a recap...

Normally I don't do recaps. (I mean, who really cares about what we did a while ago??) But, since this blog is, pretty much, just about what we do in our lives....I guess a periodic recap now and again is okay. ;)

I have to say, the Advent box was a decent success. I mean, the kids got into it, and less than half ended up as epic fails.  (See how the fondue went down)

Sunday, the 23rd, was a wild success.

The directions were 

"Have dinner like the shepherds! Sit on the floor in front of the fireplace and eat finger food while wearing head coverings."

The kids were ECSTATIC at that idea.

So, dinner found us sitting on a picnic blanket in the living room....

munching on greek olives, hummus, fresh bread, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, grapes, and goat cheese...sporting various scarves on our heads.

We of course had to have "shepherdy" names....

My Love was Shepherd Bob; I was Shepherdess Leah; String Bean, Jumping Bean, and Bitty Bean became Shepherdesses Louise, Lucy, and Carly, respectively.

Poor Boy Bean didn't say what he wanted - so we dubbed him Shepherd Hog...since he was double fisting the grapes. :)

We sat talking about what it would be like to be a shepherd when the angel's came...

we would have been FREAKED out.

It was really a blast.

Then we played charades.

Entire movie scenes were acted out.  The above picture is a scene of the whale in "Finding Nemo" about to swallow Marlin and Dory.

Jumping Bean was various animals....

String Bean was typically acting out entire plot lines....and once was a roach.

Bitty Bean was her go-to critter....a cat. She gets on all 4's and Meows.

Then she was Ariel. :)

This was the first time Boy Bean got in on the action - and he actually was a monkey! (we think)

Overall, it was a wonderful night filled with laughs....but the best part for me was at the very end. All 6 of us were piled on the couch reading a children's version of the Nativity Story...Boy Bean kept saying "ook, ook" at every. single. item. AT THE TOP OF HIS LUNGS. So, I would answer, "that is a donkey - ee-aw ee-aw. That is a camel - spit spit. That is a cow - moo, moo."
Then, Jumping Bean who has her doctorate in annoying noises, start mumble-humming in a high-pitched squeal.
Then Bitty Bean, who only has her master's in annoying little sister antics, started poking a sibling and smacking her head against My Love's chest.
Then String Bean became HIGHLY annoyed at her poorly behaved siblings - because she couldn't hear the story My Love was reading.
Then My Love became highly annoyed at all people and looked like he was contemplating throwing the book across the room.
And at that moment, when a silent night where all is calm and bright seemed like a myth, precisely then, I leaned up to My Love and whispered in his ear -

Thank you so much that I don't have to Home school!

Merry Christmas!
Happy 2013!

~Whitney
 Copyright 2013