Weekly Wrap Up December Week One

Our theme this month is...Christmas!  Shocking I know!  We are also on a bit of a light learning this month.  Focusing on Christmas books, Christmas movies, Christmas songs, and using Christmas printables from around the web.  Here's what we used this week:

Christmas Books:

Santa's Favorite Story-A great way to start out the season, taking the focus from Santa and putting it on Jesus.  And who better to help out, then Santa himself!

The Night Before Christmas-Illustrated by Mary Engelbriet.  Lots discussion possibilities with this one.  We started with discussing Mary's artistic style. She hides her signature flower design in all but the very last picture in the book.  Sometimes, it is a bit hard to find, but we made a point to find them!  We also discussed rhyming words, and some of the unusual language such as 'coursers' AKA the reindeer.

The Very First Christmas by Paul Maier-It was just a wee bit cold this week to drag the kids out all the way to town for church, so we read this book together.  The text is directly from the book of Luke, with questions from a little boy to help the kids understand better.

Christmas Songs:

I have realized that since my children are not participating in Christmas pageants at school (or at our church-they don't have one), my kids do not know the words to Christmas songs.  At first it was cute, but when your 8 year old still messes up basic songs, it starts to get a bit much.  SO, I realized I needed to teach them the words (and motions if they exist).

This week the songs were:

Away In a Manger.  We did the motions and I was impressed that even Explorer got them.

The 12 Days of Christmas.  I found free printables from 123homeschool4me and used them to help remember the words.  Mostly, the kids knew this one...but a partridge in a pear tree had some interesting ideas :).

Christmas Movies:

We used our own stash and what was on TV.

Charlie Brown's Christmas, Frosty the Snowman,Yes Virgina, Polar Express,Veggie Tales-St. Nicholas, and Super Book-The First Christmas.

Christmas Printables:

Using free printables from around the web, I have been making work packets geared toward each child.

This week I used two packs from 3 Dinosaurs:  The Nativity Pack and Polar Express Pack.

We did a little bit of our 'regular' work, but for the most part this was it.  We also went family roller skating with our AWANA club this week.  And, since I can't roller skate right now, Daddy went along.  We had a ton of fun!

How was your school week? Did you do any fun Christmasy stuff?

Thanks for stopping by!!  Don't forget to enter my current giveaway while you are here!

Lisa

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Resisting the Urge to Get Just a Few More Gifts

Last night I was on Facebook.  Across my feed came a link a friend had posted for a Barbie Princess Charm School Playset, on 1/2 price.  This caught my eye because it was one of the #1 items on Mustang's list last year.  At nearly $40.00 I had talked myself out of buying it for her then.  It had a lot of pieces, looked kinda junky, wasn't worth the money, etc, etc.

This year, though Mustang still enjoys the movie, the playset wasn't really on her list.  But, when I saw that $16.00 price tag-with free shipping since we are prime members-I clicked right on over.  Thankfully, something {probably some One} stopped me.  In years past, I would have happily purchase the item, but this year, I'm trying so hard to only purchase items intentionally.

If you are like me, this last week before Christmas, is the time when our 'Did I do enough?' kicks into overdrive.  And, with discounted wants, the desire becomes SO STRONG!!

I started trying to justify my purchase by making a quick spreadsheet to show myself how her gifts weren't 'as good' as the other kids' gifts.  But they were.  I tried to tell myself that she would be happier with this present then the others.  And, while that may be true, she will not be unhappy with what I had already bought her.  She doesn't know I almost bought the playset.

In my final attempt to appease my materialistic side {which is apparently quite strong, sigh}, I went into the closet where our gifts are stashed.  I pulled EVERYTHING out.  All of it.  I sorted stuff by child and made piles.  I even did a mock run of stocking stuffing.


And that, my friends, was the turning point.


I bought a lot of our gifts ahead this year, at yard sales and such.  Even though I knew what gifts we had, until I set them all out and looked at them, it was easy to forget how nice the purchased items were.

Seeing all the STUFF laid out on the bed, awaiting Christmas morning.  I knew we had ENOUGH!  Knowing that there would be 2 Christmases at 2 Grandparents' houses in addition to the gifts we had made me wonder if we still had too much stuff.

I really do need to get a package of candy canes, and I seriously don't have a gift for my own mother {my perfectionist side is also being difficult}, but I don't need more for my children.  More gifts won't make Christmas better, but they will make me poorer, and I will be wishing we had less for the rest of the year!

