Our Busy Little World
Dec. 6, 2007 - Things We're Loving . . .
Well, busy as ever, the Christmas season is upon us. Acutally, it's the advent season, and if I've never mentioned this before, advent is my FAVORITE season of the year. In honor of my favorite season I'm posting some of my (and my girls') favorite things right now:
Advent Family Worship, of course- the girls have definitely inherited my over-excitement for advent. Somehow the additions to family worship of turning off the lights, lighting candles (the girls love to take turns blowing them out), singing Christmas hymns and reading through our many different little editions of the Christmas story makes it so very exciting! I remember loving advent when I was a little girl, and I'm so glad my girls love it now.
TATRAS - I don't know how much is attributible to the program and how much is just the capacity of a little five-year-old mind for learning things, but it's been such a joy watching Isabelle learn to read. It's really amazing to me that a few weeks ago she was slowly sounding out her words and now she can read through so many books fluently! Actually, school in general is going well. The girls are enjoying getting stickers on their "Treasures in the Heart Charts" for memory verses learned, and we're keeping up with our little reading schedule pretty well. The only thing I'm not keeping up on is math, but being a Bluedorn fan I don't find formal math too necessary at this age! Isbelle is learning a tiny bit of "kindergarten french", and since Hannah likes to "do school" too, she walks around the house saying ""blubba dee booboo gaa" - do you know what I said? That's French!"
Arnold Lobel books - random, I know, but that man has written some funny books that are just delightful to read aloud! Our current favorite is probably The Great Blueness And Other Predicaments - it's just goofy and creative and it makes read aloud time so much fun.
Dinner Helper Nights - for years I've read these child training magazines that make me feel guilty for not having my kids help me in the kitchen more. But I have a little kitchen, I get easily flustered when cooking and I have a bunch of tiny toddlers, so it just didn't happen often. Recently I gave all the girls one day each week to be their special dinner helper day. They pick their favorite apron, love to help make dinner, and I don't get overwhelmed. And we've added a bonus: since we rarely get alone time with our daughters otherwise, the Dinner Helper gets to stay up fifteen minutes later than her sisters for special time with mom and dad. She gets to pick if she wants to read books, talk, play, sing or just snuggle. The girls LOVE it - all day on their day they walk about the house singing, "I'm dinner helper and I get to stay up late!"
Advent Sunday Parties - we've been trying to figure out the happy balance in having company whereby we don't relegate our children to the status of "should be seen and not heard", but we are also able to have some adult conversation without being constantly interrupted. To this end we're having little parties for each advent Sunday - inviting two couples each week from church whom we've been wanting to get to know better but sticking to mostly adults for a few weeks. They join us for a simple, yet lovely, dinner then we all gather in the living room for advent family worship and reading. We adults take turns reading aloud to the girls for a bit, so they are as much a part of it all as the rest of us, and get to enjoy the party. Later it's off to bed for them and the adults can enjoy some creme brulee together (the girls have yet to develop a taste for it, so their special dessert is frosted animal cookies!)
April Cornell - I have to give them a little plug because they carry lovely little dresses, gifts and home products and have shown such wonderful and kind customer service to me lately! They are fairly pricey, but have great sales and coupons with free shipping, and have some quite inexpensive but adorable gifts too. My favorites are their handmade rag dollies (two of our girls are getting one for Christmas) and little gift tags - we got one for each of the girls so we could write their special Christmas letter on it! They're even cuter than they look on the computer!
And lastly, are you ready for this? Sticky Notes! Yes, sticky notes. No joke at all - my mom found some apple sticky notes to send the girls and they were happily entertained all together for about thirty minutes "decorating" our tea room!
Ok, I'm done being long winded about goofy things. Here are some pictures of our week (I think I actually got one of each of the girls this time!):
The aforementioned sticky notes:
Lovely snow!
Cooking and getting ready for our first advent party:
Naomi's always the first to offer to help mommy with the dishes!
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!
Bundled Bunny:
My little Christmas elf in the cutest sweater ever!
More baby bunny:
Comments
Dec. 7, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Rebeca
Fun and happy days! I'd never heard of April Cornell until my daughter's godmother bought her a dress from there for her baptism. It's very beautiful.
Enjoy this wonderful season!
Rebeca
Dec. 7, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Melissa
love to read your blog!
you inspire me to do more with my children,maybe this New Year I will put some of your thoughts to practice!!
Krystine Herrell used to be Krystine Hamilton we wnt to Romania together.
Dec. 9, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by 4sweetums
My kids love sticky notes too. I am glad that you are enjoying advent. It is a wonderful time of year.
Blessings,
4sweetums
Dec. 11, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous
Hi Krystine! Wow, great to hear from you! I'd love to get in touch, so drop me an email if you think of it.
Melissa
twaddlemenot@Msn.com
Dec. 12, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by mama from http://www.xanga.com/celebratinglifeandm
just wanted to let you know I switched to xanga at http://www.xanga.com/celebratinglifeandmotherhood
I don't know if you read my blog or not but just in case.
I love your tree and your bundled baby bunny!:) I hope to get my tree up shortly. My newest "bunny" is due in july:)
Dec. 12, 2007 - hi
Posted by byourlove1
Looks like you are having so much fun this Christmas season, love seeing all your pics! How fun!
Angela
