A Nichols Brood Christmas ...

Last Christmas, I swore this Christmas would be different. 

I swore I would be all chipper and elfish, whatever the heck that means, and jolly and giddy. I swore the house would be decorated, inside and out. And speaking of outside decorations, well they would auh-ma-zing. I would shop early and wrap in that fancy, shiny wrapping paper with bows galore. Our Christmas cards would be on time this year. And we would deliver cookies and baked goods to our neighbors and local fire department. 

And so it goes that December got here in the blink of an eye and I finally put out a few decorations last week and sent out our Christmas cards on Christmas Eve. There was no baking or crafting up until today. And not a single light hung up outside. I even gave in to my "I will never, ever, never, never have an artificial tree" charade and let Travis buy one at Home Depot. The Hubs and I shopped just a few days before Christmas and kept presents pretty slim this year. And for the first time ever, we vowed not to buy for each other knowing the money really wasn't there this year.   

It just didn't feel like Christmas this season. 

And so it goes on. We got up Christmas morning and like all the years before, we read the Christmas story first and then watched the babes rip into their presents. And of course no one noticed it was slimmer this year than the years before. I mean Kohen was so stoked about his simple new Jake sippy cups. Ha! I am thankful I know that it's not about what is under the tree, but instead what is gathered around it. 

Travis played with Kruz' new Nerf gun more than he did and we heard cars going down the tracks all morning. And after a few attempts and some help from the Hubs, Kollin got one of his Lego Technix built. 

We made our Mother Goose Time ornaments and rice crispy treats. The ornaments were super easy and fun! I mean, if glitter is involved, then it's fun. 

And baked cookies to take to the local fire department. 

Even though I didn't get decorations up outside and our Christmas cards were a day late, Christmas was still Christmas. I guess I'm learning it doesn't have to be perfect for it to be, well, perfect. 

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with their families this year! 

Merry Flu-mas Eve ...

She has the flu y'all. My sweet baby girl has the flu. We heard back from the doctor early this afternoon and now they tell us to isolate her, throw her pacifiers away and so on and on and on. Great timing since all of us just can't help but love on her all the time. 

So it's me and this sweet girl tonight while all the rest of the brood are at a family Christmas get-together. And it's sad y'all. Spending the night here, on the couch, by my lonesome, eating store bought cheese dip for dinner, watching A Madea Christmas is not how I saw this going. But such is life sometimes. 

We did get a smile out of her earlier. Well, her Daddy got a smile out of her.

And now my Klo is sound asleep. Which is a wonderful thing considering she wants to nurse for comfort and cries the whole she eats and wants to be held but cries every time I touch her. Breaks this Momma's heart. 

So Merry Christmas Eve to y'all. And Merry Flu-mas Eve to us. Keep praying for us! 

My Little Sick Princess ...

My Khloe is sick. 

She woke up from her nap this afternoon with a high fever, 103.8 to be exact. A sick baby is the worst. It just breaks my heart when I don't know what to fix, how to fix it. And oh.my.gosh at the nasty flu germs going around right now. We escaped it last year and I have been praying we would escape it this year. 

My Momma and I scooped up Klo and headed to the pediatrician's office (we see Dr. Potts and he is THE best Mommas). After running a flu test and some minor blood work, we were still left with no answers. The flu test was negative and her blood work looked okay. We knew more work needed to be ran, so off to CHOA we went. In the rain. Gross.

After being poked, prodded, cathed and messed with over and over again, we are home and in the bed. More tests were ran at the Emergency Room and we will hear back from those sometime tomorrow. The doctor there said the flu tests given at the pediatrician's office are pretty much 50/50, so they ran another one of those too.

By the time we got home, her fever was already high again. Seriously, breaks my heart. So her and I are cuddled up in the bed catching up on our Dr. Phil. 

Pray for my little lady please. 

A Different December: How I Maintain our Mother Goose Time in Such a Busy Season ...

December, December. I have such mixed feelings about this month. I love the month for what it represents, my Savior being born. But I also hate this month because it can get a little insane. Rushing here and there. Christmas parties galore. Shopping. Wrapping. Cooking. And before you know it, the whole point of December being a special month has gone away. This is a month to cherish our families, spend extra time together, laugh together, play together. And instead, most times the opposite happens.  

Last year, our homeschooling in December pretty much flew out the window after the first week. I was struggling to maintain structure at the school table when I felt like I had 1,001 other things I needed to be doing. I knew the kids felt my stress. And it showed. Most mornings ended in a tizzy and I was crying over not making the adorable ornaments I picked out on Pinterest after narrowing it down to my 5 favorites for what seemed to take hours. 

This year looks so different. A good different. 

A great different. 

This year looks like looking forward to school every morning. And planning our schedule to have school all the way until Christmas Eve because we love it that much. And it looks like singing and dancing and creating art together. And it looks like actually reading all of the wintry books we picked out at the library. It looks not so chaotic.

Mother Goose Time has ignited a love for learning in our family, all the way from my second grader to my toddler. December is no doubt the busiest time of the year and you would think the most inconvenient time for homeschooling. But for us, it is the opposite. Here are a few tips for keeping the schooling not so crazy during such a busy season. 

