Merry Christmas!

Homeschooling: I received an email yesterday from a woman I am honored to call friend. Marcie Lipsitt is a self-less fighter for the rights of special needs children to get a free and appropriate public education as allowed by federal law. She came through for me with advice and help when we needed it most as Motocross Boy was about to be expelled from public school. She encouraged us with our decision to homeschool and inspired me to continue to fight for the rights of other special needs public school children even if we weren't going that direction. So I wasn't too surprised when about a year ago with her family she agreed to allow HBO to film them for a documentary on bipolar disease in children. I also knew it would be a quality and fair program if Marcie was going to be involved. Her email yesterday was letting us know that the documentary will finally air on HBO2 January 6th at 7 p.m. I'm now on a search to find someone who can record this for me since we don't have HBO...

http://www.hbo.com/docs/index.html Diagnosis Bipolar: Five Families Search for Answers

Christmas Breakfast: When we were young the tradition was always for Dad to make his famous "sticky buns" for Christmas morning breakfast. I'm not sure how that got started or even where the recipe came from but they were yummy and we all loved them. Later as an adult with my own family, we started making what I think some people call "monkey bread". It was easier than the sticky buns but had a similar taste and no nuts - I have a family of nut haters somehow. This year I wanted to try something new and while looking for something else I spotted this recipe for Raspberry-Stuffed French Toast with Custard Sauce. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a baker and I don't like anything complicated. This didn't look too bad and I usually have most of the ingredients except Neufchatel cheese. It was delicious!!! Everyone loved it this morning and I highly recommend it. Do pay attention to the fact it serves NINE. I'm going to try freezing our leftovers - we'll see how they fare.

And Christmas isn't Christmas without the bathrobe early morning bleary eyed pictures. And yes, that is a blender that Motocross Boy got for Christmas!! His VERY own blender for making his yummy smoothies.

Equestrian Girl is showing off a silver blingy necklace and earrings set that she will wear for Western Pleasure classes next year.

Scott and I are not in any pictures this year. The kids were up at 3 a.m. squeaking the floor boards and talking LOUDLY hoping we'd wake up (as if we could sleep through that!) and let them come down to open presents. Made them wait until 6:30ish.