let the festivities begin!!!

my kids *LOVE* december! They were *SO* excited about today, they even woke up early... and quickly. Which is saying something about dd, who usually takes well over an hour between the eyelids fluttering and her actually being fully awake. ;) Not this morn; she hopped up and reminded me it was time to make our first Solstice snowflake!!

So our first Solstice snowflake was cut. The first one is never as intricate as the later ones, but still, this year she offered to help cut and it turned out great! One big one and three tiny ones up on the window, awaiting more to join them on days to come. It's just a great way to count down to Solstice, to remember December's not JUST about Christmas.

After the snowflake was done and up, however, it was onto the Advent Calendars. ds has his 'usual' - the Lego City calendar and dd has a 'Playmobil' calendar. They're both cute calendars - today he got the pieces for a snowman (with carrot nose!) and she got a horse.

Little House on the Prairie, season 8, arrived at the library. We've skipped Seasons 3 and 7 (we're on the waitlist for them through the library system)... so we started watching season 8 tonight and laughed as things have obviously happened in Season 7 that we're unaware of, so we spent a bit of time trying to figure everything out. I *LOVE* that my kids enjoy this show. To me, it's just a good, wholesome show. And ya, I realize it's not REALISTIC in terms of what life was like 125 or more years ago in N America. I *know* there was a lot more hardship than what is portrayed. (Like the few stories I've heard of my great grandparents who apparently lived in a 'soddie' (earthen 'cave' is how it was described) with their many children on the Canadian prairies, through harsh winters... I know so few details, but i can imagine how it must've been)...

I've really enjoyed the show PioneerQuest that was on Cdn tv a long while back - it was a reality tv series where 2 couples attempted to live as pioneers in manitoba for a year, and they couldn't've picked a worse year - harsh mosquitoes (well, HELLO, it's manitoba, DUH!), drought, then the worst winter of the century... eeks. After the show ended one couple toured schools across the country sharing their message of life as a pioneer (check out their B&B page!). I think that's an awesome way to further the learning opportunity around the show.

alas, i find myself lost in webpages of pioneer life... ;) where was i?!?

it was a pretty leisurely day, 'though i got lots accomplished (what *IS* it with me getting things done?!?)... i'm not even going to TELL you all i got done. i'm just gonna let it go! okay, well, how was I *BEING* today? well, actually, the day was perfect! i remained centered and calm and just full of love and peace and happiness today. i remembered that it was 'Pay it Forward' day and didn't get terribly disgruntled at grumpy people, instead remembered to send them a little compassionate prayer that their grumpiness subside and happiness and love prevail in their hearts (did i just hear you sneeze 'sappy'?!? ha ha ha) ah, yep, today was great.

i loved driving with the dog sitting in the passenger seat (the back was FULL to the ceiling with animal feed and straw and bedding)... she totally knows it's not her usual place in the car and soaks up all the love while she's up in front. ha ha ha chocolate labs. they can look so pathetically adorable.

i loved cleaning out the chicken coop today. strange? not really. i've come to learn to speak 'chicken' and i know that these sentient beings really do appreciate having clean wood shavings on the floor of their coop. they appreciate having growing green pasture to scratch around in and they appreciate my affections. they cluck happily away as i clean their coop. it's nice to feel appreciated. :D

i loved watching LHOTP with the kids tonight.

i loved chatting with dh on the phone. yep, it sucks that he works out of town, but i'm grateful he has a job he loves, a job that allows me the bliss of being a stay-at-home mom (dream come true) and that he's able to call and chat from work. ;)

i love playing duets with dd on the piano. we kick ass at "Alley Cat Choir"!!! and i love listening to ds play. he is *SO* enjoying the songs he's learned, like the Flinstones' theme song, and Edelweiss, and the Star Wars theme song.

and i love the hugs my kids give me. they are the absolute bestest. ever.

and i'm very very grateful for the conversation and friendship of the other hs'ing mamas today at swimming. i just loved chatting with them.

i loved picking up our organic farm box today and chatting with the farmer. i learned that it's cut worms that are devastating my kale crop at home and i also got the most beautiful food in that box. her carrots taste SO much better than a grocery store carrot, even an organic supermarket carrot. fresh *IS* best!!! i loved eating the jerusalem artichokes tonight, munching away on the crunchiness... mmmmm.

i'm really just feelin' the love, feelin' full of gratitude for the many blessings i enjoy - my friends and family, the security i enjoy in my life, so much to be thankful for... gratitude is empowering!!