It seems we have a new baby in the house again this year, but we're not going to let that slow us down. We'll slow down on school as we do every December and focus on Christmas. We'll bake, do crafts, wrap gifts, watch Christmas movies and listen to Christmas music. Lots of fun as we anticipate the joy of Christmas.
Baking
This never seems to change, I bake the same things every year, but I like
it that way. There is something comforting to me about baking the same cookies and breads every year. They bring back memories of baking with my mom year after year while staying up late and watching Christmas movies. It really didn't
get much better than that. Even though I tend to do most of the baking with the
boys during the day, since we're home we will turn on a movie or music and have a wonderful
time. I hope that when they are older and have families of their own, they will look back on those days baking with me in the kitchen and they will bring back wonderful memories of happy times together.
Pumpkin Bread
Cranberry Bread
Sugar Cookies
Thumbprint Cookies
Ginger Snaps
Snickerdoodles
Mexican Wedding Cake
Fudge
The boys would love if we did candy cane cookies, but they are such a pain that I may skip them.
Jesse Tree
We've been doing a Jesse Tree for quite a few years now. At the beginning of Advent I schedule each one of the kids days on a rotating basis and every night someone gets to hang an ornament on the
tree and we read the corresponding scripture to go with it. We use the
small artificial tree (table top size) that I bought years ago and the
same ornaments that Grant and Parker colored the year we started the Jesse Tree. I am still trying to decide if I'm going to have the boys color new ones. I've thought about this for a few years, but there is something nice about using the original ornaments. The ornaments we're using I got here and when backed on construction paper they've held up very well.
This year I also bought this "Study Guide" to go with our Jesse Tree. I found it on Sanctus Simplicitus and can't wait to use it.
Manger
My father made us a small doll sized manger several years at Parker's
request. Every day the kids then fill the manger with a couple pieces
of straw/hay for good deeds done and sacrifices made and by Christmas
Day the manger is full and we put baby Jesus in his warm, soft bed.
Jotham's Journey
We've been reading this story for many years now and the boys just love
this and look forward to it all year. There are now three stories in
the series. We read Bartholomew's Passage two years ago and while it was good, it wasn't as good as the original one. Parker really wants to get Tabitha's Travels which I didn't end up getting last year. I think I'll pick it up this year and we can read that. You can find
the stories at places like Amazon and Christian Book Distributors.
Advent Wreath
I still haven't made a new wreath out of greens, so we're going to use
our pewter one again this year. It's one of those things I say I'm
going to do every year and haven't quite gotten to. So we'll light the
wreath every night and wait excitedly for each new candle to be lit
knowing we're getting that much closer to Christmas Day.
Advent Calendar
When Grant and Parker were little I purchased a magnetic calendar that
hangs on the fridge. I'm so happy I did, it's held up very well and the
kids enjoy building the nativity scene on the fridge each year.
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