We Wish you a...

Merry Christmas!

Wednesday's Website

Organized Christmas!

Tons of cute ideas. I personally am planning to make the adorable hot chocolate stocking stuffer! I even ran to the store last night to buy the cake decorating bags.

Hope your holiday planning is going smoothly and that you get to enjoy your family and friends this season!
Shannon

Ho, Ho, Ho!

So, I have been putting off the trip to the jolly old elf this year. I avoid the mall most of the time anyway but especially at Christmas time. Plus, it is always so tense...waiting in crazy long hot lines with Josh who is never really "sure" of the whole thing. He wants to go but...

Anyway, my sweet neighbor told me about this store near us that was having a Santa event today. She said that it involved reindeer and santa but that is really all I knew. Since it did NOT involve the mall I was all in!

After lunch today we jumped into the car and headed to Horrocks market!
We were directed by a grandmotherly lady, heading to her car, to the area where Santa was sitting. He was at the end of a line of children (of course!) but on the way was a fenced in area with the reindeer. They were wandering a bit and you could feed them. It was very cool! And it made the wait go by super fast. Josh pet Comet and tried to feed them but they were not really hungry!

It was finally our turn for Santa. He was stationed in a cute little sleigh that the children could sit next to him in, not on his lap! Luckily I thought to bring my camera. We snapped a few pictures and Josh read him his letter to Santa. (thanks Kylie Our Worldwide Classroom!)

Then we headed into the store where they had free face painting, free ice cream, and all kinds of goodies!

What a super fun FREE day! Our pictures turned out pretty good and I even uploaded my card order to pick up tomorrow! (We love Costco)

Christmas Fun!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Mocha Cappaccino or Frappe (wait...what IS the difference?)

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Well, it is our tradition to just sit them out...it is also our tradition to worry nonstop about "the gift perfection" until it stresses us (read ME) unreasonably! (Funny (now) story, last year Josh woke up at like 4am and went downstairs and checked out all his Santa gifts. I cried! Stinker!)

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? On the rare occassion that we actually get to hanging the lights...we do the white ones.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Definitely! Josh actually asked yesterday when we would put it up...just after he kissed me under it at the dollar store. (makes up for #2)

5. When do you put your decorations up? Usually the weekend after Thanksgiving but it is slow going this year!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? Fudge and Snowy Trail Mix

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? The year my Dad had me pick out a gift for my Mom. On Christmas morning I opened it and thought he had messed up. Still not getting that it was actually for me! I even hid it in my closet for him for like a month!

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? ...What do you mean?

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We have Josh open up gifts from extended family. Helps to break it up a bit!

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? mostly with Josh made ornaments and old stuff from Andrew and my childhood! We also have a couple nice collections (Lenox Snowman and Beleek Doors)

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Dread it.

12. Can you ice skate? I went once when I was in 6th grade, did okay then???

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? That is really hard...I have received so many wonderful gifts. Maybe my Ipod!

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Making it great for Andrew and Josh.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? see #6

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Advent Calendar

17. What tops your tree? Silver Star

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? Santa Baby and God rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

20. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? No thank you...unless it is made of chocolate!

21 Favorite Christmas Show? Josh and I love Christmas movies but I guess my favorite is still the original Grinch!

22. Saddest Christmas Song? Ugh, the one about the boy who wants to buy shoes for his dying Mom...I must turn that off as soon as it comes on!

Feel free to copy this post and fill it out on your blog. HT- Missy

Advent Calendar

Here is our schedule for advent activities. I would like to have all the required materials assembled beforehand so I can just grab it and we can do it. But we shall see... I have an advent calendar with 24 little drawers, so I just print the activity on a slip of paper and stuff in the tiny drawer. Josh opens the correct drawer in the morning and sometime that day we do the activity!

Hope you have a Very Merry Christmas!

