Discover Christmas Days 19-25 and Merry Christmas!!

We wrapped up our advent study with Discover Christmas a couple days early.  I was sad to finish it because it means that this wonderful time of year is coming to a close and we have enjoyed every minute of reading, learning and crafting that we’ve done over the last couple months with both our Thanksgiving and Christmas unit studies.  Both of these gospel centered units have brought such a good Spirit into our home.  I am very hopeful and excited about beginning our new Four Year Plan and the fact that we will be easily incorporating the gospel into our daily studies on a regular basis along with many life skills—something I’ve been searching for since we began homeschool.

We read more good books this week.  Some new, and some old favorites.

Day 19—What is the “peace on earth” that Christ brought?

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14).

We learned that Christ brought peace to the world by overcoming sin and death, by dying on the cross for our sins so that we can repent, be forgiven, be resurrected and have eternal life if we live worthily.

Day 20—How did Nativity scenes become popular?

Saint Francis of Assisi is given credit for the first nativity in 1223.  It was a live nativity with real people and animals.  We learned that most countries have their own style of the nativity, and that some countries have a display as big as a whole village with other stories also being represented from the Bible.

Day 21—What can I learn from birds at Christmas time?

We read about the religious significance of birds in Biblical times such as the dove with Noah and the Ark and Jesus’ baptism, the eagle with Moses when he delivered the children of Israel from slavery in Egypt, as well as chickens and sparrows in other parts of the Bible.

Since the dove is known as the bird of peace and is tied specifically to Christ, I wanted the kids to make a dove craft.  Joe made a simple dove from construction paper using a template I found online.

 

Hanna made a dove ornament for our Christmas tree.  I love how it turned out.  She did a really good job.  She used brown paper bags for the dove and painted them white, stuffed it with batting, glued it with hot glue instead of sewing it, and used felt for the eye and flowers.

 

Day 22—What was Christmas like in Navoo?

I loved reading about what Christmas was like in Navoo for the early Saints and particularly Joseph Smith, his family and friends.  We read excerpts from his journal as well.  They were very touching and eye opening. 

We learned that Christmas for the Saints in the 1800’s was mainly a day of fasting and prayer followed with a big meal and gathering together of family and friends.  There were no trees or decorations as Christmas was not even legal in Navoo or many parts of the colonies at this time. 

Day 23—The Story of Christ’s birth from the Bible

On this day we read the story of Christ’s birth for Family Home Evening and used our Nativity puppets like we do each year the Monday before Christmas.  This is such a favorite of the kids and we all look forward to it.

Days 24 and 25—What was the role of the angels, shepherds and Wise Men?

We read specific scriptures from the book of Luke centered on the angels, shepherds and Wise Men.  We talked about how they probably felt and what role they played in Jesus’ birth.  I think it is fascinating that the Wise Men actually went before King Herod and were supposed to bring news of baby Jesus back to him. 

I could continue to study the scriptures for our main curriculum for much longer.  I have gained so much knowledge personally as we have read and studied together.  I can tell the kids have too.  I am very thankful for all that we have learned and look forward to even more in the weeks and months to come.  What a wonderful blessing to be able to study about our Savior and the scriptures every day as we continue on our amazing homeschool journey together.

Not related to our Christmas study I saw a precious handprint peppermint candy craft and knew I wanted to make it with Jack.  It turned out adorable!  I can’t get enough of foot and handprint art!

I also want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  I hope you have a wonderful day with your families!

Pinecone Picture Frame Ornaments

I wanted to make picture frame ornaments for our tree this year.  I found the perfect ones, got the supplies and began…**insert sick kids, kids’ crafts and life here**…I quickly realized how much harder not only were the ornaments going to be to make, but how little time I actually have to spend allow myself for my own projects—maybe a New Year’s resolution?  Anyway, I decided I would make this morning my morning for finishing them up, and I did—**insert clapping here**.

I followed the instructions given on Martha Stewart’s site exactly, but the floral clippers I bought didn’t come close to getting the scales off like she described.  They broke them into pieces.  My hero, Jamie, ended up coming to my rescue as usual and got them all off one by one with his fingers.  I can’t tell you how many times Jamie does these sort of tedious tasks for me because of my lack of patience—yes, I’ll admit that:-). 

I am very pleased with how they turned out and look on our tree, and they are special too because they contain pictures of my sweet kids.

Discover Christmas Days 13-18

We have enjoyed health for all of the kids this week.  My little Jack as of mid-week was finally fever free (among a host of other things) and sleeping through the night again!  What a blessing.  I am so thankful we are all well, and pray we will enjoy being well for a long while.

We learned more this week in our Discover Christmas study.  We had fun reading, crafting, baking and being together.  The last couple months have been so fun and memorable as we’ve completed these two wonderful units.

From Day 12—What does Merry Christmas mean?

