally disgusted with us that we didn't know it.  Maybe you know more about Moroccan culture than we do...?


Untitled from Bethany Weed on Vimeo.

Oh you already know that that's what Moroccan children sing when they're excited for Christmas?  Yeah, yeah, I mean, me too...

And straight from Cody's party, we jetted over to Nathan's school to hear his Christmas singing performance.  We were in the back, though, so not very good photo or video opportunities...


He gave me one very confident wink when he saw that I was trying to take a picture, then he turned back to the matter at hand.  And do you realize that that kid is in the tall row?  Yep.  He's the tallest of the tall row.  The tree at the end of the tall row.  :)  Oh, and note the menorah on the side?  Yeah, well Nathan's choice for a Christmas song during our family night lights drive was something about the candles on the menorah... of course, this was right after the Moroccan Christmas song incident... I was like, "Uh, Nate?  That's not a Christmas song and we don't know that one either."  Our kids think we are uncultured idiots.  But don't any teachers teach regular Christmas songs anymore?  You know, Jingle Bells?  Jolly Old Saint Nicholas?  Anything?

Ok, so we got tubbed tonight a little earlier than usual, and since Ryan has 10 minutes between coming home from work and going to scouts, we did our scriptures and prayer earlier than usual, and then they just scampered off to bed!  Ha ha!  At 7:10, they were all in bed!  I told them they could have longer than usual quiet reading time, and now it's 7:24 and the house is     q    u    i    e    t.       Glorious, blissful quiet.  Just what I need on my SingleParentWednesday.  Single parent?  Why B!  I know your husband and he's a lovely man, very helpful around the house and with the kids, why would you say single parent??  Well friends, you are right to say that, he is lovely and helpful in all areas.  BUT.  He's gone before anyone wakes up on Wednesday, due to some extra meetings in the morning.  He has (at best) 10 minutes when he gets home from work to shovel some sort of dinner, change clothes and run back out the door to go to scouts on Wednesday.  Since Nathan now has cub scouts on Wednesday, plus Cody's school plus of course you know laundry day, well, Wednesday turns into a pretty busy single parent day.  So.  To have those smalls in bed and     q    u    i    e    t      by 7:10 is a blessed, gorgeous miracle.

So I take the time to write to you, dear reader.  :)  I thought you'd like to know that Cody got his cast off today!  Yay!  And he healed so well that we don't have to go in ever again!  I am certain that this is due to Cody's continual badgering of us not to forget his arm during our prayers.  He'd sit there with his eyes closed and emphatically point to his broken arm, silently reminding us not to forget to bless his arm and he was very disappointed with us if we did. 

Awwwwww, this kid, man.  He's the best.  He was a trooper throughout the whole broken arm ordeal.  About half an hour after getting it off, he goes, "Mama, I think it will be good to have my cast off because sometimes?  In the mornings?  I like to stretch both my arms and I haven't been able to stretch this one for a long time."  As though his morning stretch was the worst inconvenience of the whole thing.  Who knows.  Maybe it really was.  But this was the first I heard about it.  I never heard any other complaint.  Just a tried and true tough turbo trooper.

Now off to fold and wrap in peace... and    q    u    i    e    t.

Well champs, it was an all around good day today.  First and very foremost, this exceedingly handsome young man

got baptized today.  Very exciting for everyone, but most of all for him.  He is a wonderful boy.  I am really very lucky to have him as my son.

A few pictures from the day:











Additionally, it was my birthday, which was very lovely.  So, all in all, a lovely lovely day.  :)