knitting my little heart out
a's unfinished scarf, and a half completed dishcloth for grandma marble
a warm winter cowl for mom, I am now working on my third. I made one for mom, (shhh, I think it is still on it's way!!) one for B's sis e, and I am currently working on one for me.
I can finally disclose what I have been working on...I didn't want to let anyone get glimpses before they opened their gifts! :)
the building up until Christmas was tiring on my slim fingers, but filled with joy. I knit, knit, knit like crazy for gifts for our family. It is so fun to knit and think about the person while you are knitting their item. I have knit scarves, and cowls this year mostly and the usual knitter's fave granny dishcloths as well. We tried to do Christmas as homemade as we could, and as local as possible. It was so much less hectic, and way more enjoyable.
What did you get to make for your loved ones this christmas season?
MERRY CHRISTMAS to you from us!!
My little boys decided to serenade in our Christmas with their own rendition of
"the twelve days of Christmas"enjoy!
bungaree sing: twelve days of christmas
The boys love this song, LOVE it. J and O will ask me to sing it over and over. Today j volunteered to sing it for oliver (it is a little tiny book with the pictures) I guess something stuck from all the singing, but seriously it is HARD to get them straight! :)
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UvvYzelFdw&hl=en&fs=1]
A Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
160 Pages
Classic Christmas Fiction
Fantastic! This is a classic, and as most classics go I had yet to read it. I am so behind in that department. I have read some, and actually A Tale of Two Cities also by Dickens is one of my all time favourite classics. Dickens does ramble. I remember that from the other book and this one (as short as it was) he did ramble as well. I like that style though, rambling and all, it seems more conversational for that period.
I know seriously everyone has seen a play, watched the Muppet version, the mickey mouse version or one of the other 100 renditions, so you should all know the storyline at least. I won't go there. But, it is for sure about much more than just the spirit of Christmas, it is the spirit of giving, of loving, and of caring for not just those that have less but all of those around you. I think that Christmas is the perfect time to bring that plan into action, and I I think that is why Dickens chose this season. Hearts are more open, emotions revved, and your ear is naturally more bent toward others. I love this season, I love Christmas and the celebrations and the family time.
I am so glad I FINALLY read this classic, I should have read it a long time ago....but at least I did this year right!? :) What is your favourite Christmas story? (or your favourite classic)
A Child’s Christmas In Wales
Title: A Child's Christmas in Wales
Author: Dylan Thomas
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Pages: 48
Genre: Children's Christmas
Yearly Count b: 91
This is the first time I have been exposed to the book by Dylan Thomas. Since I was young we would watch the TV version of this and loved it. Since the book was selected for the online book club, Travel the World (from a comfy chair) this month, and it is really short I read right through it. I read it to my little boys. They were mostly curious as to why kids would think it was fun to throw snowballs at cats. My two little ones have three cats and they knew that was a naughty thing to do for sure! I couldn't help but see them smile during the description of the fire where the slipper is being waved around. It is neat being able to share this with my kids.
I like reading it allowed, the words flow so strongly from the lips and even though my boys are too young to understand their beauty, sharing beauty even at their age is priceless to me. It is all about exposure to the arts at this point and to give them wings. Even if the beauty goes over their heads, the pictures are so amazing that they stare at them the entire time. Chris Raschka is the artist and the book received A New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Children's Book for his illustrations. I don't think I need to say much more than that, other than that they are somehow earthy in tones and colours, rustic in their perfection and perfectly, intensely real as well. The lines are jagged, and imperfect and yet the detail of the paintings brilliantly glows through to form a whole image that is nothing less than spectacular.
So, there you go, the words are amazing...many of you have heard this short story of Wales, and the pictures I believe equally match the performance of the words, a marriage meant to be (at least in my book ;). I am going to institute the tradition of reading this book allowed to my kids, even when they can read on their own, or when they can read on their own they can read it to us! I think every household should own a copy of this book!
christmas tree hunting in the pacific northwest
Our hunt in photos. We set out, we saw, we cut, we came home, we decorated. A good hunt indeed.
Is it a bad thing when the owner shows you were the boot scraper is? :)
Christmas Traditions
Advent starts today, the fourth Sunday before Christmas. The boys really haven't been old enought before to do anything too involved, but this year they are ready. We are going to innitiate two traditions, both advent things, both which celebrate family, gathering together, and what we are waiting expectantly for which is the celebration of Jesus' birth, Christmas.
Jesse Tree:
We are going to do the Jesse Tree which is a daily devotional time spent together learning about the specific incidents in the Old Testament which lead up to the Birth of Christ. Here is a definition I found at disciples now:
An ancient tradition of visually representing Jesus' family tree used by generations to prepare for Christmas. Based on the prophet Isaiah's references to the "root" and the "branches" of Jesse (King David's father) when Isaiah prophesied about the hope of the Messiah, the Jesse Tree reminds us that God’s plan has been forever and that we are a part of it.
Each day you read through the verses, and then hang one symbolic ornaments on the Jesse Tree. We started today.
4th Sunday before Christmas:
Persons, Events/Themes: Introduction to the Jesse Tree
Scripture: 1 Samuel 16: 1-13, Isaiah 11: 1-10
Symbol/Ornament: The tree
Additional Resources:
The Jesse Tree: Celebration of Advent
Bungaree Advent Calendar :
The second tradition we are going to do is we have an advent calendar that starts on the first of December marking the days up until Christmas. I know that kids can be excited about many more things than material gifts, but we can soon make them calloused to our gifts of time, energy and togetherness. This is a season to celebrate Christ, but we also would enjoy celebrating the gift that we have of spending time together. Each day we will choose a new thing to do together here are some of the (age appropriate) things I have come up with:
*make cookies for some friends and deliver
*play a game together
*listen to Christmas music while eating popcorn
*drive around looking at Christmas lights
*make a gift together for someone
*watch a good Christmas movie
*go to a coffee shop for a special hot drink
*read the Christmas story together by the tree
*make cut-out snowflakes for the windows
Do you have any special holiday memories? Do you have a tradition that you look forward to every Christmas season? Do you have any more ideas for things to do with our almost-5 and almost-3 year olds? Oh, do share!!
The Latest Posts:
- Mrs. Wanda Wilson’s Spicy Pickled Asparagus {Recipe}
- Off To The Oregon Coast
- To Open My Hands
- The Strength that Moves Me
- He Wished for Snow for Christmas, He Got it For His Birthday.
- Oh I Wonder, How I Wonder…Who Would You Be, Shiloh?
- Reminding My Heart to Be Thankful
- What Love Looks Like
I (adoringly) HEART—>