1. Plan and prepare. 
It is no doubt that in a family our size, planning and preparing is a must. Trust me, I have tried it without it and I about lost my sanity entirely. One thing about MGT is how easy it is to plan your days ahead. Seriously, open a bag, look through it, establish a plan for the day and you are done! Planning is a must, but MGT makes it a breeze. Prepare. Grab any extra extras you know you will need for the following morning and have everything set out. For me, I set out 4 sets of whatever we are doing. Each child has a place at our table and I will set out their materials at their spot. When I call them to the table to begin our craft or lesson, everything is already sorted through and ready to go! My older boys have several other subjects to tackle, so I am also prepared for this time for Kruz and Kohen to have something to do. Kruz' current favorite is the counting bears MGT provided this month. He sorts them, counts them, makes patterns out of them. Having something planned for my little ones is a must because it keeps them out of trouble while my attention is primarily on my first and second grader. So plan, plan, plan and prepare, prepare, prepare. 

2. Forgive yourself. 
Seriously, it is not going to go perfectly everyday. Still plan, but forgive yourself if you end up counting blocks in the floor as math instead of your child completing their work in their MGT "My Little Journal". Just this morning, we ditched Language Arts and ended up dancing to "When You're Up, You're Up" in the living room. We laughed and laughed and I thought this- this is what December is about. Family. 

3. Take Advantage. 
There are some days during this busy time of the year when Mommy just can't be at the school table with her little chickies all morning long. A few days ago, my house literally looked like a train wreck had just occurred. And it needed attention more than most days. I had planned and prepared the night before knowing my attention would mostly be focused on the house and not the school table. I took advantage of an easier activity I felt Kollin (8) could lead the others in. I was close by in case there were any hiccups, but overall it went great! Busier days for Mommas are going to happen during busier seasons, that is inevitable. So plan for it and take advantage of an activity from MGT that will require less of your attention and that will keep your little ones busy on those mornings.  

4. Know It Is Easier.
I promise life is easier when your kiddos have received an adequate amount of your attention. For us, most times that is in school - which is really family time. Know this, your child is much more apt to let you get extras done in the afternoon when you have dedicated your mornings to them. I always try to have a little one-on-one time with each of the boys during our school hours. That time could be reading a book or counting blocks or checking math problems. Whatever it happens to be that day, fills my child's heart. Because I have spent the morning with them, they (most days) don't act crazy in order to get my attention. I am able to fold clothes or, for this time of year, address Christmas cards without them fighting for my time. So even though there are more duties than usual for us Mommas during busy seasons, be sure to fill their needs of attention first!

So chin up Mommas. We can do this! We can get through a busy season and maintain school time! If you have any more tips, I would love to hear them! 
Leave a comment below!

Merry Christmas!

"I received curriculum from Mother Goose Time for honest and authentic stories resulting from my daily experiences in using the curriculum. I applied to be an official Mother Goose Time blogger and will continue to share my experiences throughout the 2014/15 school year."

Rock Star ...

This time last year our entire family participated in the church Christmas play. Travis, myself, Kolt and Kruz portrayed a family enjoying their Christmas tree together.

 

Kollin was on the other end of the stage dressed up like a Star ...

 

And right in the middle of the darn play, that cute little Star ran on and off the stage back and forth to sit with his YahYah, whom I swore would never be allowed to sit on the front row again. 

 

A little astonishment, a little embarrassment and a little laughter later ... he was asked to participate again this year.

Three months of practicing, several rehearsals in the car and much anticipation of Kollin returning to the stage ... really paid off. I watched my oldest son on stage with a mic declare the Glory of God with his participation.

 

I was for sure at any moment the realization of having a live mic in his hand was going to click and he would bust out "Everybody Dance Now" ...

Nope. Not once. He did awesome! Kollin knew every line, every move and even had a little 'umf' when he shouted, "Lets Rock n Roll!!"

 

It's the little things we may not consider when teaching our children about Christ.

 

No matter how little the act, he is letting his light shine on that stage for God. And that's amazing!

 

Here are some shots of his Fan Club:

 

 

 

Pick it Out & Cut it Down ...

One tradition my family always had growing up was having a real Christmas tree.

 

My Momma and Daddy never did the fake ones that you got down from the attic.

Oh no-no. We always went to the tree farm and cut down our own, hauled it home on top of the car and decorated it together.

 

When I was little, the best part was picking out the tree. Still is. But now I get to watch my own run through the rows, speculating, turning down a hundred, then finding the perfect tree.  

 

 

 

This is the one the boys picked out. A little crooked, but perfect still.

 

 

 

Another great part is letting the kids do the work ;)

 

 

 

 

Or at least one of the kids. Kolt and Kruz were focused on their candy canes from Santa.

 

 

Traditions are so important to me. And I want them to be important to my boys and their families too. This is a tradition I want to last forever.

 

 

Sometimes families live so far apart and a tradition is all they have. Some are silly, some are yearly, some are as old as Methusa and some are ones you start yourselves...

 

 

Christmas Giveaway ...

I started teaching the boys about the true meaning of this crazy guy we call "Santa" this time of year:

Saint Nicholas.

 

He was a real man who gave to those in need and Saint Nicholas Day was originally celebrated on December 6th. In the spirit of giving, I am giving away a wonderful Christmas item from VINTAGE CHIC BOUTIQUE!

 

Vintage Chic Boutique is owned and operated by this wonderful lady I know and love, Mrs. Amber. Check out one of the two items you could win, here is all you have to do:

 

2012 Personalized Family Name Ornament

 

-OR-

Red "Cookies for Santa" Charger

...........................................................

 

Here's how to enter:

 

1. Become a follower of August Twelfth

2. Become a follower of Vintage Chic Boutique

 

Leave a comment each place you go and a winner will be randomly selected on December 6th in honor of 

Saint Nicholas Day!

 

Good Luck and Happy Saint Nicholas Day ;)