Home School Holiday Week

Ella's winter break started four days before her siblings'.  For those four days we had great plans:

Ms. Claus helped prep the cinnamon rolls...

... which then waited in the freezer for Christmas morning

We even had time to make "fake lavash"

Pajama breakfast with her tutor

Obviously we should keep our day jobs...

Ella's home school holiday week also included her first poker lesson from her dad, making a garland for the tree, several Christmas movies, play time with neighborhood friends, and singing Christmas songs to her heart's content.  It was a much needed slower pace for the both of us and gave us a chance to spend some quality mother daughter time.

The Christmas Card That Made Us Cry

Each day this week, sweet holiday greetings from friends and family around the world have been pouring into our mailbox, bringing smiles to our faces as we read them.  But today's heartfelt letter from one of our very favorite therapists made us cry.

IAC 408 - 410 Results

The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 408 which was held on October 4, 2017:

1) Italian dossier from July 2011 referred a male child aged 4 years and 7 months

2) Dutch dossier from November 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years and 9 months with features in health status

3) Dutch dossier from November 2011 referred a male child aged 2 years with features in health status

4) Italian dossier from March 2012 referred a male child aged 10 years and 4 months with features in health status

5) US dossier from August 2013 referred a female child aged 1 year and 10 months with features in health status

6) Italian dossier from August 2015 referred two brothers aged 6 years and 1 month & 9 years and 1 month

7) US dossier from October 2015 referred a male child aged 3 years and 2 months with features in health status

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 409 which was held on October 12, 2017:

1) Spanish dossier from April 2011 referred a female child aged 4 years

2) Irish dossier from February 2012 referred a male child aged 1 year and 5 months with features in health status

3) French dossier from January 2014 referred a male child aged 3 years and 11 months with features in health status

4) Italian dossier from April 2017 referred a male child aged 11 years and 4 months

5) US dossier from August 2017 referred a female child aged 8 years and 11 months with features in health status and a family history

6) US dossier from October 2017 referred a waiting child (#3256) with a profile on the MOJ site

7) US dossier from October 2017 referred a waiting child (#312) with a profile on the MOJ site

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The following referrals were issued in IAC Session 410 which was held on October 19, 2017:

1) German dossier from July 2011 referred a female child aged 3 years and 4 months

2) Spanish dossier from September 2011 referred a male child aged 5 years and 2 months

3) German dossier from February 2013 referred a male child aged 4 years and 5 months with a family history

4) US dossier from June 2014 referred a female child aged 1 year with a family history

5) Italian dossier from October 2015 referred a male child aged 9 years and 4 months

6)  US dossier from October 2017 referred a waiting child (#3444) with a profile on the MOJ site

7)  US dossier from October 2017 referred a waiting child (#306) with a profile on the MOJ site

Picture Of The Day

Emilia placing a handmade hat and scarf
on the Giving Tree at school

Back To Stars Hollow

Craig and I managed to get away without the kids for 24 hours earlier this month.  We returned to Granville aka Stars Hollow for their Christmas Lights Festival.  The whole town was abuzz with activities and we enjoyed a holiday stroll, live music and a funny, if not tasty, dinner.

A pretty and quiet drive there

Horse-drawn carriage rides

Ice sculptures

Local businesses ready for the season

An old-timey candy shop

They went all out

The town's gingerbread house contest

Lounging in bed on a sunny Sunday morning

Another pretty store front

Thanks to our Ms. Rie and Ms. Brooke for making this lovely getaway possible for Craig and me.

Cookies Round 1

Ella and I baked our first batch of Christmas cookies today.  Five dozen of them will be delivered to neighborhood friends this afternoon and the rest are probably going to vanish here at home before the day is over.

Ella and I obviously have very different decorating styles.  I go light and she goes... well, maybe not quite overboard.  To be perfectly honest, I set some plain cookies aside for myself - no icing or decorations at all - my favorite.

Add caption

And here's a bonus picture of the girls enjoying our first little snow fall of the season.  Rex was excited, too.  He even said snow.

Pictures Of The Day

It's not what's under the Christmas tree that matters,

it's who's around it.

-Charlie Brown