1. Begin Lego Advent Calendar!
2. Decorate for Christmas
3. Glittery initial ornaments
4. Christmas Cookies
5. Cookie exchange and Talent Show
6. Picture With Santa
7. Roll a Christmas tree
   Dotted sheet Tree
8. Button Wreath Ornament
9. Nativity Cutouts
10. Santa With a cotton beard!
11. Reindeer Addition Roll and Color
12. Christmas tree Puzzle
13. Christmas Movie marathon w/ Popcorn
14. Pom Pom Garland
15. Magnetic Bookmarks
16. Decorate felt Stocking
17. Photo Ornament
18. Wrap Presents
19. Pretend Christmas Eve at Nana's
20. Pretend Christmas Day at Nana's
21. Make Fudge
22. Felt Holly Napkin Rings
23. Reindeer food
24. Christmas Eve at Grandma & Grandpa's House

From My Family to Yours

Merry Christmas!

Hope you have a blessed holiday!

Wednesday's Website

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

This website tracks Santa's progress around the world...showing "real" pictures/glimpses of him on Christmas eve. It is too fun and quite a thrill to share with your kids on Christmas eve! So if you go in for all the Santa-ness of Christmas, be sure to check this out!

Training Tuesday

This one was an obvious choice for this week! Gift wrapping...of course! Joshua has been pretending to wrap gifts with all his old baby blankets since my birthday in October. So we just figured we might as well put him to work. You may recall that Josh was buying gifts for all of us with his coin rolling money/allowance. So I saved out all those gifts for him to wrap.

He did pretty good! Lots of tape and I am not sure everything is completely covered but he sure did work real hard at it.

Our Advent Schedule

I have a confession...

I am totally lazy...especially during the Winter. Living in Snow up to your you know what Michigan just makes me want to stay in PJs all day and watch movies. But I can't or at least I shouldn't so instead I have to make....err I mean motivate myself to join the living...

This is a super simple task during Advent because I just make an Advent calender to give us at least one special activity to do every day. I keep these pretty simple and with minimal ingredients or I will just find an excuse not to do it!

So anyway...here is our list...

1. Write list for Santa
2. Cinnamon and applesauce ornaments http://sjbacb.blogspot.com/2008/12/ornament-ideas.html
3. Visit Santa at the mall
4. Set up Josh's Nativity http://www.fisherprice-littlepeople.com/
5. Paper chain for Josh's bedroom tree or maybe http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheCraftyCrow/~3/475437202/pom-pom-garland.html
6. Fireplace, movie, popcorn night
7. Set out the race track with Daddy and race cars
8. Sew stocking http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/christmas/paperstocking/index.shtml
9. Paper snowflakes
10. Foam Frames
11. Play in the snow and come in for some Hot Vanilla (Josh hates chocolate!) http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50502
12. Hand print tree or wreath http://just4funwithsandy.blogspot.com/2008/11/we-made-christmas-trees-with-our-hands.html
13. Activity with Daddy
14. Watch the Polar Express
15. Make Crystal Snowflakes http://www.recipegoldmine.com/crafts/crystal-ornaments.html
16. Make new ornaments for our tree http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheCraftyCrow/~3/475437202/pom-pom-garland.html
17. Paper strip ornaments http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2008/12/sent-in-by-you.html
18. Make Snow trail Mix http://jas.familyfun.go.com/recipefinder/display?id=50520
19. Put up Josh's Bedroom Tree
20. Gingerbread houses with graham crackers
21. Watch the Grinch and Eat popcorn
22. Make Christmas cookies
23. Decorate a white felt stocking
24. Open presents from Mommy's Aunts and Uncles!

So, anyway, I just type these all up and print them on paper strips and stick them in this tree shaped drawer system. I found it last year when I was in the check out at Target. We have a Starbucks in ours and I saw the tree and knew I had to have it for Josh. I had been drooling over one of those really expensive wooden ones for awhile but this works great and I saved a ton of money! But really you could just make a paper chain like this easy but adorable idea!

Enjoy your holiday season!

