Closing in on Christmas

288th Day of Quarantine.

28F was our high today.  That made it really cold when outside taking down all the Christmas lights!  There is still a layer of snow, so I ended up leaving Olaf's third stake in the ground, since I couldn't find it and was just too cold! 

I'm happy to report that all of our Christmas décor is labelled and stashed away for next year!

For lunch, Billy used one of his gift cards to Steak n Shake, and bought us all lunch. = )

I also got my file folders that are sorted by year labelled and ready for next year.

There was another stack of Christmas cards in our mailbox today, a nice Boxing Day surprise.  

The trash also ran (the delayed day) so it was nice to be able to empty the mudroom which was a temporary holding area for all the trash that wouldn't fit in from last week. = /  Back in the "before times" when we could recycle our cardboard boxes at Billy's work, we rarely filled our trash can.  But now, we fill it almost every week with all the boxes. = (

For dinner we had leftovers.  We finished the potatoes and green beans, but have plenty of ham.  So, I'll have to make a few things to use it all up. = )

-----

287th Day of Quarantine.

The high today was only 24F, but we were gifted our first "white Christmas" since we moved to Michigan!  

My mom braved the snow, and apparently the plowers did not have the day off, since the roads were looking pretty good.  

We had a fun time opening dozens of gifts!  Billy's favorite gift was an rtic tumbler (for water, that I customized, and am super happy that he loved!) 

My favorite was a 3-way tie between sugar cubes (WGJ), a hand warmer (from Billy, that I stick in my back pocket and feels soooo good) and llama earrings from Emily!  (Noteworthy are the tablecloth from the Helterbrands and blog book from Sarah and money, of course) = )  

Alice's favorite gift was from santa, an otamatone.  It is wildly annoying, but she is loving it (partially, I think, because I'm so annoyed by it. lol) 

Emily really liked her face painting kit from the Helterbrands.  

William has loved bouncing on his squeaky foam pogo stick.  He also really likes his light up mouse/keyboard and I know he will get lots of use out of it!

The twins loved their LOL surprise, but as soon as the Our Generation School was unwrapped, that became their toy of the day.  They have had so much fun with the lights and sounds and accessories, that even the market from Santa was not as loved!

For dinner, of course, we had leftovers. = )

Today, the lyrics of O Holy Night, have resonated with so many. "...the weary world rejoices."  Oh how we rejoice in the one true constant love, especially in the middle of turmoil (aka pandemic.)

------

286th Day of Quarantine.

The high today did not even make it to freezing.  Thankfully, I didn't have to go outside other than to bring in a package and take out the trash!

Billy had to work today, but got to "leave" a little early!

At around 4:30 the kids opened their new pajamas (the only gift they open on Christmas eve.)  Then, they started getting ready for church.   Then, we took pictures.

With lots and lots of outtakes.

Until I got one that I liked!

We "attended" the five o'clock service online.  I made hot chocolate (in disposable cups with lids) for them to drink while we watched.  I even made up some candles with protective paper circles so that the kids could participate.

For dinner we had lasagna.  

------

285th day of Quarantine.

51F was the high.

Avia and the twins picked up our Sam's club order, then went Christmas shopping.

The only time I ventured out is when I went to Goodwill to drop off a load of donations.

For dinner we had teriyaki chicken.

-----

284th day of Quarantine.

39F.  Warm enough to put out the snow sticks.

I went to a thrift store, where I ended up buying only books, and a copy of the Settlers of Cattan Board Game.  It was always such fun to play with the Prescotts! I ran a few other errands which included a trip by Biggby to taste an eggnog latte that has been in several books that I've read in the past few weeks!

The house smelled divine when I returned home.  We had a crock pot roast (or sandwiches) for dinner.

------

283rd Day of Quarantine.

The high today was 37F .

Emily & Avia went Christmas shopping.

Grace had a virtual appointment with her pulmonologist.  It's been a while since her sleep study, which came back completely normal. She was released unless we need them again in the future.  = )

My mailbox had a lovely pile of Christmas cards today!  So few had arrived, I was worried that we'd been removed from everyone's list!

