Ninjabread Cookies

A few weeks ago a friend posted a picture of a gingerbread kit she had bought. Only kicker was that the pre-cut gingerbread cookies where not the normal gingerbread men/women, but instead ninjas! Instantly, I knew I had to get my hands on these little guys, so last night we went in search of them. We got in luck as there was one lone box hiding in the back of the bottom shelf on an end cap in Big Lots and boy was Yang happy!!

 

The Ninjabread Kit comes with gingerbread mix, icing, piping bag, candy beads & 4 ninja shaped cookie cutters.

 

First thing this morning Yang was ready to start making her ninjabread guys. We made the mix and then while it was chilling in the fridge we ran out to buy a candy thermometer (hubby seen one yesterday but didn't think to say anything to me! SMH!). When we got home we rolled out the dough and Yang began cutting her guys out.

 Patience has never been her strong suit as you can see! At least Sweetie Pie & Brutus came to keep her company, or perhaps to see if anything had fallen on the ground they could eat.

                                   At last it was time to decorate!

Yang is all about going into business for herself here lately. She is now selling these delicious goodies for $7.05 each (no idea how she came up with that amount.). They started out at .25¢ but she quickly raised the price to $5.00 and then $7.05. Yesterday she had a nail salon set up and was painting nails for free. I guess she is feeling the crunch today and needs to make up for it.

Less than 2 weeks until my review of Emlyn Chand's children's book, Poppy the Proud. You won't want to miss this one!

So this is what it was made for!!

About a year and a half ago we had a very heated & ugly dispute with our neighbor across the street. Ever since Yang has been terrified to spend any time in her room alone, much less sleep in her bed. There have been a few times since the incident that she has tried to sleep in her room but it never lasted more than a night or two. In the meantime, Poppy even stopped sleeping in her bed. Mind you, they just received these beds & mattresses for Christmas 2 years ago! Well about about a month ago Yang started insisting that the TV be off & everyone be silent when she was ready to go to bed, and within minutes she'd be asleep. A few weeks ago she went to her room, climbed up in her bed and went to sleep without saying a word, and there she has remained since then!!

December Calendar of Events

Did you know that today is Rosa Parks Day? Or that December 1st - 7th is Tolerance Week?

Every month I receive a few different calendars that have a mix of daily educational, historical or just plain fun facts. One calendar that I receive from Apples 4 Teachers even has weekly and monthly observances listed. We don't do everything from all of the calendars, or even one, but instead pick and choose. Some months we not even complete one, and others we may do quite a few. Either way, it's interesting to look at all the different things that are going on, past or present. Sometimes just the sheer mention of a historical event is enough, depending on the age of the child. Does a pre-school or kindergarten aged child need to memorize when the state of Illinois was declared a state? No, but you can show them the location of Illinois on a map, print a picture of that state for them to color and perhaps find an interesting fact or two about the state to share. Sometimes we get overwhelmed with mastering a topic, or memorizing certain facts. I feel like exposure is just as important, and sometimes even more beneficial then throwing a hundred facts at them at once.

Here are a few calendars to check out:

Apples 4 Teachers
Homeschool Share ****UPDATE 12/2/12 I HAVE UPDATED THE LINK TO GO WITH THE 2012 CALENDAR****
Currclick
Gone-Ta-Pott

December Journal Writing Prompt

In my last post I talked about tips for journal writing. Today I will give you a list of writing prompts for the month of December.

• December 3rd: What is your favorite thing to do during winter?
• December 4th: What is something your family does every December?
• December 5th: What is your favorite holiday movie, and why?
• December 6th: Write about something nice you have done for someone before. How did it make you feel?
• December 7th: What is the best gift you ever received?
• December 10th: What is your favorite holiday book, and why?
• December 11th: What is your favorite holiday food(s), and why?
• December 12th: If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas this year, what would it be?
• December 13th: Write about a time that you couldn't stop laughing?
• December 14th: If you could be your parents for one day, what would you do?
• December 17th: Write a letter to Santa. Explain whether you have been naught or nice.
• December 18th: Write about your favorite memory of a Christmas past?
• December 19th: Why do you feel it is important to give to others?
• December 20th: If you could build a snowman, what would it look like?
• December 21st: Free Write