What I've learned about Owls

The screech owl at the zoo is named Pig. She's either

named for the owl in Harry Potter or because she

ate all of the other owls food

in her previous home.

She was a special visitor at our zoo class

this month.

Owl's wings are silent.

This allows them to

sneak up on their prey.

Their claws are strong enough to crush the

skull of mice.

Owls have no known predators. They eat rodents, and

when they are finished eating,

they throw up what is called

a pellet.

This pellet is filled

with everything that the owl's body can't digest.

It contains fur, bones, etc.

Scientists can study an owl pellet

to discover what

the owl has eaten

and to learn what kind of rodents are

around.

Our pellet contained lots

of little bones along

with some fur.

Brianne's (the teacher)

pellet contained a rat's skull

along with other bones.

The tufts on the top of

an owls head are not

ears. Owls use the feathers

to help them hear better.

An owl's ears are not
even. One is on the top part of the
head, the other is on the lower part
of the head.
This adaption allows the owl to
hear better. Much like a dog
who might tip it's head
to hear you better.
Owls made by kids are WAY
more colorful than owls we find in nature.
Boy do we learn a lot at our
zoo class.
If you'd like to dissect your own owl pellet,
try this web site:
www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm

Candy Cane Cupcakes

I LOVE to bake. Anyone that knows

me, knows that. Anyone that knew my

mother, knows that this love of baking

came from her.

I found some extra candy canes lying around,

and I decided to make

candy cane cupcakes.

I found some recipes on line,
and I used a little of this
and a little of that
to make my own version of candy cane
cupcakes.
Here's the recipe:
4 large eggs
1c. sugar
1c. milk (skim works fine)
1c. vegetable oil
2tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2tsp. peppermint extract
2c. flour
3tsp. baking powder
1/2tsp. salt
red food coloring (gel or liquid)
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cupcake pan with 24 muffin
papers. Mix together eggs and sugar. Beat until
their smooth and the sugar is really incorporated.
Stir in milk, oil, vanilla, and peppermint.
In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
Add the dry to wet and stir until smooth.
Divide the batter in half and color half red.

With a spoon, put a little "white" batter into

the cupcake cups.

Next put some red, then white, end with red.
Bake for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool. Frost as desired. I used

mini candy canes as a decoration.

These cupcakes were a hit.

I took them to my book club last night, and everyone

loved them.

Most importantly, my kids loved them.

They really make the house smell and

look like Christmas.

Sweetest Daughter

Every year, my parents would give me a Christmas ornament.

It was a tradition that they started when we were young.

Mom would look for an ornament that made her think

of me. Each year, I unpack the

ornaments I've been given.

This year, I lovingly looked at each ornament

she had given me.

I looked at the last one, an ornament

she picked out when we bought our house.

It's a little tin house that says,

"New Home" 2004.

Who would have guessed that five Christmases later,

she would be gone.

My Dad has started cleaning out some of

my Mom's things. While looking through her stuff, he

found a candy cane ornament that said, "Sweetest Daughter".

My Mom had bought it for me at some point.

There were candy canes for The Big K. and

Doodles.

Dad gave them to us to hang on our tree this year.

I cried as I gave the ornaments to the kids.

I cried as I hung up the ornament she'd given me.

It was like still having her here, even though she's not.

As I look at that small simple ornament,

I think how lucky I am to have had her for a Mom.

To know how much she loved me.

To know how proud she was of me.

To know how happy she was to see me become a wife

and a mother.

My mother was my best friend. I miss

her more today than I did yesterday.

I miss her so much during this time.

I wish, with all my heart, that

I could spend just one more Christmas with her.

Our Christmas Tree

Every year we chop our Christmas tree down.

This year we took Papa.

We trekked through the snow in search of the

perfect tree.

We looked every where, and then

we found it.
It didn't seem that big next to all of
the other trees.
It was just the right height.
It was full and thick.
It was perfect.
Everyone took turns
chopping.

What fun it was to cut and cut

at the trunk.

We talked about other trees we'd chopped.

We talked about how much fun

Oma would have had with us.

We talked about all of the fun we

would have decorating the tree.

Together, we carried it out of the field.

It was REALLY heavy.

It hadn't seemed that big, but when we got it

to the van, it wouldn't fit. The man who owns the Christmas tree

farm told us, "No problem. I'll drop it off at your house."

We couldn't thank him enough. He kindly drove our tree to

our front door. He left us to get the tree in.

It really hadn't seemed that big.

Jon and Dad tried to get it through the front door.

It wouldn't fit. It got stuck. We had to take

the door off of the hinges. I couldn't help myself, I laughed.

It was really funny.

Jon didn't think it was so funny. Finally, we got it in the house.

It wouldn't fit in the living room.

It is currently taking up the entire dining room.

It is the biggest Christmas tree we've ever seen.

It really didn't seem that big in the field.

I guess it was, but it is still the

perfect Christmas tree.

For His Eye Is On The Sparrow...

"What is the price of five sparrows?

A couple of pennies? Yet God does not forget

a single one of them. And the very hairs

on your head are all numbered. So don't be

afraid; you are more valuable to him than

a whole flock of sparrows."

Luke 12:6-7 (NLT)

Oma

My Mom loved being a grandmother.

She relished every moment she had with her grand kids.
From the moment she met them, she loved
them. At first, she was nervous about becoming a grandmother
to older children. She shared with me that once she
started making their Easter clothes, she
realized these were her grand kids.
After that, heaven and earth couldn't have
kept my Mother away from the kids.
Shortly after the kids came to live with us, my parents bought
a house closer to us. My Mom started counting
down the years until she and Dad would
be here full time, and she could spend
every day with her grand kids.
Despite the distance between us,
she made LOTS of trips to visit.
We took trips together to zoos, museums,
parks. My Mom was up for anything. She loved
hearing all about the kids and my time being
their Mom. I started this blog as a way for her to be
more a part of our daily lives.
I also counted the days until she and Dad would live here
full time.

The first Christmas we had our kids,

my mother went out and bought them chocolate

advent calendars. She wanted them to enjoy the experience of

counting down for Christmas. This year, the last Monday my Mom was alive,

I was shopping with the kids. I saw chocolate advent calendars

like the ones she'd given the kids before. I told them,
"I'm going to get these calendars for you, because if Oma were

out shopping with us, she'd want you to have these."

It never occurred to me that she wouldn't be here

to count down Christmas with us. She was so excited about

the prospect of being with us on Christmas Eve. Usually

my Dad has to preach. This year he took Christmas Eve off. We both

thought Mom would still be here to celebrate with us.

Every night this month, we're counting down the days until Christmas.

Every night I'm thinking about those first chocolate advent calendars

from my Mom. Every night I'm wishing those hadn't been the

last. I know that if she were here right now with us,

she would be just as excited as the kids. She would be sitting

with them and talking to them about Christmas and Santa and

Jesus' birthday. She would love to read their Christmas lists.

She would be planning what she would buy them

this year. She would be loving every moment of

being their "Oma".

28 Days

Today I wore your perfume.

I smelled you every time I moved.

I thought of you every moment.

I missed you.

It seems so much longer than 28 days.

I miss you Mom.

I love you.

I wish you were here with us.

I wish I was smelling your perfume while

I was giving you a hug.