I don't think I am alone in this!  Stay strong mommas.  Your babies don't want more gifts this year.  They want more of you!!

I do hope that your Christmas is a good one!  So thankful that God sent us the one gift we really did need, Jesus.

Merry Christmas,

Our Minimalist Journey and Christmas Shopping

When we started out on our journey to minimalism, my focus was to get RID of stuff.  But, it didn't take long before Christmas was staring me in the face.  In years past, I had my Christmas shopping started-and nearly complete-before Black Friday, but this year I have been kinda avoiding it.  I don't like how it brings out the 'I wants' in everyone!  But, while I'd really like to postpone the celebration for about another year or so, it will be here soon, and I want it to be nice!

One thing that has been very important as I have been removing items from our home was to be very purposeful about what I kept and even more purposeful when buying new things.  This mindset has spilled over into my Christmas shopping.  So, these were the questions I asked myself while determining my children's Christmas list (in this order).

1.  What do they need?  Thankfully, there were only a couple of things I could come up with that the children needed.  One needs underwear, Explorer needs a booster seat.  Both went on the list.

2.  What do they truly play with?  You may have to watch your kids for a day, but many times that question is a no brainer.  In Charger's case, he likes legos and Thomas trains.  He'd play with them all day every day if I let him (and sometimes I do!).  Mini Cooper loves the legos, too.  She also likes her Dora dollhouse.  Mustang?  Well, honestly, her only loves are movies and books.  She would tell you she plays with everything, but she doesn't.

3.  Could the favorite toy be expanded?  Adding more types of toys is not likely to change the ones they play with.  It will require you to get more creative about storage, and just mean more toys to keep track of all the pieces.  Focus on the ones they love and get more of them (if it makes sense).

4.  And on the subject of pieces...Charger loves legos.  That's great because if you loose the legos, you can just go GET MORE.  Unless it is a very specific lego build set (which do exist) you can easily get your hands on replacement pieces.  Many toys are not so easily replaced.  Does the toy have a lot of little pieces that can easily be lost?  I suggest finding another toy.  I had picked up a Trio building set this summer to give as a gift to Charger, but I realized it was a new building set that wouldn't go with ours...sold it instead of giving it.

5.  Remember that gifts do not have to be toys.  Books, movies, clothing, and experiences all make great gifts.

6.  No junk.  Now, this is a subjective statement.  But, in years past I have headed off to a $1 discount store to load up on stocking stuffers.  We have also headed to the same said store to allow the kids to pick out items for each other.  We have been disappointed in the quality of nearly everything we got there.  That's not the only place to get junk, either.  If it doesn't end up being a favorite, is it something you would donate to the thrift store?  Something you could sell at a yard sale?  If you wouldn't donate it, it's not worth owning.  Avoid little junkie items, even if it means you just get one thing.  It's not about quantity.

7.  Do you have the space?  TRUE space for the item to look nice and not clutter anything else up?  This includes little pieces.  Mini Cooper loves her Dora dollhouse, but buying more stuff for the dollhouse would mean a bigger storage bin, or getting rid of other pieces. I'd rather not buy something that will make me buy something else, unless it is the true favorite.

8.  Avoid starting new 'collect all the pieces' sets unless you are done with the last one.  And, if you really don't want to buy the next item for your last set...get rid of the other one.  For example, Charger decided to part with his big 'Cars' stuff because he wanted to focus on his Bob the Builder guys instead.

9.  When you have a clear picture of your child's needs and habits, and figure out what you are willing to have in your home, THEN ask what your child wants for Christmas.  If you know he likes legos and he asks for legos, then there is a good chance he will LIKE the gift and PLAY with the gift.  If your daughter plays with dolls all the time and asks for a walking, talking dinosaur, she probably WON'T play with it and it will go to the thrift store the next year, dusty from not being played with (yes I speak from experience).  This should help you fend off the advertisers for the 'biggest and best new thing' and find something your children will really enjoy.

And, when you can't figure out what to get them?  Just get a marshmallow shooter.  Who doesn't want one of those?  (and I'm sorry if you think this negates my no junk statement, looking forward to an afternoon of marshmallow wars!)

Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Learning through Literature: Nine Days to Christmas

Maybe it has to do with our current journey to minimalism, or maybe it has to do with our busy Christmas schedule, or maybe it's that we are technically 'off school' in December {but there's no way I will let my kids run loose all day}, but I wanted something slower and easier for December.  I decided I wanted to learn through books, only, this month.  I liked the way that our Five in a Row lessons were laid out, and decided to do something similar with the Christmas books on our shelf.

The first book I chose was Nine Days to Christmas, A Story of Mexico by Marie Hall Ets & Aurora Labastida.  I picked it up this summer at a yard sale, and had no idea the treat we were in for!

Nine Days to Christmas is a book about a sweet little girl named Ceci who was celebrating her first Posada-a Mexican Christmas party.

I decided to write up a mini 'Row' lesson for Nine Days of Christmas in case you would like to do this for your children.  We did this in just one day, but could easily be spread out to 5.






The first thing we did was to pull out our North America Continent Map.  We looked over our continent cards and located all the countries on the map.  Then, we focused on our 'neighbor' Mexico.  After we established where Mexico was, we were ready to read.  You can do this with any map, but I do think the continent maps are worth their money!

The first page of the story (page 5) mentions that Ceci is in Kindergarten.  So we discussed how old that made her.  After realizing that Ceci was 5 just like Charger, he was very interested.

On page six, and throughout the book, there are various Spanish words.  Pinata, tortilla, and Posada.  I had my children repeat the words and we discussed their meaning.

Pages 8 and 9 offer a beautiful picture of children playing in a garden.  This has so many possibilities, but I helped bring attention to how they were dressed.  Short sleeved dresses in November?  A great opportunity to talk about the weather and various climates-even at Christmas.

On page 10, Ceci's brother, Salvador, tells her that her party is in 21 days, and 9 days before Christmas.  We used our calendar to determine that Ceci's party would be on December 16th and the discussion took place on November the 25th.

Pages 14-17 bring examples of Ceci's yard in Mexico.  She has a stone wall and a gate, which no one around here has.  This was a great opportunity to discuss different types of living quarters.

We discussed different types of church services with the mention of mass on page 18.

Page 18 and 19 have a beautiful spread of a pond with ducks swimming.  Ceci feeds the ducks.  On pages 20 and 21, she tries to BE a duck.  She feels sorry for how cold the ducks must be.  We brought in our lessons about ducks from The Story of Ping that we rowed earlier this year.  We knew that ducks don't get wet, so they don't get cold.  LOTS of great ways to take this part!

Ceci and her family have a servant named Maria.  On page 22 and other pages, it discusses what kinds of work she is responsible to do.  Obviously, this is a big culture difference not only between countries, but between economic groups.

When Ceci's mother takes her to the Mexican market on pages 26 and 27, there is a lot to be discussed.  We talked about the beautiful market, bartering, and I tried to help my children understand what a market is. Hopefully we can go to a big one someday.  I've been to a few, and it's just hard to describe!  The picture is beautiful!  Also, if you know Spanish, or want to look up the words, each of the areas of the market are labeled in Spanish.

Ceci gets to pick a pinata, which goes on for about 6 pages.  The pinatas 'talk' to Ceci and make animal noises, ask questions, and beg for her to choose them.  My children enjoyed picking out their pinatas from the pictures.  Charger even picked the same one that Ceci did-maybe it's a 5 year old thing :).

Pages 34-37 Ceci and her family prepare for the Posada.  We discussed preparing for parties here and there.  We talked about the fruit and candy that Ceci was putting in her pinata.  My children had never heard of fruit in a pinata-I liked the idea :).

Pages 38-41 have a wonderful description of the Posada itself.  Ceci is dressed in 'traditional' Mexican clothing, and she and another boy carry a tray with Mary, Joesph, and the donkey through her yard.  The others at the party follow behind them.  They walk to the door of the house and knock, behind the door people sing back that there is no room for them in the inn.  What a lovely way to remember the Christmas story.  We also discussed different traditional clothing.

The last 7 pages of the story focus on Ceci and her pinata.  She doesn't want it to be broken and is sad that everyone will be trying to break it to bits.  In the end, her star becomes a real star and stays in the sky forever.  I appreciate that, though there is a 'hint' of magic here at the end, stars are real.  It's not like her doll came to life or anything :).

All we did was read and discuss, but you could take this SOOOO much further.  Making-or buying-your own pinata, dressing in Mexican clothing, reading about ducks getting wet, making and eating tortillas and much, much more!