Sadly, it was too cloudy for Saturn & Jupiter conjunction.  This event was highly anticipated, since it was the only time it would happen in our lifetime.  I did get to see some pictures online, of people who had better weather than we did. = )

Spaghetti for dinner.

-----

282nd Day of Quarantine.

37F was our high.

Church online today.

Grocery pick up.

Cookie delivery to Zoey and Kennedy.

Billy fixed the leaky pipes!

For dinner we had pizza.

-----

later days

Hyper-speed December

281st Day of Quarantine.

37F was the high today.

Grace was hounding me to finish her gingerbread house from the moment she woke up. We still had to make the icing, which was a bigger event than I had imagined.  I mixed it together, and usually when the instructions call for an electric mixer, it just takes me a few minutes longer.  Today though, we had to get the icing to "peak." So, I tapped Billy in to alternate whisking with me, and it took us around 15 minutes to get it that stiff!  

Grace was more than ready to decorate gingerbread house though.  Juliet popped in to help place all the candy on.

After seeing how much fun Grace had, Juliet also wanted to make a Gingerbread house.   But once I saw how hard that recipe became, I talked her into making some softer Gingerbread cookies to decorate.  

It was nice to use up all the icing that Billy and I worked so hard to make. = )

She wanted to pack some up to give to her friend Kennedy, and once Grace heard that, she wanted to take some to Zoey.  So, we boxed them up, and will drop them off tomorrow. = )

We had the tacos for dinner that we were supposed to have last night.  We've now eaten through half of the 80 tortillas I ordered from Sam's Club.  They won't deliver smaller packs, and I have to order 2 of the 40 packs.  So, we had burritos, fajitas, quesadillas, and tacos this week to eat through them!  We can eat the next pack a little slower, over the next couple of weeks, since I have a place for it in my bread basket.

------

280th Day of Quarantine.

34F was the expected high.

I made some honey butter biscuits to use up some of the Bisquick that Sarah sent over.  Alice and Grace really liked them.

I finished the seam binding on the housewarming oven mitts for Kennedy's mom.  It took me a while to find the motivation to finish them for some reason.  This is some fabric that I scored at an estate sale this year, and I just love it!  It is very vintage, and since I don't know her super well, I hope she likes them. = )

Grace was so excited to start making the gingerbread house using the mold, that she talked me into starting, even though I knew we would not be able to finish it today.

And, we encountered a leak in the lesser used side of the kitchen sink.  Billy measured it, and we cleaned it up, but had to wait until late in the evening to go to Menards to get the parts to fix it.

My mom is still proctoring her friend's granddaughter, and she had a full day today.  ew.  So, it was around 330 when she came to pick me up.  Emily, Grace and Juliet also wanted to come.  Emily to pick out a Christmas present for me, and the twins just to shop.  So, we went to discount tire and I picked up my car, only to turn around and drop it off at the mechanic, to get the ABS light resolved!

Since neither my mom nor I had been, we went to the new Goodwill building in Mason.  They have super full shelves, despite having built the building. = /  I found some folding chairs, and a couple of Bad Kitty books* that we didn't have.  Grace found a Hello Kitty robe, and small box.  She also picked out some candies to use on the gingerbread house!

From there, Avia brought us home to pick up everyone else, and go grab dinner.  We at our Burger King in the Menard's parking lot, while Billy went in to get parts to fix our leak, and replace the upstairs sink drain attachment. 

Once he came back to the car, we drove up to Frances Park to see the Christmas lights.  It wasn't as "winter wonderland-y" as I was hoping, but the kids enjoyed it, and we did see lots of houses decorated too! Billy's car is a little more cramped than mine, for sure, but it was warm and comfortable enough.  It was a popular night to drive through, so were were in quite a line.

Once we got home, we made the second round of gingerbread sides (it only makes half of the house each round.)  It was kind of late, and I was tired, but since we had to wait for the pieces to cool for a considerable amount of time, I decided it was worth it.

