December 19-20

Well we really are running out of days to get things done now! Wednesday meant that one day closer to the end of the week and for the kids, really, one day more EXCITED! We have had lots of packages coming into the house but now they are coming in wrapped and going right under the tree!!!

Of course with the gingerbread theme we had to do up the last of the foam shapes. Only ladies left but each one was an individual work of art.

Very individual creations!

Such expressions

Trinity worked with some gingerbread men to create a name banner to go on our cabinet in the boot room that is all decked out with cards and other pieces of themed art. She is really a pro at writing her name now.

T R I N I T Y

The kids were right there to help continue decorating the house. There was garland and blinky lights to put on the banister and the foam houses to set out. Oh and a fiber optic tree that is so pretty when the sun goes down!

Decorating the house

We opened our very first Christmas present. A vintage Christmas book sent from a dear friend in the UK (thank you Josephine ). They tore right into the paper and we had to read a story RIGHT AWAY! Though Emanuel saved a teddy bear from the wrapping to paste in his journal.

First present

Ready.. set.. unwrap

Vintage stories!!

Emanuel with his piece of wrapping paper

We got letters from Santa thanks to a wonderful local program and 5.00. Each of the 5 was different as well! It was so much fun reading each one out loud and seeing the excitement on their faces.

Santa letters

Thursday was VERY exciting as a HUGE box showed up from South Carolina, that’s right – presents from Grandma and Grandpa Reinsch and Aunty Kat and her husband. Our tree is looking so full thanks to so many lovely packages arriving in the mail! The kids are so happy and sure that Christmas WILL be here and wonderful.

The kids popping the bubble wrap

The twins worked on an exercise where they combined words to create a longer word. Like book and case. They did a GREAT job!

I love it when they work together

There was another wonderful drawing to be done on Art for Kids… an angel. As you can tell from the picture, Gavin drew one just for Trinity!

Such a wonderful drawing

We had another chapter in our vintage book… The Christmas Snowman this time. I am loving the stories and the pictures and the kids are so happy with their very first gift.

We also finished our gingerbread themed poster that I picked up at JoAnn’s earlier. I think they did a great job working together. It is tucked away in their special binder full of all our Christmas work! I have already started thinking about next year… I am thinking the history of Christmas and a super Jesus centered learning. This year I really focused on Santa and how he WILL find us here… some stability in a year of changes…

Lovely

One more regular week day until we hit the weekend and the final Christmas countdown. I think Ken and I are finally done our shopping. We even found a pretty little dress at Target for Christmas day for Echo… ON SALE! With most of our immigration questions answered and forms filled we wait on a passport renewal and then do the big move – MAIL IT! So after Christmas… but before that, Saturday and onward I get to make my brain relax… I am going to make this an amazing Christmas for us all.

Our darling girls

And what a Mother’s Day I have had! We started off with an early morning getting everyone into their church clothes for Sunday School at our church. There was some grumbling and my first thing in the morning picture was a flop as Trinity was rather sure we would never get to what SHE wanted to do – get a princess skipping rope. But we all cleaned up nice. 

We actually misjudged how long it takes to get to the city from Chris and Chris’. So we were a little early… that meant we had time for a Tim Hortons stop off… special coffee for Mommy and Daddy. And then onto the church. Trinity was a little reticent about going to class but in the end they all went. The church is VERY excited about the 3rd of June when they plan to present all the costumes mom has made for them. Actually… there are TWO more bags waiting at mom’s as well! I will have to bring those the Sunday before as we are planning an extended visit at mom’s anyway to watch the house and dog. 

Just the girls! Echo's dress was a recent gift from my mom, Trinity's a gift from my step mom and sister back when she was baptized as a baby!

Anyway, after Sunday School we took ANOTHER set of pictures on the lawn as best we could and then it was time to coordinate with Karyn. Ken’s sneakers have been on the way out for ages now so we added in a visit to the mall for some shoe shopping. The kids were bored out of their minds and of course I had to nag a little to make sure it was like ALL our shopping trips when Ken is involved (he is VERY picky and a VERY slow shopper) but I think it was fun! We ended up finding a lovely pair ON SALE so it was all good. 

The best one of ALL my kids together

Just the big ones

A cute one of Echo (I made her the headband for another dress)

Karyn took Zander and we split up at that point. The rest of us changed out of our church clothes (except Ken who apparently missed that memo) and headed to the grocery store to get our picnic. A pre-cooked whole chicken to start, Emanuel picked out orange no name pop (actually REALLY good), some random unusual chips, water and some lemongrass pepper seasoning. With Karyn’s chocolate cupcakes we had a fine meal. 

Echo and the water cup she dumped all over herself

Gavin and Zander

After meal it was playground time. Zander informed me that he made some great friends and everyone had fun. 

Gavin on a slide

We let Echo down for a little bit but she had thrown off her sandals in the van and the ground was getting hot! 

At ground level

This was a good indication that it was time to leave for Karyn’s house. Ken needed to check email (viewings got postponed to tomorrow due to wives saying uhhhh do you KNOW what day it is today???) and have a nap (poor man got too much sun in his Sunday best). In the mean time Echo tore apart some paper (nothing super important), some bubbles were blown and the Wii was played! A good break in a cool apartment. 

Wii

After that break it was time to head back to Chris and Chris’… I think we did an admirable job of tiring out the children! Baths and bed after a light supper worked out just fine. Oh, I forgot to mention, yesterday we moved Trinity into the booster seat and Echo into Trinity’s BIG GIRL seat! Talk about exciting! 

Big girl!!

End the night with a fire out back for the adults and it has been a grand Mother’s Day.

Fire

And tomorrow I get my haircut AND get to go iPad cover shopping (my gift from my family). YAY! 

I still have a bit of a shock at times when I realize I am the mother of 5! How blessed am I???

Not our finest Advent day but we have managed some fun, some crafting and some colouring. Of course our Advent Villages are growing as my laminating sheets stock is shrinking. I love this tradition we have (now for its second year) of using this Advent Calendar to direct our schooling. Trinity and I had a special craft to do together while the boys enjoyed the outdoors – Santa puppet and his chimney. As usual her colouring style is very unique!

Pop!

Echo’s brightly pastel mega blocks have been a source of great fun for Emanuel and Trinity. Last night Trinity made a bed for her little snowman. 

Shhh

While Emanuel made a lovely skyscraper. 

So proud

I got our first two Christmas cards of the year today! One from Cousin Veronika and household and the other from my sister and her husband. They are already up on the mantel! 

CARDS

The twins spent some of their afternoon teaching Emanuel about mixing colours using Play Doh! Their idea! I love it when they WANT to help their younger siblings learn something new. 

Learning through play.... doh

Ken, Echo and I managed to get out and shop today! I bought the dress I tried on yesterday… got wrapping paper etc etc AND got to spend quality time with Ken. Bonuses all round! 

People watching with Petite Sheepette

Emanuel spent his special adult time working on a sticker picture with the dress a Santa stickers that came with his kit. It has been fun this week, having one on one time with him! 

Fancy picture

Here is a peek at our downstairs tree – made up of basically the ornaments the kids made last year! Pretty huh?

Tree #2

And the video for today!!!

Oh and a couple pictures of Echo!!

In my felt bucket

Storytime