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PROJECTS APLENTY: Our campus kitchen looks like a color bomb went off right about now. We've got two projects going. One involves making some Christmas cookies. And because we like a challenge, there are about six different designs going on. Annabelle helped with my new favorite recipe - one I concocted yesterday. I wanted a tiny chocolate cookie that tastes a bit like those Girl Scouts' thin mints, because I wanted to frost them like peppermints. I don't even LIKE chocolate mint, but I have to say, these cookies are delicious.

Annabelle helped decorate them. First, they have to be flooded with white, then a colored asterisk is applied, then a toothpick is used to swirl the color to help create the peppermint candy look.

The other project occupying our kitchen is big brother Rick's book about chess that he's writing as part of his master's in teaching program. We've been helping him sculpt his pieces out of Sculpey - a media Annabelle and CJ have some experience in thanks to their Yoshi sculptures from last year.

BATTY: On the way to class this a.m., the kids read along with a CD narrating "Bat Loves the Night." It jammed a lot of batty info into a short picture book. After finishing the book Annabelle said to CJ, "So, what kind of bat would you like to be?"

CJ didn't hesitate in replying, "A vampire bat!" No doubt his choice was swayed by the magic and the myths associated with that type of bat.

Annabelle said, "I'd like to be a Bulldog bat," a species we'd learned about in the book. When I asked her why that type she said, "Because I like fish." I had to admit I'd never herd of a fish-eating bat before today. I told her it made me picture a bat trying to swim. Naturally, Annabelle then took it upon herself to explain to me that Bulldog bats swoop down and snatch fish out of the water, using their talons. That makes more sense, but I still like the image of a bat flapping around in the water ...

CHEEZY MATH: One of the last exercises in the kids' now complete Singapore 2B math books was about edges, faces and vertices of shapes. Here's a pic of CJ counting corners and such before consuming some dairy geometry.

CJ's KIND OF CRAFT: Not sure it would count as a continuation of his recently completed textiles unit in science class, but lately CJ has enjoyed an online game called "Sewing Super Mario." Last night he kept imploring Christian to take photos of the Marios he'd cross-stitched via computer.

MUSIC MARATHON: Today's entry is short because this afternoon and evening we have a really big show to go to. It's called the "Deck the Hall Ball," and it features a bunch of bands, including Foster the People, Young the Giant, Death Cab for Cutie, and Mumford and Sons. We'll hop the bus to Key Arena and meet Christian there (he'll be coming straight from work). Should be a long night - 4 p.m. until around 11 or later, I'd guess. I was hoping the kids would sleep in a bit today so they'd have more steam for tonight but nooo - they actually got up before 6 a.m. Oh well, we'll take earplugs and neck pillows with us!