Here is our finished Christmas banner.  It wasn’t finished last week to include in my post.  We used our thumbprints to create holly berries in the four corners and a string of lights across the top.  Hanna painted Merry Christmas in green paint and then she and Joe decorated the letters together using glitter paints.  I love how it turned out!

Day 13—Why do we give gifts at Christmas?

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

We learned that the wise men began the tradition of giving gifts when they gave Jesus the gifts of gold (represents royalty), frankincense (symbolizes the divine power of Jesus), and myrrh (stands for the death of Jesus who would rise again on the third day).

Day 14—Who was St. Nicholas and what was his legacy?

“Then shall the King say unto them ‘For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.’” (Matthew 25:34-36).

We learned about St. Nicholas from modern day Turkey, the sad story of his childhood, and the amazing man he grew to be.  He was such a generous person and his life is definitely worth reading and learning about if you haven’t already.  He is a wonderful example of someone who set a Christlike example for others.

We talked a little more about the secret act of service we have undertaken as a family, and how happy and good it has made us feel as we plan and carry out this act together.

Day 15—Why are red, green, yellow and white the colors of Christmas?

Green represents eternal life.  Those who believe in Jesus “shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Red reminds us that it was through the blood of Christ that was shed for us that we can live with God again.  “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18).

White is a symbol of purity and the pure, sinless life that Jesus led.  Through his sacrifice for us on the cross we can also repent and become pure again.

Yellow reminds us of the Star of Bethlehem.  “And, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy!” (Matthew 2:9-10).

Joe made a glass ball ornament using tissue paper in the colors of Christmas and mod podge.

Day 16—What was the role of angels in the Christmas story?

“I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people!” (Luke 2:10).

We read in the scriptures and talked about the different times angels were God’s messengers to announce in different ways Christ’s birth to Mary, Joseph and the Shepherd’s. 

We don’t believe that angels have wings, so I discussed that with the kids—mainly Joe.  We believe that angels are children of God like us who are sent from His presence to deliver special messages. They can be spirits who have not yet been born on the earth or righteous men who have lived on the
earth and have been resurrected.  We believe that when we see wings on angels in pictures, artwork and so forth that this is a representation of their glory and power.

Jack made a handprint angel.

Day 17—What treats have traditionally been associated with Christmas?

We learned that a long time ago Christmas Eve was a holy day of fasting and prayer followed by a big feast on Christmas Day.  From our reading we learned that fruitcake and gingerbread have been around for a very long time.  I thought it was very interesting that the monks first used ginger to spice up stale bread, which began the tradition of gingerbread.

I made pnut butter blossoms for a treat. 

Day 18—Why are candles part of the tradition at Christmas time?

Candles stand for the light that Jesus brings to the world, but they also represent the holy family—Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. 

During the 17th century when Ireland was conquered by the British very strict laws were enforced prohibiting free worship (among other things).  This sent many priests into hiding.  Three candles (one for each member of the holy family) were placed in the windows of Christians on Christmas Eve.  This let wandering priests know these were safe and welcome homes to stop in for food and shelter.

Not related to our unit study, Hanna and I attended The Nutcracker with my mom—a Christmas tradition of ours.

 

And, since my sweet Jesse doesn’t make many appearances on this blog, here’s an adorable picture I took of him earlier in the week.

We will complete our Discover Christmas study the end of next week.  I am sad to be ending it.  It’s brought a feeling of peace into our home and school each day that I have enjoyed so much.  It’s been a blessing in many ways.  I have discovered a wonderful plan that I am so excited about to keep Christ and this peaceful feeling in our home and school even after Christmas comes and goes.  I will share it sometimes after the New Year.

We read some wonderful books this week.  I’ve included them in the widget below, and you can always find what we are reading in my Shelari (in the sidebar).  One book that I wasn’t able to include in the widget below that we really enjoyed—it helped Joe to understand the Wise Men’s role so clearly—was The Three Wise Kings, by Tomie DePaola.

I am linking this post to:

• Read.Explore.Learn
• Kids Get Crafty
• stART
• Christmas Fun 2010
• What My Child Is Reading
• Countdown to Christmas

We interrupt this regularly scheduled program…

for a brief progress report—ie, mom wants to make sure kids are still retaining what they’ve learned while we are on a very long school break.

We’ve been hitting the basics of reading and handwriting (Joe), math (Hanna and Joe) and Wordly Wise (Hanna) while on break.  Hanna is two thirds of the way through TT Math 6 and should finish it around Feb.  She’ll move right into TT Math 7 at that point. 

Joe is reading so good.  I am so proud of him.  I’d said I wanted to make sure to video his reading from time to time to look back on in the future.  I got a video of him this morning. 

This was his first time reading this book. He was reading a book from a Scholastic reader set.  We have lots of leveled Scholastic reader boxed sets from when Hanna was his age and they are coming in so handy right now!

