Tag Archive | Advent

Gingerbread Men

December 17-18

What can be better on a Monday than videos… and one of them a CRAFT video? My loyal fellow crafter Gavin and I were right on top of that! I like this project as it gave him a start at braiding with something that holds the shape. He got a little frustrated but did a GREAT job! And the supplies – pipe cleaners, SIMPLE! then I folded two he twisted together to make our bow and attach it and BANG tree ornament and proud crafter!

My crafting buddy

Our second video was a Trinity favourite and I think another that Activity Village (both of our videos are from the site) posted LAST year. It really is short but soooo cute!

Gavin continued his artistic trend with the newest Art for Kids instructions – BABY JESUS! Absolutely ADORABLE!

A beautiful Baby Jesus with artist (Gavin)

The close up

Trinity and Emanuel channeled some artistic talent as they worked on what we are calling our “gingerbread house” since we started our gingerbread man unit with the traditional story and some workbooks. We figured foam would be easier (though this kit not much!).

Working on the house

With gingerbread men comes many many printable pictures… Trinity was all over that!

Colour by numbers thanks to Activity Village – link on right for the site

We also read the boardbook we have for gingerbread men… coloured our Advent stuff, worked on finishing any unfinished previous week sheets and of course practiced our songs. I am hoping to do up the video by Friday and post it on youTube!

The Gingerbread Man

I had a special evening OUT of the house. We had all miss remembered Joe and Faith’s flight return (thinking it Tuesday when it was Monday) so Nana and Baba and cousins headed to the airport after I left leaving Ken solo. But yours truly was out for the evening with Shandai (a besty from my high school days in Canada) and her roommate Emily. Both of them are SUPER crafty ladies and an inspiration.

We went to Applebee’s for dinner (thanks again Shandai) and the 5.00 burger and sat and chatted forever. Then we went to JoAnn’s and shopped for ages, just trolling the aisles talking craft and seeing what there is to see. I picked up some super soft purple yarn for a special project and since I had coupons got a couple dollar Christmas items for the kids to craft with and TRACING paper for a project for later this week.

New yarn!!

Poor Ken finally succumbed to the cold that has been kicking ALL our bottoms on Tuesday. Sore throat, sore body, you name it… so our errands consisted of the two of us heading out late afternoon with Ken driving and me doing the rest. I think I am finally done sending what packages I can before Christmas. Oh and a run to Target to ALMOST finish the random items. I REALLY need to find that Christmas dress for Echo…

So much to do we are tired out!

I had that new package of pipe cleaners so Gavin and I created wreaths of many shiny colours. I love the braiding practice. Gavin even got EXTRA fancy with his bow piece!

More wreaths

The tracing paper has come in handy AGAIN… a method learned from their cousin Gabriella of tracing pictures is VERY popular around here. Gavin decided to go with a page out of our Christmas colouring book. With the Pringles I picked up at Target we can make our pin hole cameras this week as well… Probably by Thursday since we still have a tube to eat.

Tracing paper!

The gingerbread men pages continue as does our book reading. We had an advanced copy of the Christmas themed Scaredy Squirrel book – Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas… you can find our family review HERE. We absolutely adore this series and are so blessed to have a signed copy of one of the books thanks to Karyn. Our binder is filling up.

Hard at work

A Very Novak Christmas

December 9-10

It really IS beginning to feel like Christmas. Sunday hasn’t been a church day for us in quite some time, but this second Sunday in Advent was different. We were invited to celebrate Christmas with the children’s concert at the Novak family’s church (a Lutheran one, yay). Of course this coincided with the first REAL storm… 16 inches (around 41 cm) of snow in 24 hours… great for the kids… not so hot for the roads. But with some careful driving we made it all the way safely to the church just before the special service was to begin, thankfully Andrew and his grandparents and cousins were able to save us a pew.

Waiting for the service… note the RED lipstick Bree and Veronika… did I do good?

It was a great service with the Nativity story and lots of singing and 3 of the 4 Novak boys involved. We did have to take Echo out of the sanctuary a few times to trundle around but all in all once I separated Zander and Emanuel we did rather well.

Aidan… There will be an entry following this with the picture overflow. The expressions on the boys’ faces as they did their songs and parts were just too cute to not be shared!!

Alex looking dapper

Anthony the shepherd (left)

The final group number

After the concert there was birthday cake…

CAKE

And then pictures…

Emanuel, Echo, Gavin, Zander and Trinity

11 kids!! (Gavin left)

And in front of the tree (Zander left)

Then back into the snow to head over to the Novak’s for playing in the snow…

So much snow all at once!

The second fort

Baking and decorating cookies…

Making cookies with Maggie

Darcy and the girls

Andrew manning the ovens

Visiting AND some presents! I have to say, I have never had my owls go over so well as when I give them to the Novak boys!

Present time

Andrew playing Santa

With the owls

With all that lovely snow sticking around Monday the boys bargained with me to let the morning just be outside play. So much snow and sunlight and fun for the kids!

So much bright white snow

Chill-axing

Post snow smoothies (peanut butter banana) thanks to Nana

We did not end up starting the reindeer unit as of course there was a REPEAT out in the snow in the afternoon. It really does eat up the time, but they had so much fun! Gavin DID find some time to make our Art for Kids picture of a CHRISTMAS TREE!

A tree

 

With brand new puzzles thanks to the Novak family we of course had two boys sit down and right away want to complete one. These were NOT easy as they are holographic! But Emanuel and Gavin managed.

Emanuel and Gavin

We ended the day with Ken and Baba putting together the tree… slightly pre decorated and rather pretty. Add to that phone calls for work and immigration, mailing to deal with and Christmas crafting to feverishly finish and we are REALLY busy! But in a cheerful and Christmasy way!

 

SNOOPY

And So it Goes

December 7-8

With the Candy Cane unit being so short Friday turned into the perfect day to watch a family Christmas favourite – Polar Express! In fact, Emanuel sat through it TWICE! I found a great site with worksheets that I could print out for the kids to use. You can take at peek at those HERE. I love this movie and would totally suggest that EVERYONE make it a part of their Christmas celebrations!!

We HAD TO celebrate our completion of our candy cane unit of course! 

PROUD

Of course, if you are in need of ideas… head over to Activity Village… SERIOUSLY!

Emanuel and his Advent Calendar

Christmas themed!

I have to share some more Art for Kids inspired art! Seriously their instructions are inspired! I have a reindeer one to do this coming week… so be sure to check back for that!

Santa and his elf by Gavin

Oh and a snowman

We also strung together paper chains… such a simple but fun craft to do!

Paperchains

Oh and don’t forget the Lego Santa thanks to Emanuel!

From scratch

We also worked on our Christmas carols… it is so cute to watch them work together!

Sing along

Ken and I took some time in the evening and ran out to do some VERY necessary Christmas themed shopping… had to get some more yarn for projects and start finishing off the bits of shopping for the kids. Leaving the kids to hang with Nana, Baba and their cousins.

Kids at the table

If you are interested in Candy Cane resources HERE is one with some recipes and all. Activity Village has a selection of Candy Cane related crafts HERE.

Saturday went slowly, Echo had a rough night the night before and Trinity and Emanuel woke up with slight fevers… of course with a busy Sunday planned with the Novaks we wanted to take it as easy as possible. Though Trinity, Ken and I did run out to buy new shoes (dress) for Trinity and a new shirt (fancy) for me. Kohl’s with a nice sale going on.

That left the rest of the day to work on the gifts for Sunday…

Echo in the pilfered shoes