It is time for another show and tell Friday with Canadagirl.
We picked out, bought and put up our tree last weekend. I love the smell of a fresh cut tree. A few years ago when I was brave enough to put ornaments back on the tree, (those toddlers sure are dangerous on ornaments, huh?) I decided that I would like a semi themed tree. So we decided to go with "White, snowman, snowflake, and pictures of the kids". Of course, A few heirlooms have slipped in. Since I make a real effort to not buy from China a lot of the ornaments are homemade. We especially like making borax crystals. We have made hearts, snow flakes and dangling crystals. Today we are going to make candy cane cyrstal ornaments.
Here is our Baby Jesus cradle. The kids made it and each day I or my husband tells each child something we are pleased with them about and give them a ribbon "straw" to put into the cradle. On Christmas morning the ribbons will cushion our baby Jesus doll and the ribbons will be counted up, traded in for money and given to the kids chosen out of town charity.
I took the tree trimmings and made a swag for the front door. It is very simple, but I like it and it was free.
For our first week of Advent the kids loved opening a Christmas book each night. We did a very small activity each night to go with the books. For instance, when we did Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett we had gingerbread cake during the story. Another night we gathered all of the dog stuffed animals in the house to listen to The Dog Who Found Christmas by Linda Jennings. The first night of Advent we read The Biggest Snowman Ever and decorated the house with our snowman collection. Tonight they get to open The Legend of the Candy Cane and have candy canes while daddy reads.
Go see Mary for more great show and tells.
Blessings,
Dawn | 
