Saturday, December 23, 2006 - Some Of Our Family Christmas Traditions

My family is Lithuanian/Polish.  Hubby's family is German/Italian.  Umm...let me correct that before hubby reads this...Sicilian.  There are many traditions that we've incorporated into our family celebrations here @ home. 

The first is from my family...setting an empty place setting at Christmas Eve or Christmas Day dinner.  I've read several reasons for this...one is to remember loved ones who passed on during the year, another is to welcome unexpected guests, another is to sharing your meal with Jesus.

Another from my family is celebrating communion at dinner.  We did this every Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter...any family get-together.  While my grandparents used the tradition Oplatek at Christmas, we just use bread.

We put up a nativity every year.  I collect the Fontanini figurines, but I also have several other little sets that I put all around the house.  But the baby Jesus is never put into the manger until Christmas eve.  After Christmas dinner, Hubby will read from Luke about the Christmas story and then we put the baby Jesus into the manger...or mangers.

Pickled Beet Eggs.  Hubby can't stand them.  I love them.  My grandmother made them on all holidays.  She simply took hard boiled eggs and put them in pickled beet juice for a couple days.  It's not Christmas...or any holiday...without pickled beet eggs!

Decorating the tree has become a Christmas Eve tradition.  The tree with lights and garland is usually put up sometime in the beginning of December and left that way until Christmas Eve.  On Christmas Eve we have hot chocolate, listen to Christmas carols and decorate the tree.

I'm not a big decorator.  I love pretty lights and greenery inside, candles and Nativity scenes...but I refuse to decorate outside.  Outside it is "Bah Humbug!!"  First...I don't like to spend the money on the extra lights and decorations...I also don't like the extra cost in the electric bill.  So we save the time and effort for decorating inside.  But one thing I will do...I really like it especially since I don't have to go outside to do it...and I think it looks just lovely from outside...candles in the windows.  It's just so beautiful to see all the lovely big farm houses in our area...including a few Amish houses (I assume their candles are battery opperated, lol) with candles in all the windows.

Every year we buy a new nativity ornament for the tree, and we also buy Boo an ornament that is meaningful to him.  Last year it was a NASCAR (Jimmy Johnson...his favorite driver) and this year it is a nutcracker...although it doesn't really represent this past year, he specifically requested one.  I also hand-make ornaments to give to family and friends every year as gifts. 

Another thing that we've done is something that I heard someone talking about one year.  It was a tradition of getting new pajamas for Christmas.  The idea was that everyone would open these gifts on Christmas Eve and wake up on Christmas day in new pajamas.  Hubby and I loved that idea so we do that every year.

We don't do Santa...kinda, but we buy each other little things to sneak anonomously in the other's stockings on Christmas Eve.  The object is to do it without being seen.  I'm sure the anonimity would be more fun in larger families...it's still a great surprise for us on Christmas morning to see what we got in our stockings.  Stocking are not just filled with gifts but with nuts, an orange, and apple and a new toothbrush.  LOL  Now...about Santa.  Santa is the designated person who passes the gifts under the tree out to everyone on Christmas morning.  They read who it's too and who it's from...they we all watch them open it before "Santa" gets another gift out from under the tree.  This job is usually given to Hubby...but Boo says he wants to be "Santa" this year.

One really neat tradition we are just starting (now that Boo can write well) is an Italian tradition of letter writing.  Instead of writing letters to Santa with a list of all the toys they want (although I'm sure some do) Italian children write letters to their moms and dads telling them how much they love them.  These letters are placed under the dinner plates on Christmas Eve and read after dinner.

Another new tradition we are starting this year is reading Christmas books.  I read it on another blog some time ago but unfortunately I haven't found that blog again.  The idea was to take their beloved Christmas books and wrap them up in Christmas paper and place them in a basket and every night during Advent pick one, unwrap it and reading it together.  I love this idea and we are now incorporating this into our family Christmas traditions. 

On Christmas morning stocking are fair game no matter the time...but gifts under the tree aren't opened until after Christmas breakfast.

After Christmas dinner we bring out the birthday cake and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.

The Christmas tree is left up until December 6th which is Little Christmas/Epiphany/Celebration of the Wise Men (December 6th)...which is the day after 12th day of Christmas (or Twelfth Night).    During this time we will take all the Christmas cards that we've received and put them into a basket under the tree and each night pick a few out of the basket and pray for those people.

Ok...just some of our Christmas traditions.  I'd love to hear about yours. 

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Saturday, December 23, 2006 - 'Twas the Night Before Christmas Homeschool Style

'Twas the Night Before Christmas Homeschool Style
(Author Unknown)

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the home,
Children were still studying for their test on Rome.
Mom was planning, she had just an hour,
To teach 'one more lesson' before their night shower.
A whole week of vacation, the children were thrilled,
But Mom saw the lesson plans, and the blocks were still filled.
"Can I stop for a day, much less a whole week?"
Just the thought of time off made me shudder and shriek!
Would they remember anything, would they fall behind?
"Lord, I need your help, just give me a sign!!!"
Then out on the sidewalk, I saw my four boys,
And I heard them say, "it's not about toys."
To the neighborhood kids, they explained Jesus' birth,
And how through Jesus, not toys, we gain our worth.
At that point, math and spelling and learning to write,
Meant little to me as I had lost the sight
Of what teaching at home was truly about.
Then I sat at my desk and began to pout.
The pouts turned to sobs, "Lord what have I done?
It's not about grades, but to follow your Son!"
"Please guide me and show me my job is to teach,
and turn them to you, and of Jesus I'll preach."
Now we'll put away books and not open them 'til later,
We'll focus on Jesus, our Lord and Creator.
It's His day and so we will all celebrate,
I'll never mention the words "behind" or "we're late".
So, Thank You, Lord, for blessing me,
With such a great husband and family.
Now homeschooling moms, TURN OUT THE SCHOOL LIGHT!
And, "Happy Christmas To All And To All A Good Night!"

