Advent Adventures: December 17th
Another week of December has come and gone and I can hardly believe it! We are having so much fun doing Christmas-y things in our household! I really don't want it to end!!I think the difference this year is that Piper is finally old enough to really get what is going on! Here is what the past week looked like for us...
We've set up a Christmas reading center which the girls LOVE! They are crazy about books to begin with but this is extra special. Each morning, I read a new book then add it to their book shelf. They have been spending so much time in this spot!
We finally got the tree up and decorated. Thankfully, Daddy was there to help as I had a major headache that morning but I still managed to take some pics and hand out ornaments! My favorite part is telling them little stories about where the ornament came from or why it was given.
Piper did a lamb craft after reading The Crippled Lamb
by Max Lucado. This was a sweet little story about a lamb who because of his crippled leg can't go to the far away fields with the shepherds and other sheep. By having to stay back at the stable, he finds that God has a reason for everything, even our disabilities, as that night it is the lamb who has the honour of snuggling up to the newborn baby, Jesus to keep him warm.
by Max Lucado. This was a sweet little story about a lamb who because of his crippled leg can't go to the far away fields with the shepherds and other sheep. By having to stay back at the stable, he finds that God has a reason for everything, even our disabilities, as that night it is the lamb who has the honour of snuggling up to the newborn baby, Jesus to keep him warm.
We spent a day on candy canes starting with "Legend Of The Candy Cane C
" by Lori Walburg. Then we made marble painted candy canes, an idea we got from Hubbard's Cupboard Christmas.
" by Lori Walburg. Then we made marble painted candy canes, an idea we got from Hubbard's Cupboard Christmas. Legend of the Candy Cane
Look at the Candy Cane
---what do you see?
Stripes that are red
like the blood shed for me.
White is for my Savior
who's sinless and pure!
"J" is for Jesus, my Lord,
that's for sure!
Turn it around and a staff
you will see---
Jesus, my shepherd,
was born for me!
---Author Unknown
---what do you see?
Stripes that are red
like the blood shed for me.
White is for my Savior
who's sinless and pure!
"J" is for Jesus, my Lord,
that's for sure!
Turn it around and a staff
you will see---
Jesus, my shepherd,
was born for me!
---Author Unknown
We then went on to make these pretty and yummy Candy Cane Sugar Cookies. Piper enjoyed rolling them out and tried braiding them although that was a bit more daunting of a task!
She worked on colors by coloring each present according to the directions on the card. This was an activity from 1+1+1=1's Christmas Tot Pack. Piper is getting really good at identifying her colors (finally!).
She enjoyed doing a puzzle of baby Jesus but it wasn't easy. I think this is probably due to the fact that the pieces don't fit together like a regular puzzle but she liked it so much she asked to do it several days in a row! (Also from the 1+1+1=1 Christmas Tot Pack)
We did a day all about the star that God used to lead the wise men to Jesus. She did this star craft that we found at Hubbard's Cupboard Christmas, sang "Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star" from 1+1+1=1 Christmas Songs and read "The Tiny Star
" by Arthur Ginolfi.
" by Arthur Ginolfi.
We read "Who Is Coming To Our House
" by Joseph Slate and did an activity where Pipe had to sort the People from the Animals. No problem-o! Except she couldn't tell me what animal the goat was. They say you learn something new every day and that day she learned what a goat looks like! :)
" by Joseph Slate and did an activity where Pipe had to sort the People from the Animals. No problem-o! Except she couldn't tell me what animal the goat was. They say you learn something new every day and that day she learned what a goat looks like! :)
Christmas pre-writing skills...this was interesting...I'd try to help, she didn't want help, I'd back off, she'd start going off course so i'd offer help again, she'd accept it until she was doing well again, then "No, Mama! Me do it!"...you might notice on the last one, I simply gave up!
For some cutting practice, Piper cut out the pieces of the stable, star, and baby Jesus then glued them onto paper to make the nativity scene. Cutting is another thing I see great improvement in! For her stocking, I ordered Koopy scissors and am anxious to see if they prove helpful in learning this skill!
(The last 3 activities came from the 1+1+1=1 Nativity Preschool Pack)
We've also been learning Luke 2:11 by using the Songs for Saplings
Christmas song and this printable from Totally Tots. Taitum especially loves this song because there is clapping involved!
Christmas song and this printable from Totally Tots. Taitum especially loves this song because there is clapping involved!
Finally, today, we worked together on decorating our wrapping paper! We used brown packing paper and stamped it with tempra paint. I love the look of it! And its a lot easier to wrap with since it doesn't tear as easily! Notice Piper hopping down the paper, stamping as she goes along! Such a cutie! Now onto wrapping the gifts...next week!
Only one week til Christmas Eve! I hope you all are enjoying this season and taking some time to relax and enjoy it! Next week, we will be working on Christmas gifts for the family (but that's top secret!).
4 comments:
What great fun you're having! The girls' blonde hair is so cute, I love seeing their little faces!
Love the wrapping paper idea!! What a fun week!
Sounds like a busy week--full of happy memories for all of you. I laughed when I read about your favorite part of the tree decorating--as I too would sit and hand out each ornament to the girls and tell them where it came from and the story behind it. Have a Happy, Blessed Holiday and Happy 2011
That must be a Mama thing, Sandi! I hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
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