Christmas

 Trevor

 hugging or wrestling?!

 The quest for the stable gingerbread house is a tedious task!

 Samuel helped Jess with some tasks around the house.

Baklava!  Thank you Jess!

Christmas Eve

 Grandma Peggy sent the kids the Tag system.

 A new Dora book from Grandpa Allen and Grandma Lynn

a Johnson tradition of chips before dinner 

 Cheryl's birthday breakfast at IHOP

Opening Grandpa Phil and Grandma Mary's gifts

 Philip really wanted the Lego fireboat.  It was the last one!  All the other stores were sold out!

 Police Legos for the Police Chief himself!

 Grandpa Phil opening his pecans and root beer

 Sophia has been asking for the Aqua Sand Polar Playground for a few months!  Consistent :)

 Grandma Mary opening her butterfly broach

Christmas at home

 

Samuel opening his stocking

 Sophia's stocking

 telescope!

 Samuel really wanted tools!  Immediately after this, he headed up to get all his tools together!

 Fisher-Price doctor kit and Golden book Nurse Nancy!

Grandma Shirley and Cheryl's birthday celebration!

 Our Samuel 

What's Samuel been up to?

The crystal is growing!

Saint-Saens' Carnival of the Animals

We watched claymation clips for each of the animals' pieces over some fresh orange juice!

7 year old--Doctor check-up--still growing quite rapidly!

LOOK WHAT WE DID IN SCHOOL TODAY :)

Today was one of those days where the fruits of my labors in educating the children are truly seen.  The kids were excited about learning for many hours.  Learning was just a natural flow from idea to discovery to new idea to "Can we do this?" to "Sure."  They wanted to do a science experiment first thing after breakfast.  They were truly thrilled as the balloon tied to a straw on a string was let go and the air released forced it to the other end with gusto.  What fun!  Thanks for the Science Experiments book, Lindsey.  We have so much fun with it!  It's a great resource!

 The kids noticed I was getting a get well soon card out of my collection of random cards in my desk drawer.  They were filled with wonder at an assortment of old Christmas cards they found.  They asked for one.  I grabbed a handful and set them on the table.  From then on, they spent a lengthy amount of time, each doing his/her own thing at the table.  Every two words I wrote in my card, someone from the table would yell out, "How do you spell _____?" or "Mommy, will you write _______?"  Very wonderful moment.  They each had their own inspired ideas and were free to delve into them.  Thank you, God for this opportunity to be at home with my children.

 Thank you, Mary, for the origami kit a while back.  We made the first project today--a kitty.  Neat!

 Sophia is decorating a card to Harper.

 Samuel is making out his own Christmas cards.

Philip is working hard (while ill, by the way, his own choice!) writing a Christmas card to his dear cousin, Henry.  Notice the foam ornament stocking near the card.  It has a picture of he and Henry which he put in the card!  We made the ornaments easily today out of a $1.00 kit!

LOOK WHAT WE DID IN SCHOOL TODAY :)

 Samuel is reading a story he dictated to me.  He is learning what the basic elements of a story are: setting, characters and plot.  We looked back at the first story in this notebook that he dictated to me in Kindergarten.  His stories are much more developed and flow better now.

 Before she hurried outside to join her brothers in the snow, she had to go through the number puzzle and letters puzzle with me, saying the numbers and singing the letters.  Her attention span has begun to lengthen in this.

 We let Mrs. Kitty out for a look at the snow.  She took a few steps in it and wanted back in!

 Super Hero poses

 Philip loves his Mighty Mind pattern pieces.  

 Samuel loves to listen to Oliver Twist.  This version is great.  We began listening over lunch.  After he was done eating, Samuel played with toys at the table.  Before I knew it, he had listened to half the story (1 1/2 hours)!  By then he was ready to act it out!

Receiving Christmas cards is so much fun for the kids too now since we made our wall tree.  After reading them at lunch, the kids excitedly retrieve the tape and want to tape their "presents" up themselves.

Snow Day/Cookie Day

It was great to have Jess home for the day.

All five of us spent the entire morning making (and eating) Christmas cookies.

 Daddy talking to Grandpa Phil

All tuckered out!  Even Mrs. Kitty joins in the cuddle.