*I'm thinking this will be the next reading series for William, once we finish reading the Flat Stanley series together.  But, he will read this independently and have to narrate what happens! = 0

------

279th Day of Quarantine.

The high today was 30F.  Got enough snow that the kids were happy to go outside and play, but not so much that I had to shovel anything!

Today was our last day of school for the year!  We are one week shy of being halfway through our school year.  It is really crazy how fast this year is flying by.

I edited our schedule to give us time for a special Christmas activity: a Nativity Escape Room.  Everyone started out strong, but the twins (paired with a big girl) quickly got bored, and Alice got frustrated at the very end and quit.  Emily made it through, but there were some tears.  William enjoyed himself, but we were teammates, so hopefully, I didn't give away too many of the answers.  Not quite as well received as I thought it would be, but I still think it was well done.  Maybe we can repeat it in a few years as they are homeschooling in junior high.

Today, while we finished up The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the kids applied water color painting the snowflakes that they cut on Tuesday.

Then, Emily and William applied water color to themselves, and became zombies.

Then, they turned on Juliet.

My mom had a good idea to drop my car off at tire shop today, so that I didn't have to go early and wait for them to work.  So, she met me there and brought me home.

Our second mops meeting of the month was tonight.  It is nice to connect with people, even online, that have no expectations. = )

We had lasagna for dinner, so that I could pop it in the oven and let it cook for the 2 hours without having to tend anything.

------

278th Day of Quarantine.

The high today was 29F.  There were a few flurries flying all day, but just a little sticking to things off the ground.

I always forget, until it happens, that the December medicine delivery is late.  Today, they made it just as we were walking out the door.  I took time to toss everything on the counter and put the medication away, so that we could go by FedEx on our way home and ship the box back for recycling.

We moved quickly through our schooling, and skipped poetry tea time, to get Alice and Emily to their dentist appointment.  The appointment went well, but we waited on the dentist for a while, and so it was quite late when we left.  I asked my ladies group for dental recommendations, so we may be changing.  I've not liked the office staff for a while, though the dentist is good.  And, with covid, it's worse than ever, so I think it's time to change, since the girls are due for xrays in May anyhow.  Maybe we can start somewhere new.

I ended up standing outside in line at the FedEx, since only 2 customers area allowed inside at a time (one in the lobby the other in the vestibule.)  This was a little annoying since it was cold, and it takes me less than ten seconds to go in, set it on the scale and let the worker know that it is a billable stamp to return the box from the medicine.

We put on the baked potatoes in the crockpot in the morning, and they were hot and ready to go when we got home!

The results of Alice's potato experiment:

No explosion, and the taste was just the same.  Maybe it's different on the grill or in the oven, but it seems like potatoes in the crockpot do not need to have holes poked in them!

------

277th Day of Quarantine.

The high today was a bitterly cold 29F.

I've started calling out "Alt F4 the door" because I'm just so tired of saying "close the door" and "shut the door."  It doesn't annoy Alice too much. ; )

I received a green ticked after an uneventful final carport survey. ::fingers crossed:: Hopefully this is the last we will hear about this carport for a good long time.

Alice voluntarily scrubbed potatoes to wrap and place in the crockpot to cook tomorrow.

She asked a good question, about poking the holes in the potatoes, so we poked holes in all but one, that we marked on the outside of the foil.

For dinner we had Tikka Masala.

When I was calling Emily to bed, she responded with "one result found."  I suppose having two nerdy parents, this is to be expected.

-----

276th Day of Quarantine.

The high today didn't even make it above freezing, coming in exactly at 32F.  Brrr!  We had some snow flurries, but nothing stuck to the ground.

For dinner I made chicken fajitas.

------

275th Day of Quarantine.

Expected high of 36F.

Enjoyed the first of the Christmas series in online church.

I pulled out all the Christmas gifts and wrapped everything in the house!!!

