TV free Tuesday

(Cedar taking a "free" ride on his rocking motorcycle thanks to the gift of time, talent, and the loving hands of the one and only Popsy)

I hope everyone had a merry Christmas! We certainly had a relaxing and renewing weekend at home. We were blessed with time off for Daddy Oak, an inspiring experience at Christmas Eve service, so many wonderful and thoughtful gifts (and lessons learned from them), and lots and lots of food! Jeremy surprised me with an Ipod Touch! I've been spending the majority of my free time getting my hands on nearly every GLEE song ever produced and snapping lots of shots with the Hipstamatic app. For someone who has been known to claim nearly complete computer ignorance. . . I am in technological bliss. And I'm pretty certain that I've become a life long Apple customer due to amazing customer service and for the ease of which I (yes, ME!) can program the device and navigate the programs. In love I tell you. IN. LOVE!

Onto other business. . . .

I'm going to sum up the past TV free week with a few words: barbies, superheroes, family, 109837590129740 songs sung, awe at His Glory, new swords! foam ones! thanks Daddy!, bird watching and um. . . superheroes and barbies. Yep, that's our week!

The kids each received a few books that have been in constant rotation.

Being the logical, no nonsense type of gal that she is, Willow was gifted none other than an encyclopedia and a wildlife book along with an extention of her beloved Ranger Rick magazine subscription.

- the Usborne Internet-linked Children's Encyclopedia

- It Stinks to be Extinct by John Lithgow Palooza readers



On the other hand, Cedar was given this. He's a guy of little words . . . until you open up this book. He was saying words we'd never heard come out of his mouth! He loves it and is engrossed in its pages often.



Each year Daddy Oak and I each get the kids a gift. This year he purchased them the swords and I gave them this book along with some binoculars. Despite his jesting that looking at what we're giving the kids shows who's the 'cooler' parent, the kids genuinely do love this book. We spent the better part of yesterday afternoon outside feeding and watering birds (who are missing and who we hope find our bribes), laying in the snow listening for calls and becoming giddy with excitement when Willow spotted the one and only bird of the afternoon with the specs.



I'm trying to come up with some more activities to do outside for the coming week. I think we'll do the iced stained glass craft again. It was a hit last year. Willow thinks we need to make many of them to share with our neighbors. What a great idea!



I also want to make peanut butter pinecones, some popcorn and cranberries on string and a few other treats for the birdies to hang on our tree while it waits for the recycling truck. I was inspired by this post by Ginny at Small Things. Her blog always inspired my heart and strengthens my desire to be a calm, loving, and present mother.



I'm itching to make some ice sculptures. I'm pretty certain that Cedar will be enamored with this idea. Maybe it will turn his distaste for winter around :D



We're also bustling around cleaning, making room for new play things and carving out a space in the basement for a play corner that will include a swing and other fun things such as an indoor trampoline.

Overall we had more of a commercial Christmas than usual and I think both Daddy Oak and I missed the homemade objects that normally fill our Christmas morning with joy. This year I tried to make less in attempt to lessen my stress so that I could actually enjoy the holiday. My plan worked, but it also made my heart ache. I think that I may try to pluck off one homemade gift a month this coming year. That way next year we'll have homemade gifts AND I won't be over-stressed rushing to the deadline of Christmas Eve.

I truly hope that your weekend was a happy one! I'm hoping to post again tomorrow on a few things I'm working on for WIP Wednesday, but if I don't I hope you have a blessed, safe, and happy new year!