With Christmas and New Year behind us--already--we have settled back into our school routine. Admittedly re-entry has been a little bumpy. It's not helped by my fuzzy cold and sinusy head. A good nap this afternoon was welcome while Pieman took over teaching. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

As for Christmas, well, with the whole family here I was thrilled. A little noisier than is normal at our home but certainly a beautiful time for me. Thank you for coming! BTG wondered why the pappaenate lasted longer than the jam-jams when we had made them first. She hadn't realized I had frozen half of them. She did request new year's cookies today even though new year's is past.

The best part of our school day is by far the read-aloud time. I sit down with a cup of tea or other warm drink, the children grab their 'yarn work' (knitting mostly--it's the year to learn how) and I read. Currently we're reading Walk In My Woods by Margaret Epp (this is the reason BTG requested those new year's cookies) and The Fellowship of the Ring by Tolkien. We read the Hobbit earlier in the school year and the kidlets loved it. I wasn't ready to start the trilogy but I tell you, when my 9-year old begs me to read a book, it's hard to say no!

We finished up our Christmas holidays with a get-together with 3 other families. They came for supper, each bringing more than enough for their portion! They stayed for toboganning, coffee and tea, dessert and more coffee and tea. Much later than is usual at our home on a Saturday evening, the lights were on and the children playing.

I learned much about myself over these holidays. I learned that having a crowd of people here brings me joy. And it really isn't that hard to plan. I learned that our house is much warmer with a crowd of people in it! Another good reason to have parties. I learned that an adult woman is still a daughter and sister but she can 'grow up' and change those habitual ways of relating to family members. I learned that brussel sprouts aren't so bad. (Speaking of growing up.)

But chocolate is still better.