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The Ball...

 This is our 5th year going to this ball.  It is sometimes a Thanksgiving Ball, a New Year's and last year was in February.  This year they celebrated 11/11/11 at 11:11p.m.  It was great fun this year.  

Here is Emily and her friend Mary.

 Jordan and Isaac dancing.

 This dance was really neat. Lots of movement and going under tunnels like this.

 Caleb's first year at the Ball.  You have to be 12 years old.

 Sisters! 

 Jordan and Isaac!

 Jordan and Isaac.  Can't remember the name of this fast paced dance.

 I think this is the Posties Jig.

Isaac dancing one of the last dances.

Rosettes and krumkake...

 Today, we made krumkake for a shindig we are going to and the kids found the rosette iron in the drawer where we keep the krumkake iron so I went on the internet and found a simple recipe and here we are, just like my Grandma Anna and/or Aunt Lois used to make.  It brings back a lot of memories.  

Rebekah and Emily got the hang of making the rosettes. 

Here is our package for tonight's thing.  More pictures to come later.  

You'll see some of the kids all dressed up spiffy and fancy:)

Homemade toothpaste...

It's been years since I've quit buying toothpaste with fluoride in it.  I've had numerous arguments with my dentist about how detrimental it is to my children's teeth.  The last time I was there he actually conceded the point to me!  :)  I pointed out that we don't drink soda but maybe once a month, we drink water or other non-sugar drinks at our meals and between so don't you think the no fluoride toothpaste balances out the not much sugar sitting on the teeth?  He agreed.  Soda was the number one culprit of cavities they see in places where there aren't usually cavities.    I am happy to report that we have maybe had 6 total cavities in all the children combined.  Jordan pointed out that she has had 3 of them and she used the most fluoride toothpaste of all the kids, so how much did it really prevent for her????  This isn't a discussion on should you use fluoride or not, I was sharing that we don't use it and here is an alternative I found recently.

I really like how my teeth feel since starting to use this toothpaste.  I use expeller pressed coconut oil (doesn't have the coconut flavor).  I made a jar with cold-pressed coconut oil (with the coconut flavor) and it's in the kids bathroom.  We all prefer not to have the coconut flavor though.  I used a lot more peppermint oil to get rid of the baking soda taste and I really like it.  I probably used 20 more drops than they have in the recipe. I also used a whole packet of stevia.  I do just swipe my brush along the side of the jar each time.  It may sound gross but the coconut oil is an anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti- some other things so I feel safe that any germs are killed.  I haven't figured out how not to touch the tube of toothpaste to my toothbrush anyway.   My teeth are smooth feeling so I think it is working on the plaque build up.  

This made one of the smallest canning jars I have which I used to use for baby food.  This recipe is taken from the internet.

Homemade toothpaste:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
3 tablespoons baking soda
1/2 small packet of stevia powder
20-25 drops of peppermint oil*

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, using a fork.

*Add about half of the amount of peppermint oil to start, and test the toothpaste to see how much you want/like.  I used NOW brand peppermint oil, and ended up stopping at 25 drops which is still not as strong as I am used to, though it does taste nice and minty!  Julie noted in her instructions that using part spearmint oil will make the toothpaste not as "hot" as using all peppermint oil

Rag tying...

 Emily has been busy rag tying hair before bed.  It is like getting a perm.  It lasts a good long time.

Here is Moriah at the end of the day after having her hair rag tied last night.

 We had 4 loaves of bread left after the first winter market started tonight.  They are trying the market once a month throughout the winter months and into spring.  We made 11 loaves of wheat bread, 4 parmesan herb bread and 9 loaves of zucchini bread.  We sold 15 loaves total!  We also sold about 12 jars of jelly and jam and beet/watermelon pickles.  Yeah!  It was a good first night.  There wasn't much advertisement and actually the "jelly lady" and the "bread lady" weren't there tonight and they might be next week.  We'll see how well we do then.  It gave us enough to fill the van once!  I also got a cleaning job tomorrow.  Praise God for providing when we need it! 

Early morning...

My first baby comes at 7:30 a.m. so instead of going back to bed I got on the computer.  I'd rather go to bed, but baby number 2 comes around 8:30 so I thought I'd check emails and other things. (but I'm going over to pick him up so technically he's not coming soon).  We started watching the 2 babies at the beginning of the school  year.  The kids just absolutely love having them here and I hardly do a thing.  The first month they were here I didn't change a diaper.  I've got several "mommies" in my family.  It makes me smile to see my boys fight over who gets to hold one of them.  It's all training for parenthood some day.

 Baby #1 who comes at 7:30 a.m.

He is 8 months and pulling himself up on things.  He can crawl and get into tight spots.  Very cute!

My nephew Lane and baby #2 who come about 8:30 a.m.  He's 6 months and about twice the size of the baby up there.  He's not crawling but can get most places by rolling there.  He is a bundle of joy!

At first it seemed they were going to be a constant distraction to getting school done and I wondered what I got us into but we have a routine now and a very uncomplicated schedule this year!!!!  We don't go to AWANA and basically have one day a week that is busy with lessons and such.  Some kids get their school done before the first baby gets here on some days.  School is amazing this year.  My kids have great attitudes and have figured out that to get it done means "free-time" and a "feel-good" feeling that "I did it and it didn't have to hurt that bad."