A Perfect {Healthy} Cup of Hot Cocoa

On a blustery winter day, there is nothing as comforting as a cup of delicious hot chocolate.



And if you make it with healthy dark chocolate and no sugar you don't have to count the calories, right? Right?



At least I don't. {Grin.} Here's what you need:



The Perfect Cup of Cocoa:
(all amounts are approximate)

2 heaping teaspoons of natural unsweetened cocoa (like Hershey's powdered, often found in the baking section)
2 heaping teaspoons of honey
dash of salt
1/2 teaspoon of real vanilla
~ 1/2 cup of hot water
~ 1/2 cup of milk

For whipped cream (optional):

1 cup of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of xylitol, or other sweetener



Mix cocoa, honey and hot water together in a large mug. Add dash of salt and vanilla, mix well. The cocoa tends to get lumpy on the bottom of the mug. Add hot milk, or if using cold milk (what I usually do) place mug in a microwave for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. Watch closely so milk doesn't boil over and make a huge mess in your microwave (don't ask how I know this). Mix well, again.



You can enjoy it just the way it is now, or add a generous dollop of whipped cream. I make mine by whipping together a cup of heavy cream with a teaspoon (or so) of xylitol. (Xylitol is a wonderful sweetener, great for your teeth, too! Read more here.)




Enjoy!

Happy Chinese New Year/Hyvää kiinalaista uutta vuotta!

Gong Xi Fa Cai! Happy Chinese New Year! We are a day late to wish you Happy Chinese New Year, but thankfully the celebration lasts for fifteen days:)



This year will mark the beginning of the Year of the Horse. Chinese New Year is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements. It starts with the first new moon of each calendar year and ends on the full moon.
 

Food is a big part of the celebration, and so we pulled out our Trader Joe's dumplings, too. Yum! One year we made our own, and they were amazing. Time consuming, but amazing.


Here's a great article to learn more about Chinese New Year, and here's two short videos:

Story of Chinese New Year

and

The Twelve Animals 

Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Mandarin Chinese, pronounced gong zee fah chai)
Xin Nian Kuai Le! (Mandarin Chinese, pronounced sheen nian kwai luh)
San Nin Fai Lok! (Cantonese Chinese, pronounced san knee fy lock)

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Eilen alkoi kiinalainen uusi vuosi - hevosen vuosi. Uudenvuoden vietto kestää 15 päivää, ja se on kiinalaisten tärkein juhla vuodessa. Juhlaa vietetään kiinalaiseen kuukalenterin mukaan. Lisää voi lukea täältä. Mekin juhlimme kiinalaisen ruoan kera, sekä tietenkin Pikkuneidin pukeutumalla kiinalaisiin silkkeihinsä:)

Tapestry

Did you know today was Maria von Trapp's birthday? She would have been 109 years old (she passed away in 1987).

Our family watched the Sound of Music (again) this month - what a fantastic movie! The documentary was fascinating also, so I went ahead and ordered Maria von Trapp's book "The Story of the Trapp Family Singers".

Tonight I read from chapter eleven:

"It will be very interesting one day to follow the pattern of our life as it is spread out like a beautiful tapestry. As long as we live here we see only the reverse side of the weaving, and very often the pattern, with its threads running wildly, doesn't seem to make sense. Some day, however, we shall understand..."



So true. I remember reading Corrie ten Boom's poem Tapestry years ago, and it has helped me through some rough patches where it has been difficult to understand the will of God. My prayer is for these words to comfort you, too.


My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.
Oft' times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.
Not 'til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver's skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned
He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.

Corrie Ten Boom (The Tapestry Poem)

Homeschooling While in Finland/Kotikoulua Suomessa(kin)

Missy has been in Finland two weeks now. She is loving it!! She is already asking about staying longer than the planned three months, and may have found a way to stay:)



One of our reasons to send our teens to Finland one at a time is to get stronger at Finnish language. Missy understands Finnish fairly well, but has had trouble speaking the language since it had been years since her last visit.

Mr T took a Finnish class during his trip to Finland last year, earning one of his required high school foreign language credits. Missy signed up for two classes to earn both credits this trip. This means four classes a week, on top her regular 9th grade school work.

Her teacher encouraged Missy to apply for a new Finnish class, starting in March. The class would meet four days a week for four and half hours each time. If she gets chosen to attend this class, Missy would have to stay in Finland at least another month.

She seems to like that idea, a lot. Mama, not so sure...



When Mr T went to Finland, he had finished most of his 8th grade homeschool work by Christmas. We have found high school classes to be more time consuming, and since we had so much going on in Florida during the fall semester, Missy was not able to get quite as much done. While in Finland, and taking Finnish classes at the local community academy, she still needs to get her usual school work done.

If we were not using AOP Monarch, an online curriculum, I don't know how we could have sent Missy overseas, and still be able to keep up with school. She is seven hours ahead of us in Eastern European time zone, and by the time I wake up, she is done with her school work. I go over her work online, grading as needed. (Most of Monarch is automatically graded.)

We communicate by emails, text messages and FaceTime. Missy is great at working independently, and so far has been able to keep up. She had a little math trouble last week, but was able to figure it out before we needed to ask for help.

We have now been homeschooling for over four years. I am so thankful God lead us to consider home educating, and dear friends helped us find first SOS, then Monarch for our schooling. What a great fit for our family. It has been so incredible to be able travel and learn, and now even send our teens to Finland and still continue their regular high school work.

