Sunday, December 09, 2007

THIS WEEK'S CHRISTMAS HAPPENINGS


I love Christmas and even though I'm WAY behind on my shopping, card writing, and goody making---all of which we enjoy---we've still been having fun with other seasonal activities.


Monday night, the moms from our homeschool group had our annual Christmas party. It was good to just kick back, catch up on life, and laugh a whole bunch!


Friday at lunch, the homeschool group had its annual party for the kids (and parents, too). We ate lots of delish food and the 60 of us stuffed 76 stockings for the Salvation Army.


Yesterday, hubby and I took the kids to a local Christmas tree farm. This place is so fun for the kids...not only do they get to pick out their own tree and ride in a "sleigh" behind a tractor, but there's also a petting zoo. That was the first stop and the kids (big and little) got a real kick out the the pigs, goats, and sheep. And I was able to remind the younger ones about how sheep give us wool for clothes to wear just like we read about in our Five in a Row Christmas book, A NEW COAT FOR ANNA.


After getting the tree, we popped home to unload the tree and eat a quick lunch before heading out to go shopping. We needed to buy some Christmas goody fixings plus buy gifts and food for P's bday which is today. After getting thru Wal-Mart and Kroger as quickly as possible, we dropped B off for a clogging performance at a retirement home and the rest of us headed home for naps and to start getting ready for tree decorating.


Once B was home, we ate a yummy supper of chicken spaghetti (inspired by family friend's Chris Blackburn's family recipe) then it was time to light up the tree and get on with the decorating...dressing up that big ole green tree with ornaments almost all tied to memories and getting out our 2 nativity sets (a traditional one and a nonbreakable Playmobile one). I love hearing the kids tell about the stories related to special ornaments and the first time we turn on the Christmas tree lights with the room lights off is always wondrous...though Baby M didn't think so. For some reason the tree all lit up scared her just a bit. Who can fathom the mind of a toddler. Oh! And 4 year old T had the honor of helping put the star on top this year.


I'll post some more corresponding photos later. For now I best be getting as hubby just got home from taking the two "oldies" up to church and we need to take a walk.


Bye for now!

3 comments:

Rhonda Jeanne said...

I almost checked that book out of the Richland last week! I opted for Wind in the Willows Christmas.

Elysa said...

We like WIND IN THE WILLOWS, too. :)

A NEW COAT FOR ANNA is about a little girl living in post WWII Europe when things were still very tight financially for most people. She needs a new coat so her mom barters with various people to get the things needed...wool, someone to sew it, etc. The mom is bartering using a few precious things that the family managed to keep despite the war. It is very sweet and a good and gentle introduction to WWII for younger children.

Its a book used in the FIVE IN A ROW curriculum and ALL of the book titles that are used by FIAR are excellent children's literature.

Anonymous said...

That all sounds so wonderful! And we missed Pappy's birthday! Tell him happy birthday from us rotten Coloradans.

We make Chris' chicken spaghetti too. That's funny.