Snow Fun

My house may not be scrubbed clean before Sabbath, and there may be a pile of laundry to iron later, but my kids are all sparkly-eyed and rosy-cheeked from a morning out in the snow.

Advent Activities Days 8-12

David's been gone on a business trip this week, plus I've been starting to feel overwhelmed with all the things still on my to-do list before birthdays/Christmas, so I spent some time making lists and deciding what was most important.  Blogging got pushed pretty far down.

So, here's a synopsis of the last several days:

Sabbath - we were gone all day, and though we didn't have an official Advent Calendar activity, it was filled with fun and festivities.  We had our church Christmas program in the evening.  The kids loved helping Daddy prep the video cameras in the afternoon, enjoyed the great music, and then relished the the late-night treat of cookies and juice.

Sunday - Wrap Christmas presents! I'm hoping that having a few days between prepping gifts and Daddy coming home the kids will forget and not tell him what's in them! ;)

Monday - paint Christmas ornaments.  It was with much fear and trembling that we did this one.  I didn't have time to get to the store (single parenthood really puts a kink on "quick" errands!) to get washable tempera paints, so I pulled out my acrylics.  I gave the "This won't come out of your clothes!" lecture.  It's amazing how careful and calm they were.  Yeah!!!

Tuesday - Our official activity was to listen to a dramatized Christmas story in the evening, but our morning was spent enjoying the women's ministry Christmas get-together.  The kids and I got to sing carols, make cards, and eat Christmas cookies after a soup lunch.  What fun!

Wednesday - Make a Christmas paper chain.  Ethan has done this in Sabbath School, but this was a completely new activity for Katie.  I think she was more into it than he, but we all had fun.

Advent Activities Day 7 - Open a Christmas Present

It's always been our goal to limit and spread out the presents throughout the holiday season.  This helps to prevent the Christmas morning overload and lets them enjoy each gift separately.  It also creates an element of suspense and excitement, since they never know what evening they might be able to open something.

We've also made a point to always give some gift that they can add to their Sabbath toy bin.  This present is always opened some Friday night during December.  This year, my mom sent an amazing puzzle that we thought would be perfect for the Sabbath present.  They got to open and enjoy it this evening.

Thank you Grandma Audrey.  They loved it!

Happy Sabbath!

Ethan got the privilege of opening the gift.

What are you looking at?  I rule here.  Inky quickly got sent
downstairs so we could put the puzzle together in peace.

Four feet long!

It was so big we were crossing over each other to put our
pieces in.

All finished!  When we completed it the kids asked if this
was a picture of the animals in the Garden of Eden.

Advent Activities Day 6 - Making Ornaments

A little styrofoam ball...

Plus some scraps of Christmas fabric...

Add a little glue....

And some creativity...

Don't forget the concentration...

And you end up with great Christmas ornaments!

Some like it red.

Advent Activities Day 5 - A Delicious Disaster

Since whatever perishable items we put in our little Christmas packages to family have to last the week or more it takes to get to Canada, cookies are the logical (and yummy) choice.  Earlier this week I wasted spent time online looking for yummy options and ran across this one:  www.sugarhero.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6024504.  The thought of biting into a cookie-wrapped Junior Mint was just too much to resist.  And of course, since it's for family, I'd only have the opportunity to try one or two, not the whole batch! :)

So this morning, that was our little adventure...and it flopped.  Big time. (the Junior Mints melted through the dough and then we couldn't get them off the tray in one piece.)  But it's an ohhhh sooooo yummy flop!

So, we moved on and made last week's Andes Peppermint Chunk cookies.  I'll have to find some other recipes to try, and hopefully the kids aren't burnt out on cookie-making!

Meanwhile...the kids are happily making more Christmas cards for everyone.

Advent Activities Day 4 - Make Christmas Cards

Our official activity was to make Christmas cards for the aunt, uncles, and grandparents this evening, but our other Christmasy activities kind of crowded out our time.  We spent most of our day going around shopping for Christmas gifts for Daddy and a few others I wanted the kids involved in...and for once there wasn't a lot of complaining about going from store to store!

I've given David the official notice that it's December, and therefore starting today if there's a strange grocery bag here or there that he doesn't already know what's in it, LEAVE IT ALONE!! December is full of secrets! :)

Advent Activities Day 3 - Make a Hot Drink

When kids are overtired and hyper, creative switching of activities occurs.  Tonight's simple activity - enjoy a hot drink!

Advent Activities Day 2 - Popcorn Strings

Advent Activities Day 1 - Decorate for Christmas

Katie setting up her nativity set on her dresser

Ethan's nativity in his room

Katie's arrangement.  

I guess the wisemen arrived before the shepherds in this story.
He told us he wants to rearrange it every day, so I guess the
story will be different tomorrow.

The most important gift of all - our hearts

Merry Christmas from the Curriers!