Well, there is definitely no snow... poor old Frosty is just a puddle here. But Kanga will insist on singing it anyway, as well as Jingle Bells. Our boys are so excited even though we have told them Santa only brings one present, maybe, and the other few are from Mumma and Dadda.
-
So here we are on the glorious first day of December and for the first time in our family we are celebrating Advent (even though technically I think it began yesterday, I just wasn't ready yet, oops).
So we kicked it off with a homemade Advent calendar Kookaburra and I made together on Sunday.
We filled up a glass vase full of shells and stones we've collected on our many trips to the beach and procured a branch from the back yard and placed it in said vase. We then made 24 origami baskets and decorated the branches of the Advent tree (imaginatively named don't ya think, he he) with them and voila....
I had to split the images because the one image couldn't communicate what a great job our boys and I did.
Inside these sweet little baskets we've squirreled away tiny treasures, one for each day of Advent, they are things like bells or a candle etc . They all represent something for Advent and the birth of Christ, with a lovely bible verse to share. I wish I'd thought of this but my strength appears to be resourcing and these little gems came thankfully from www.teachingmom.com under the Heart of the Matter- Advent (unfortunately the site is under upgrades, so we can't access it at the moment :( .
I've also placed my own little notes for the day in the basket as well, ithese contain instructions for craft or cooking, or an outing. Today our note told the boys to decorate our tree and house, create an Advent candle wreath and make a prayer chain for all our friends and family. Whilst I'm still very uncertain about God and Christianity, I feel that giving our boys a thoughtful and studied approach to the celebration of Christs' birth, is far better for us than wallowing in commercialism and consumption.
I have enjoyed today and am so grateful for the chance to learn alongside tour boys. If anyone has been blessed, I feel its me.
I have always wanted to celebrate Christmas in a more organised fashion and thanks to the following websites and the numerous Christmas magazines I've bought over time, this year Ive done it! Woohoo!!!
-So here we are on the glorious first day of December and for the first time in our family we are celebrating Advent (even though technically I think it began yesterday, I just wasn't ready yet, oops).
So we kicked it off with a homemade Advent calendar Kookaburra and I made together on Sunday.
We filled up a glass vase full of shells and stones we've collected on our many trips to the beach and procured a branch from the back yard and placed it in said vase. We then made 24 origami baskets and decorated the branches of the Advent tree (imaginatively named don't ya think, he he) with them and voila....
I had to split the images because the one image couldn't communicate what a great job our boys and I did.
Inside these sweet little baskets we've squirreled away tiny treasures, one for each day of Advent, they are things like bells or a candle etc . They all represent something for Advent and the birth of Christ, with a lovely bible verse to share. I wish I'd thought of this but my strength appears to be resourcing and these little gems came thankfully from www.teachingmom.com under the Heart of the Matter- Advent (unfortunately the site is under upgrades, so we can't access it at the moment :( .
I've also placed my own little notes for the day in the basket as well, ithese contain instructions for craft or cooking, or an outing. Today our note told the boys to decorate our tree and house, create an Advent candle wreath and make a prayer chain for all our friends and family. Whilst I'm still very uncertain about God and Christianity, I feel that giving our boys a thoughtful and studied approach to the celebration of Christs' birth, is far better for us than wallowing in commercialism and consumption.
I have enjoyed today and am so grateful for the chance to learn alongside tour boys. If anyone has been blessed, I feel its me.
I have always wanted to celebrate Christmas in a more organised fashion and thanks to the following websites and the numerous Christmas magazines I've bought over time, this year Ive done it! Woohoo!!!
Thanks to BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/bach/adventcalendar/index.shtml) we have a new piece of Bach to listen to when we explore our Advent pockets for the all of Advent.
Artcyclopedia has a brilliant piece of Art work to share with us everyday as well (http://www.artcyclopedia.com/feature-2003-12.html) which our boys are printing off a copy and placing in their Christmas scrapbook. Children are never to young for the Arts, it's only when we make it mysterious and unaccessable that it becomes out of their realm.
Child friendly devotionals (http://michaelshope.com//throughmychristmaswindow.html) are here.
Christmas Advent Story Colouring Book (http://www.dltk-bible.com/advent/index.htm) to fill in any spare time.
Teaching Mom has some awesome resources (http://www.teachingmom.com/features/advent.html) which I've borrowed loads from.
Belief net has a great interactive calendar (http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/Advent/Beliefnet-Interactive-Advent-Calendar.aspx)
Online Interactive World Calendar (http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/calendar/), these we also printed off and placed in the boys scrapbooks which I hope we will follow up, by reading about the respective countries in our home library.
I can't resist adding one more, this a very easy and simple advent site to follow (http://www.homeschooled-kids.com/advent.html)
Okay well, I hope somebody found the links useful.
And I'll keep posting the great things I'm sure the boys and I will be creating over Advent together.
Happy first day of Advent everybody.
Artcyclopedia has a brilliant piece of Art work to share with us everyday as well (http://www.artcyclopedia.com/feature-2003-12.html) which our boys are printing off a copy and placing in their Christmas scrapbook. Children are never to young for the Arts, it's only when we make it mysterious and unaccessable that it becomes out of their realm.
Child friendly devotionals (http://michaelshope.com//throughmychristmaswindow.html) are here.
Christmas Advent Story Colouring Book (http://www.dltk-bible.com/advent/index.htm) to fill in any spare time.
Teaching Mom has some awesome resources (http://www.teachingmom.com/features/advent.html) which I've borrowed loads from.
Belief net has a great interactive calendar (http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/Advent/Beliefnet-Interactive-Advent-Calendar.aspx)
Online Interactive World Calendar (http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/Xmas/calendar/), these we also printed off and placed in the boys scrapbooks which I hope we will follow up, by reading about the respective countries in our home library.
I can't resist adding one more, this a very easy and simple advent site to follow (http://www.homeschooled-kids.com/advent.html)
Okay well, I hope somebody found the links useful.
And I'll keep posting the great things I'm sure the boys and I will be creating over Advent together.
Happy first day of Advent everybody.
2 comments:
Show off! No really, I love what you've done, the advent calendar in particular is awesome! Can't wait to see what other creative things you come up with.
Jane, thankyou for inspiring me as always!! Wow, I love your Advent tree. :) What a great idea.
I agree, it's a beautiful time to embrace with our kids- a time of waiting, of anticipation and joy and giving and excitement! Thanks for all the links... I'm going to get time to look at them all one day soon, I hope.... :)
Post a Comment