Cook Christmas & Progressive Dinner

Saturday afternoon was Cook Christmas.

pretty tree

Grandma & Grandpa Cook

chatting

The Cooks

We had dinner catered at a country club then went back to my Aunt & Uncle's home nearby for desserts and conversation.

Natalie opening her card from Papa and Busha

Aunt Marge tearing up at her gift - an arial photo of the family farm

coasters that look like books on a shelf

Aunt Lorraine - also thrilled about the family farm photo

Sunday we had a progressive dinner with our small group. So fun! We piled into a 15-passenger church van so that we could ride together. The men were so thoughtful to decorate the inside of the van with pine branches, strings of lights, and a lighted tree stolen off of LaPreze's porch. :)

Oh yes. Zach and I commemorated Dan's "No Shave November" mustache by wearing a stick on of our own. We got a few good laughs out of these.

Ho-ho-ho?!

Love,

Sarah

A Long Week

This week has been long.

Too long.

My class made Christmas gifts for their families all week... oh my. I don't want to see another popsicle stick, puzzle piece, or speck of glitter until next Christmas. If you're a parent of one of the kids in my class, pretend to be surprised when you open it. :) Here's a few of them:

Wreath Ornament

-Poster board cut in a circle

-Puzzle from Goodwill spray painted green & glued with Elmer's to edges of poster board (two layers of puzzle pieces)

-red sequins for berries

-red ribbon tied in a bow & glued on

-red ribbon hot glued to the back

Snowman Ornament

(this is what it was supposed to look like)

-popsicle sticks held together by a perpendicular popsicle stick hot glued down

-face painted white

-hat painted black then let try

-glue on googley eyes

-glue on carrot nose made from foam paper cut into a triangle

-painted dots for a mouth

How one of them turned out... more like a masked bird. Ha ha!

Jingle Bell Necklace

-ribbon with jingle bell

-4-5 beads per side of the bell

-tie closed to make the necklace

-good thing I waited until Friday to make these because they could make a person go crazy

Luminary

-mason jar

-mix equal parts Elmer's glue and water in a small cup; stir together with a popsicle stick to form a watery glue/paint

-students use a finger to spread paste on jar then place a tissue paper square over top

-spread more pasted over top of squares to make sure all corners are stuck down

-let dry several hours

-spray paint with gold glitter paint

-wrap around a red ribbon and glue with hot glue

-place small tea light candle inside

Puzzle Piece Snowflake

-glue together popsicle sticks with hot glue gun

-spray paint puzzles from thrift store with three different colors & let them dry

-glue on pieces with Elmer's glue (10 piece minimum, 13 is optimal)

-spray paint with gold or sliver spray paint and toss on some silver glitter

-glue on an ornament hook with ribbon

Stockings

-staple together a red and green construction paper

-use a cereal box to create a stocking template that students trace

-cut out and glue red and green stockings together

-punch holes around the edges

-thread through white yarn (oh, they needed so much help with this step)

-tie closed at the top

-write students' names with glitter paint

Reindeer

"I'm grateful for ___________"

The best part of the week was today when I got to watch my students open their presents. I got each of them a book, pencil, candies, and a small toy. They were so excited to see a bag with their name on it under the mini Christmas Tree in our room! They could hardly wait until after snack time to open them. We pushed the desks back to the edges of the room and sat on the floor. Most of them just sprawled out on their tummies waiting for their name to be called open their gift.

Monster trucks!

These glasses were a hit!

If you need a good laugh, head down to the dollar store and buy some false mustaches for your students or children to stick on and wear. It's hilarious! They wore these ALL day! Even to lunch and recess. I forced them to remove them for P.E. and the other specials.

Mr. Cool

It's days like these that I love (as crazy as they are) because it builds friendship and camaraderie with my students that doesn't happen on most days. I can be more candid and relaxed with them. While I sat in the rocking chair and the students opened gifts, one of my little girls sat on my lap giggling and playing with her little ocean animal toys.

ocean animal toys and a blue tongue from Jolly Ranchers

This weekend will fly by --- it always does but even more so when there are Christmas events planned for every day. Tonight is Zach's work party/dinner at a steakhouse in Grand Rapids.

Tomorrow, we're off to Detroit for Cook Christmas. I made Yum-Yum. It lives up to it's name. :) I'll post the recipe some other time.

Sunday is a progressive dinner with our small group.

Monday is back to school then a Christmas Coffee night with some ladies from church.

Party animal.

Well, at least it's a weekend filled with things and people I love.

Love,

Sarah

A Few of my Favorite Things

1. Bath & Body Works, Fresh Lime Basil antibacterial hand soap

I use this in the kitchen for hand washing and it smells lovely. Just kitchen use. It's not really a bathroom soap, don't know why. It's so clean and kitchen-y smelling. Ranks up there in the family with lemon scent. This is just barely scented so you don't smell like the Bath & Body Works store after you use it. When they run those sales, I stock up!

2. Cake pops.

My friend, Robin, introduced me to these yummy little desserts this summer and my dessert making will never be the same again. I've made them several times since then. It was the favor for my table at the Ladies Christmas Tea at church. My theme was Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus - so there were birthday presents wrapped in the center of the table, cake pops on a cake stand, and party hats and noise maker things.

3. Black Tea with Honey & Lemon

Since I tend to lose my voice every week teaching, this has been my best friend.

4. The Pacific -HBO Series very similar to Band of Brothers

I like pretty much all kinds of movies. Certainly a good action flick now and then. Last winter I finally caved and watched the Band of Brothers series with Zach --- "Sure, I'll watch it with him. I'll probably not think it's that great but husbands like it when their wives watch action movies with them, right?!" ----Well, I was hooked and I begged to stay up later and watch more episodes, even if it meant dragging my butt to school/work in the morning. The Pacific is now very much the same routine, one episode is just not enough! Since I bought the series for Zach for Christmas, we own it and can watch as many as we please, whenever we like.

The Pacific follows two groups of young marines through their deployment in the Pacific - Guadalcanal, Pavuvu, and another tiny island in the Solomon Islands. There are a few awkward scenes I would suggest fast-forwarding through and they also drop the F-bomb quite a bit, and it's very gory, but the history I'm learning in the meantime makes up for it!

Who ever heard of Guadalcanal? Not this girl, for sure. Maybe I wasn't paying attention in US History in 10th grade.... Anyway, I'm learning way more about what went on in the Pacific Theater during WWII (which happens to be near where my Papa Thorne was stationed in the Navy during that time) so I'm enjoying it throughly.

Except the parts when bodies get blown up and blood spurts everywhere or medics are digging shrapnel out of some guys face.... then I have to close my eyes because I gag....

...Moving on, this is definitely a good buy for any adult history buff in your family.

5. Christmas Movies

The Grinch with Jim Carey

"Blast this Christmas music! It's joyful AND triumphant!"

Elf with Wil Ferrell

"The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"

Home Alone with McCauley Culkin

"Keep the change, ya filthy animal!"

Need I say more?

Love,

Sarah

Photo Card

Pine Wreath Monogram Christmas

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