Shannon

Ornament Ideas

Josh and I make ornaments for our tree every year and in a past life I was a Kindergarten teacher. So, I thought I would share some of the ornaments I have made with Children. Hope you find a bit of inspiration...

• Craft Stick Frames ~ With my Kindergarten students, we made tree shaped frames EVERY YEAR! Easy and great gifts! All you need is a photo of the child, 3 green sticks, 1 brown stick, green construction paper, and decorations. Just make a triangle with the green sticks, glue together. Glue the green paper to the pack, trim to fit. Glue the brown stick on as a tree trunk. Allow the child to decorate then glue the picture into the center.
  
• Paper chain ~ This is a good one for the little ones since it uses skills they are/or need to be practicing. (cutting, gluing/stapling, listening) Make it more fun with scrapbook paper etc... Also, if you cut the strips thinner they make a chain that is suitable for a tiny tree. (Perfect for the Kid's room!)
  
• Bead ornaments ~ Super easy! Children can just string beads onto pipe cleaners and either the child or adult can bend into desired shape. (Candy canes, Bells, trees, hearts, wreaths, etc...)
• Foam ornaments ~ Cut desired shape out of foam (we did this last year with a tree). Child can decorate with beads, buttons, rick rack, etc... Glue ribbon on back.
• Cinnamon clay ornaments ~ Mix 1/2 cup cinnamon with 1/2 cup applesauce in a large zip lock bag. Allow child to squish until mixed well. Roll out with rolling pin or just flatten with your hands. Cut out Christmas shapes with cookie cutters. Poke a small hole at the top for hanging. Allow to dry over night (at least!). String with ribbon and hang on the tree.

Around the web...

http://lets-explore.typepad.com/weblog/2008/12/simple-reindeer-ornaments.html

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/12/04/pom-pom-ornaments/

http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/2008/12/felt-ice-skate.html

http://belladia.typepad.com/crafty_crow/2008/12/yarn-star-ornam.html

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/2008/12/sent-in-by-you.html

http://www.skiptomylou.org/2008/12/02/candy-cane-crafts-for-a-crowd/

http://www.thevirtualvine.com/christmas.html Tons of great ideas!

http://www.freekidscrafts.com/paper_christmas_tree_fan-e194.html

Reindeer Snacks

Just thought I'd share a quick, easy project we made a few days ago! They are Reindeer snacks creates from crackers, peanut butter, craisins, raisins, and pretzels. We actually had all the supplies on hand. (BTW, I think most people use a maraschino cherry instead of a craisin but with Josh's no dye life we opted for the craisin!)

This was a great Montessori activity because I just put all the ingredients on a tray, presented how to make the reindeer and let him got to it. Also, it involved the skill I planned to present this week, SPREADING!

Look a bit more like bears than reindeer, next time I will buy the larger pretzels!

MMMMmmm, Yummy!

Shannon

Teacher gifts

I taught for several years and received an array of different gifts for Christmas and my Birthday. It always shocked me how very generous people are to virtual strangers. I mean, yes I was their Child's teacher but often I saw the parents only at Conferences and occasionally at drop off or pick up time.

With Christmas approaching, I wanted to come up with a gift idea for Josh's playgroup teachers at Enchanted Forest. These women are incredibly kind and seem quite fond of the little man, so I really wanted to come up with something that would show our gratitude. (& not break the bank!)

To do this, I thought back on all the lovely gifts I was given over the years. And honestly, although I was often blown away a bit by the more expensive gifts. The ones I liked the most and carry the best memories are the handmade ornaments etc... that the parents helped the children make. I have a cute little ceramic box that was painted by a student, a tiny birdhouse that a young boy adhered pebbles to, and many ornaments for my tree that they took the time to make for me.

So...Josh and I made Christmas tree ornaments for everyone this year, including his teachers. I also made a quick batch of delicious fudge all tucked nicely in small Christmas boxes that I purchased at the dollar store. Not an expensive gift but hopefully they will feel the love behind it and have a bit of brightness in their day because of it!

Shannon