If you are ready to switch to Monarch, or would like to try a class, Alpha Omega Publications has a 20% off sale coming up on January 31st. One day only. Click here to learn more.

Alpha Omega Publications is a sponsor of Our Mothership Adventures. We have been given free curriculum in exchange of our honest reviews. You can read our disclosure here.

Evening Chess/Shakkia iltaisin

Most evenings find these two in a quiet game.


Laughter bursting out now and then.


They seem to be pretty even. One gets badly beaten one night, the other next time.

Such a great father-son activity.

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Melkein joka ilta nämä kaksi pelaavat pelin tai pari. Aika tasaisia ovat, välillä toinen voittaa, seuraavan kerran toinen. Suurimmaksi osaksi peli on hiljainen, mutta aina silloin tällöin nauru raikuu. Upeaa yhdessäoloa isälle ja pojalle.

Bedtime Stories/Iltalukemista

Quiet evenings, bedtime stories, little girls.



Cozy cubbies, soft blankets, warm snuggles.



Berenstain Bears and Henry and Mudge.



Learning to read.



Learning to love reading.



Little Miss, let the stories take you to new heights, discover new worlds as you turn to a another page.


“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.”
― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!


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Lukeminen on ollut tuskaa Pikkuneidille. Nämä iltahetket kirjojen ja pienen lukulampun kanssa toivottavasti tuovat elinikäisen rakkauden lukemiseen.

Departures/Lähtöjä

So it came time for my dad to continue his travels. We had such a wonderful visit with him, and wish he could have stayed longer. On Saturday we dropped my dad off at the airport, and he flew back to my sister's house in Virginia.




And since were taking a trip south, we also dropped Missy off - at another airport!

She has wanted to go to Finland ever since Mr T had his three months there last year, and we had been thinking she could go next. But then it looked like it wasn't going to happen, until all the little puzzle pieces came together - in two days!!!

We reserved her flight Thursday afternoon, and by Saturday she was on a plane. Talk about a whirlwind few days!!

She has already arrived at my parents' house, and will start Finnish lessons this week! She is super excited, and so are my parents. My dad will join her and my mom later this month:)

I have to share, though, I did not think I could send her overseas - alone, even everything had gone so smoothly for Mr T last year. But as all details started coming together, a supernatural peace came over me, and from then on, all I could do was to thank God and praise Him for taking such a good care of my daughter. And all went well! Thank You, God!!!

I can't wait to hear more about Missy's adventures in Finland!

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Meillä oli lähtöjen viikonloppu. Ensin veimme isäni lentokentälle lauantaiaamulla, hän lensi siskoni luokse Virginiaan. Sieltä suuntasimme Bostonin lentokentälle, nimittäin Missy lensi Suomeen lauantaina/sunnuntaina!!! Nyt on hänen vuoronsa viettää kolme kuukautta Suomessa isovanhempien luona (kunhan nyt Vaarikin ehtii takaisin Suomeen:) opiskellen suomen kieltä. Lapsistamme Missy osaa suomea parhaiten, ymmärtää aika hyvin, mutta puhuminen on vaikeampaa.

Puhetta hänen lähdöstä Suomeen on ollut koko vuoden oikeastaan, muttei näyttänyt siltä, että hän pääsisi lähtemään. Mutta yhtäkkiä kaikki palapelin palaset loksahtivat paikoilleen tällä viikolla, torstai-iltapäivällä varasimme liput, ja nyt hän on jo Suomessa. Hui!

Ensin hermoilin tytön matkustamisesta yksin Suomeen, mutta sitten laskeutui ihan uskomaton rauha sydämeeni, ei voinut muuta tehdä kuin kiittää siitä, että kaikki menee hyvin. Ja kyllä Taivaan Isä hyvää huolta piti rakkaastani.

Nyt vaan jäädään odottelemaan uutisia Missyn seikkailuista!

Ice Skating/Luistelua

As soon as the ice was safe to go on, Mr T started a new project: an ice skating rink!




He quickly enlisted his brothers' help.




With all the snow we have received, there has been quite a bit of shoveling.




And a little bit more shoveling.




Ice skate inventory was made, and three more pairs had to be ordered. (Again.)




But it is a small price to pay.




For being able to practice your sport in the backyard.




The Captain used to flood a rink next to our New Hampshire house, or we'd sometimes walk to the pond on our road for even more ice skating.




In Florida we loved taking homeschool ice skating lessons at an indoor arena.




Even with all our ice skating experience, the first time in a season is always a bit wobbly.




Especially on new skates on slightly uneven ice.




But it is so much fun!




So much, in fact, that this time around it is the kids who are nagging mama to go outside with them, not the other way around!




If I can bring my camera, I really don't mind:)




Even if it is in single digits.




Well, actually, next time I will take photos from inside the house when it's that cold.



Brrr!!!!




And wait for days like today - felt balmy at 25F!




We think ice skating makes a great homeschool PE hour.

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Mr T toivoi hokkareita joululahjaksi (ja saikin), ja heti alkoi tekemään luistinrataa jäälle. Veljet tulivat avuksi, kolmet uudet luistimet tilattiin, ja siitä lähtien meillä on ollut päivittäin luistelua - loistavaa kotikoulun liikuntaa! Mamaakin kinutaan luistelemaan, ja kunhan ei ole liian kylmä, tottahan minunkin pitää jäälle tulla - kameran kanssa:)