Good morning to all. I have a busy day ahead, and I really should get to work!! We start pre-school tomorrow and I need to get some things ready for that.

I have all of my kids thank you notes form their Christmas gifts laying on the table, waiting for me to get them in the envelopes and mail them out.

I also have some laundry to do, and I need to scrub as I didn't do it yesterday, because with the kids home they just kept getting the floor wet anyways!

I wanted to tell you something we did in Brady's room. I would tell him that he should read more books, but he just wasn't that interested. My other kids all love to read so I really wanted him to enjoy it as well. So we made one corner of his room, his reading corner. We used a stand he had in his room to make a little wall, out his beanbag chair with a rug in front of it, pillows up against the wall, and a small quilt folded up next to it. I put a light there and a basket filled with books I thought he would enjoy. A few nights ago I went in and he was sitting there reading away. He said " You know when you start reading you really don't want to stop!" Now he is very interested in reading books in "his" reading corner. So maybe you can help your child make a place like this in their room. Brady loves to make things, so this was just what he needed to get him interested. Now he is going to draw some pictures to hang on the wall around this area too.

There have been so many birds at my feeders lately. Yesterday I counted 30 Cardinals, and many other birds as well all at once. They were beautiful in the snow. The snow is hanging on all of the tree branches,a nd it looks just awesome!

I hope you all have a good day!!

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 08, 2002

Answers

May have to try your reading corner project,my middle son doesnt like to read much either.Last year I had around 30 cardinals at my feeders at one time,it was such a beautiful site to see.I have not had too many birds this year,our weather has been mild.My family enjoys feeding the birds our feeders are right outside the patio doors in our kitchen.

-- willa (goodall6@hotmail.com), January 08, 2002.

Another snow day here so we are going to work on various craft projects: mosaic boxes, stuffed Raggedy Ann and Lamb with clothes, latch hook rug, paint some Christmas Decorations.....

Yesterday I was proud of my self for making the kids headband hats and mittens with some on sale fleece. I fashioned the headband pattern after the $$$$ one my niece got from The Gap--get's bigger around the ear. I used the elastic I pulled out of the kid's outgrown underwear for the mittens. Trying to use everything, rather than buy. After the kids are back in school I plan on transforming one of my favorite dresses (from 20 years ago--very out of fashion) into an old-fashioned apron (the kind that offers alot more coverage-- I am a messy cook and cleaner).

Also, I plan to go through the kids' outgrown clothes and cut up the nicer fabric from clothes that are too out of style to be sold and use in making a quilt.

Once Christmas Decorations are put away, I hope to paint some lightbulbs--does anyone have links to online patterns for painted lightbulbs? Maybe even Easter ones?

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), January 08, 2002.

I have done that in John Michael's room. He loves it . We also have a craft corner. I also got out an old casset player and set up a little station with ear phones so he could listen and read "casset" books. BIG HIT!!!!!!!!

-- Micheale from SE Kansas (mbfrye@totelcsi.net), January 08, 2002.