Overall, we simply loved this little book.  Of course, it left me scrambling for more great living books for Christmas around the world!  So, we will be reading Tree of Cranes next.  I hope to have some 'rowing' ideas for you for it soon.

Merry Christmas!!

22 Fun Christmas Activity Trays!!

I have been preparing Christmas activity trays all week for our Homeschool Co-Op Christmas Party.  The kids have been helping me test them all out, too.  My children loved most of them, and I thought I'd share them with you in case you will be doing school next week.  Sorry no action shots on these, my children were working on them while I made others.  I didnt get the pictures until after they were in bed!

Peppermint Puzzles which I made.  They can be downloaded free, here.

Christmas Pattern blocks from Prekinders.  Thanks for the heads up Adventures of Bear!

Jingle bell tonging and patterning.

3 is for three kings magnet page from Making Learning Fun.

I Spy Christmas Tree.  I found this adorable idea from Kinder by Kim via Pinterest. 

Pouring jingle bells.  I saw this idea on Parenting in the Moment.

Candy size sorting.  I purchased a big bag of foam candy beads from Oriental Trading Company.  Then, I made a sorting mat for big and small pieces of candy.  The sugar bowl was a great yard sale find this summer.

I made Nativity lacing cards from graphics I purchased from Just So Scrappy earlier this year.  

I downloaded the adorable Gingerbread Baby printable pack from Homeschool Creations.

I combined the houses from her hide and seek game with gingerbread men from Oriental Trading Company to create a cards and counters game.

I added stickers on the back for self checking.

An oldie but goodie, pipe cleaner bead sculpture from My Montessori Journey.  Mini Cooper loves this one!

Tonging and sorting pom poms.  Inspired by a tray I saw on H is for Homeschooling.  

They can be sorted by color

or by size.  The tray is from our Melissa and Doug Birthday Party set.

I was just going to set this Christmas tree out to be decorated as the kids wanted.  But then I got an idea...

I decided to add instruction cards.   

Mustang is reading, so she is able to read these to herself.  Then she read them to Charger.

The end result.

Felt tree decorating.  I read about this idea on Criss-Cross Applesause and LOVED it!!  Then, I came across a premade set in Hobby Lobby for $2.50!!

I decorated the tree four different ways and took pictures.  I printed out the pictures and put them with the trees.

The object is to decorate the tree like the picture.  Criss-Cross Applesauce has made a free download available if you would like to make one too!

I made up a set of Christmas Tree Cards and Counters that can be downloaded free here.

Then I found some little presents at Walmart to put with the cards.

I added stickers on the back for self checking.

This lovely stamping page is part of a great set provided free from Our Worldwide Classroom.

I put out a little basket with all the letters needed to spell Nativity.  I also included crayons which didnt make the picture.

This alphabet match is also part of the Gingerbread Baby set from Homeschool Creations.  Using the pocket chart is always a highlight for my children!

I put self checker stickers on the back of the matching cards.

I am sure that these Nativity sticker sheets from Oriental Trading Company will be a hit tomorrow.  My children didnt get to try them out because there are limited amount-they will get theirs tomorrow, too.  The sheets dont come with a paper, so I included a tablet of paper to use.

I always put out an art box, because I have a few students in our Co-Op that would rather draw and color then do activity trays.

This one includes Christmas stampers (Walmart), mini cookie cutters for tracing (Hobby Lobby last year), markers and card stock.

Nativity Puzzle.  I found this at Hobby Lobby for a couple dollars and my children have really loved it.

Christmas tree color scratch ornaments.  I know these are going to be a hit!  They are from Oriental Trading Company.    I took advantage of their free shipping sale earlier this month and ordered a bunch of stuff.  I have loved all of it!

Nativity finger puppets.  These are also from Oriental Trading Company.  They come in packages of 4 sets, so I already gave my children one.  They have been having many plays of Baby Jesus' birth this week.

Last but not least, snowflake rubbing.  This basket includes paper, crayons, and a set of snowflake rubbing plates from Oriental Trading Company.  They are really cool!  

I found a ton of other great ideas that I didnt end up using this year.  Some of them I pinned on Pinterest you can check out my board here: http://pinterest.com/ourcountryroad/christmas-trays/

I hope you all are having a great Christmas Season!!

God Bless!

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