So much to do today!  I am working on the January newsletter for my website, The Healthy Homeschool.  The goal was to publish monthly, but it’s not easy keeping everything done.   (Tracy, I just do what I can in a day and then hope for another day.  I like to stay busy, but alas there are only so many hours in each day!  And I do use Mod-Podge.) 

I am requiring each one of my homeschooled children to contribute something to the newsletter, so this should prove interesting.  Joseph already has his contribution.  We’ll see what Princess of the Universe comes up with.  I’ll place a link when it’s done.

A couple of days ago my husband brought home a package of model airplanes for Miss Priss.  She set to work putting them together yesterday.  It was a good lesson in ReAdInG InStRuCtIoNs before starting something.  That’s all I’m gonna say about that.  She did get them put together, though, and they flew beautifully!  That was her science lesson for yesterday. 

Last night we started placing furniture in the new doll house.  We put a tiny cuphook-type screw in the ceiling and hung our little paper lantern.  I love it.  The walls need some color and some art pieces, but we’ll tackle that in time. 

It was just really fun to get back into playing.  As you can see, one of the little woodland folk, Paisley, has been invited to come in and visit.  She’s behaving herself.  So far.  Unfortunately, thanks to Michaela’s imagination, a Fisher Price horse went bucking wildly through the house last night and messed a bunch of stuff up, so we’ve got some clean-up to do tonight.

For our bedtime story we read Yonder. 

This book is SO sweet.  I, of course, cried at the last of it (like I always do with a good melancholy sort of book) and Princess of the Universe had to wait on the last few sentences while I got my sniffles under control.  I cannot believe I have not seen this book before now.  It would be an awesome go-along for Warm As Wool or They Were Strong and Good, because of the homesteading and strong family theme.  It also has a theme of planting plum trees that grow and produce over time, so any orchard or tree or farming theme would work too.

Before going to bed, I couldn’t help but notice this.  Bitty Baby looked to me to be a bit concerned that there was an alien in her crib, but this is a child’s world after all, so I guess it works.

On a gardening note, I have to step outside each day and see a bit of green.  I am thinking of spring, but enjoying winter.  Yes, I do realize what month it is. 

I appreciate the herbs for producing even a little bit.  I also noted many bright green dandelions in the vegetable garden.  They will make a healthy infusion today. 

And look poking through the ground!   It would appear to be hyacinth or tulips.  One would think that I would know, but I planted so much in this bed last year…. 

Rosemary, I love you.  You have a touch of blue even in the coldest months.  What would I do without you?

Just a couple more things.  Diane, this

is the first film version of Hamlet that comes to mind. Do you have a recommendation? Anyone have a recommendation? I am going to pursue seeing a theatrical production of Shakespeare, but not sure I can find Hamlet this year. 

Finally, my son Joseph said something this morning that I appreciated.  He said when we lose, we look back and see what we did wrong.  We note acutely what we could have done better.  When we win, however, we sometimes go on without looking at what we could have done better.  I want to remember this, in times of winning and losing.

Lynn