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Tuesday, December 19, 2006 - Carnival of Homeschooling @ Principled Discovery

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is being hosted by Dana at Principled Discovery. She has gathered a large collection of great posts.

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - A Few Fun Christmas Crafts

I've found some great Christmas crafts for Boo to do.

Cloth Candy Canes
I really liked this one...wasn't very hard at all. I'm thinking about doing these to give as gifts next year.
http://jas.familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts?page=CraftDisplay&craftid=11568

Shooting Star Christmas Tree Ornament
Green craft foam worked much better than felt for this one.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/Shootingstar.shtml

Cinnamon Dough Ornaments
I haven't made these in a while, but they are one of my favorites. They last a long time and smell wonderful!
http://www.handmadecountry.com/ezine/cinnamon.html

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Friday, December 8, 2006 - 4-year-old Accused of Improperly Touching Teacher

Add this to the many reasons to homeschool...a hug from a 4-year old is sexual harassment!!  What is wrong with this world??? 

http://www.kxxv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5785699

• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Friday, December 8, 2006 - Holiday Barney Cam

Corny but fun. 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/holiday/2006/barneycam.html

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Friday, December 8, 2006 - Africa Web Cam & Forum

We have really been enjoying this!  Just this morning we watched wildebeests, zebras and baboons...all having little ones in their groups.  The camera seems to be manned even at night just in case there is something to see! 
http://www.wavelit.com/index.asp?ch=Wildlife&sh=africam

There is also a forum where people are pretty knowledgable about what animals are being seen and well as people uploading screen captures:
http://www.africam.com/boma/index.php?PHPSESSID=47e354d7206129f76e1616a979e1ea0b

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Tuesday, November 7, 2006 - Don't vote? DON'T COMPLAIN !!

This is a timely repost from October.

Even though I don't share it here (I didn't create this blog for it)...I'm actually a very politically charged person.  I have topics (like homeschooling) that I can be very passionate about and I work hard to support them.  I started working on political campains when I was in high school.  I'm a firm believer that you have no room to complain about things going on in the government if you didn't vote.  "Did you vote?" is one of the first questions I ask when someone starts complaining about political issues.

I keep hearing all over the news about how there are lots of upset voters who are planning on just staying home this year and that just makes me angry.  I may not always agree with what is going on politcally...but if I just sit home and do nothing then I'm just making it worse.  It's almost criminal.

I personally don't subscribe to any political party.  I vote based on issues that matter to me not political parties.  I feel both parties spend too much time on "being republican" or "being democrat" and too little time worrying about things that really matter.  But I still vote. 

We are supposed to be a government of the people, by the people, for the people.  It's not if only a handful of people are going to the polls.  If you are registered to vote...PLEASE VOTE in the upcoming election!  Ask around and see if someone might need a ride.  Encourage those who haven't voted in a while that their voice needs to be heard.  Treat yourself...and your friends if you want...to a nice red (strawberries), white (vanilla ice cream and whipped cream) and blue (blue berries) banana split with extra, extra chocolate syrup afterwards (ok...that just what I'm in the mood for...you can pick whatever you currently have a craving for...haha!)  We can't complain about the outcome if we don't take part in the process.

• 1 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Monday, November 6, 2006 - Our Homeschool Bulletin Boards

These are the bulletin boards we have in our dining room for homeschooling.  The first is our phonics and grammer tree.  Every time we learn a new phonics or grammer rule, we (I) write it on a fall leaf and Boo glues it to the board.  It's been great fun, but since fall is almost over I'll need to come up with something for winter.  The other board we have is for all our crafts.  When it gets too full I'll pull them off and put them in a box until the end of the school year when we go through them to see which ones we are going to save for our year book binder.  The others we'll have pictures of so we'll remember them. 

Our fall phonics and grammer rule tree.


A close up of some of the leaves.


Our craft board.

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link

Thursday, October 19, 2006 - What we've been memorizing this month...

This is what we've been memorizing this month:

BIBLE:
Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.

POETRY:
My Shadow
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see.
He is very, very like me, from the heels up to the head;
And I see him jump before me, when I jump into my bed.

The funniest thing about him is the way he likes to grow -
Not at all like proper children, which is always very slow;
For he sometimes shoots up taller, like an india-rubber ball,
And he sometimes gets so little that there's none of him at all.

He hasn't got a notion of how children ought to play,
And can only make a fool of me in every sort of way.
He stays so close beside me, he's a coward you can see;
I'd think shame to stick to nursie as that shadow sticks to me!

One morning, very early, before the sun was up,
I 'rose and found the shining dew on every buttercup;
But my lazy little shadow, like an arrant sleepy head,
Had stayed at home behind me and was fast asleep in bed.
- A Child's Garden of Verses

SONGS:
America The Beautiful
Crown Him With Many Crowns

There are other things like addition and subtraction facts, skip counting, spelling words etc. but these are the main ones.

• 0 Comments • Post A Comment! • Permanent Link