I think we are ready for Christmas. 

We have. . . .

 frosted sugar cookies

 hung candy canes with care,

 visited Santa Claus,

 made snowflakes,

 and made more snowflakes

 and more snowflakes

 and more snowflakes (about 75 snowflakes in the last 24 hours),

(we are a little jealous of everyone else getting snow.  So we decided to make our own.)

plus the big box came.

Engineering Activity Pin

This year Thomas picked out a great catapult for the Webelos to build. 

Last year we built the Viking Catapult and was disappointed because I could throw farther then it shot off.  This year we picked out the Roman catapult.  It is made out of PVC pipe.

The Webelos will build it on Tuesday but the Shaw's had to go and have a test run (which was really fun.)  Our friend Ken came along and gave the boys great ideas of what else to catapult other then tennis balls.

 The pictures are basically the same over and over.  You basically have a ball tied to a string at one end and pull down on the other end and then watch the ball fly.  We tried with different lengths of string but were not to successful in getting it to go farther just higher. 

 I guess the best part of the whole thing was listening to the boys tell everyone at church about the catapult and how it dented my car.  Yes, we decided to try a heavy bouncing ball to see if it was different then a tennis ball and we also made the string short.  Well, the ball went way up in the air and then went backwards and dented my car. 

It should be a fun den meeting this Tuesday!!!!!

Oh- Christmas Tree

Well, a new tradition has started at our house last year. 

I threw away our cheap, fake Christmas tree two years ago.

So, I told the kids they could each take their turn and pick out a Christmas tree starting with Henry. We went to a tree farm which was really cool.  I had never been to one.  They actually go through and cut the trees to look like Christmas trees.  It was fun to have a real Christmas tree.   Henry picked a really cool one last year and cut down his own tree. Personally, I thought we were going to go back to the Christmas farm each year but oh-no Thomas had other ideas.  He wanted a metal tree.  So, this is what we came up with.  I think it turned out pretty cool.     

 So hard not to be at the center of attention

 An up close picture of the Christmas tree. 

We wrapped 800 ft of wire around and around and around. Hung the lights on the inside and the ornaments on the outside. 

Oh- the fun of Christmas

Winter Concert

Last night was the boy's concert. 

It was fun to go to and see Thomas play the bells.

 I almost got a smile out of him there.

 Thomas playing the bells

Henry was sick so he stayed home.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . . .

Yes, the Shaw's are slowly putting up Christmas this year.

(I wonder why???)

 Lizzy is creating yummy treats for the holiday's with her easy bake oven.

 We put up Lizzy's Christmas lights. 

(We just need to find a dot for her i)

 Even Bruno is ready for Santa.

 Maggie is also ready for the winter months now with her new haircut.

Oh-yes those two are a hand full.