For dinner we had chicken stir fry, since it was the quickest thing we had on hand.  Wrapping the presents took a couple of hours, and we still had bath time for babies to do!

------

later days

Beginning of December

274th Day of Quarantine.

The high today was 54F

For dinner I laid out a simple charcuterie spread of meat, cheese, fruit & crackers.  I've been doing this since the kids were little, but now it is super en vouge and has a fancy French name and everything!

------

273rd

The high today was 43F.

Billy and I are watching our way through the twilight saga.  It's been several years for me, and with the new book release I had a renewed interest.  Billy had never seen it and is enjoying it enough.

I got a call from Eaton county that 3 years ago they never came to do a 'final inspection' on our carport and someone will be out next Tuesday.  I just have this terrible feeling that they are about to make me very angry.

I heated up leftovers for dinner.

------

272nd Day of Quarantine. 

54F was the high.

In nature study we decorated solstice cookies!  We found that on our winter solstice, we will only have about 8.5 hours of sunlight. = (  So, each of us decorated two (12 hour) cookies with 4 hours marked on each, to represent our tiny window of sunlight.  I'm already ready to start heading out of winter, and we haven't even officially started yet.

And, with the extra (homemade) chocolate icing, they were able to make an extra Natural History 'cow spot' marshmallow!

Since we are studying the Iroquois in American History, I finally pulled out the boats and teepee that Aunt Wanda sent us.  The kids were delighted!

 For dinner we had Spaghetti.

------

271st Day of Quarantine.

47F.  It was very chilly, but not as bitterly cold as yesterday.

After school finished up today, we played pig mania.  We even talked Alice into playing a round with us!

Billy bought another gun. I bought a water filter system that just uses needs two buckets.  Preparation in the fear of the unknown is comforting.  What exactly we are preparing for I couldn't say, but it feels nice to have several contingencies planned out (interrupted utilities, temporary food shortage, etc.)

I made sugar cookies in anticipation of nature study tomorrow.

For dinner we had chicken teriyaki with rice.

------

270th Day of Quarantine.  We are still, mostly, mostly, self isolating.  There are some guidelines in place, so some things like movie theaters and indoor dining in restaurants is currently not 'allowed.' but most thing are open, there are no curfews and no one official is enforcing things on the average citizen.

37F was our high.  No snow outside, but it is cold, so I made a marshmallow/popcorn snack scape & hot cocoa for my crew when they came inside from recess. = )

For dinner we had a late cheesy chicken and rice casserole.  It was late, because I was late in leaving for the pharmacy and bank, since when I went to roll William's trundle bed away, it wouldn't collapse, because the kids were jumping on it and bent it. grr.

So, Billy and I spent time fixing that before I left, and even though I started on dinner practically straight away, the chicken needed adequate time to cook.  It all worked out, and we were able to eat before Ms. Charlie cleaned the dining area (but she had started on the kitchen already.)

------

269th Day of Quarantine.

36F was our cold high today.

Our morning was the usual subjects, but a little faster.  I left a checklist for the big girls with all the work that they needed to finish in our absence.

We made a trip up to Grand Rapids for an ultrasound for Juliet, bloodwork for all three, and a 6 month follow up with the endocrinologist.  We brought school work, and I envisioned us sitting in the cafeteria, but we were not allowed in. = (  Since I always pack a lunch, this was not a huge blow, but it was not nearly as comfortable working on their lessons in the car.

The drive home was uneventful, and Emily defrosted the hamburger meat for me, so that I could make up hamburger helper for dinner.

------

268th Day of Quarantine.

30F was the freezing high today.

The kids enjoyed their nikolausstiefel treats.

Emily came with me to the grocery pick up, and then we went to the thrift store.  We shopped for a long time, but didn't buy much.

Grace helped me address all the Christmas cards today.  I was thankful for her help putting on the stamps (and drawing special pictures for all on the envelopes!)  Sadly, this unexpected task cut into my reading time, and I did not finish Midnight Sun.

For dinner we had chicken noodles soup from a can, so that I could have a little leisure reading time.

-----

later days