In math Joe has been working in Mathematical Reasoning B Grade 1 from Timberdoodle.  (Review to come on this workbook after the New Year.) 

I gave him a spelling test this morning too.  I just pulled words from Explode the Code books 2 and 3.  He did really well.  I am always so pleased with his work ethic.  I can’t wait to see what Jack and Jesse have in store for me in a couple years—LOL!

Well, I can rest my worries now for a bit and enjoy the rest of our time off from schoolwork, so back to our scheduled program and Christmas fun:-).

Discover Christmas Days 6-12

With so much sickness in our home (still) our Discover Christmas unit study has quickly become the highlight of our month and the Christmas season in general.  I am so thankful that I planned this unit out in advance.  A blessing in disguise for sure, and I know it was meant to happen this way.  I must say though, not being able to get out and about has forced us to be at home more than we would have been otherwise, and the emphasis has been taken off of the worldly aspects of Christmas and our focus has been on Christ and His birth more so than ever before—another blessing in disguise.

This past week we read books that went along with each day’s passage from Discover Christmas.

Day 6—Christmas Cards

“The Lord is my light and my salvation— The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom
shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).

We learned that Christmas cards were first handmade and frowned upon by the postal service—imagine that:-)--because of the extra work they made during the holiday season.  However, in 1875 a prominent English illustrator made the first printed cards and they have been a hit ever since. 

Hanna made homemade Christmas cards for several friends and family with stamps that I have.

Day 7—Where did the tradition of caroling come from?

“My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts” (Isaiah 65:14).

The word carol comes from a French word that means to dance in a circle.  In the early 13th century, a friar named Francis of Assisi introduced carols as part of a Christmas church service. He encouraged the congregation to “sing their praise to God for the gift of His Son”. He told them to “sing joyfully songs that told of the birth of Jesus.”  During the 19th century, caroling in groups became
popular in America and England.

We sang some of our favorite Christmas carols for Family Home Evening to go along with this day’s message.

Day 8—Why is the candy cane red and white?

I was amused to find out that the candy cane was actually invented as a way to keep children reverent during church services.  A choirmaster in Germany came up with a plan to keep the children quiet and happy during church meetings. He took a well known “sugar stick” and bent one end to look like a Shepherd’s staff. He gave it to the children during the long church Christmas ceremonies and it was a success!  Of course, we know that eventually the candy cane became very mainstream and still is today.  I found it fascinating that a man named Bob McCormack here in the US used to hand paint the red stripe on the candy cane! 

What I liked most about our study of the candy cane was what the religious symbols in it are:

• The shape of the candy cane represents the shepherd’s staff and reminds us that angels came to announce the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem.
• It reminds us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
• The white color reminds us that Jesus lived a pure, clean life.
• The red stripe stands for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.

For a Family Home Evening treat I made these cute felt mice complete with a candy cane for Joe, Hanna and Jack.

Day 9—When did outdoor Christmas lights become popular?

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your
Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).

We learned that outdoor Christmas lights made their debut in the US not long after Thomas Edison invented the light bulb (in places like department stores and the White House), but it wasn’t until after WWII that most Americans could afford to light up their own houses.

We talked about what a testimony is, our own personal testimonies and what we can to individually and as a family to strengthen them.

Day 10—Why is the poinsettia popular at Christmas?

“The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing” (Isaiah 35:1).

We already knew that the poinsettia comes from Mexico, but we were pleased to find out that a botanist, Joel Roberts Poinsett, from our very own South Carolina was the one to bring this flower to America in 1825.  On a trip to Mexico he became very fond of this flower and decided to bring some back and cultivate them in his own greenhouses in Greenville, SC.  Not long after he began giving them as Christmas gifts to family and friends.

Hanna and Joe made construction paper poinsettias:

 

I helped Jack make a handprint poinsettia flower with construction paper and a painted paper plate.

 

Day 11—What are some other Christmas traditions in Mexico?

“Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

We learned about several Mexican Christmas traditions such as Las Posadas, Christmas plays and parties, Las Pastorelas, Noche Bueno, and Three Kings Day.  We also learned that Nativity sets are the main decoration in Mexican homes at Christmas time and that baby Jesus is placed in the manger on Christmas Eve—I love this.

I gave Jack (Hanna and Joe enjoyed this too) his own child’s Nativity set.  He has enjoyed playing with it since—all the kids have.  I love having it to tell the story of Christ’s birth to him while using the figures and reading books.  I think this makes it so much more “real” to him.  Bless his heart, he can already tell some of the story back to us on his own.

Joe colored and glued together this cardstock Nativity:

For our Friday night movie night treat I made Mexican Hot Chocolate and Snowflake Tortillas—both were really good!  I especially liked the tortillas—they reminded me of mock elephant ears from the fair without all the calories and fat:-). 

Here is how I made them:  I placed flour tortillas in the microwave separating them with paper towels for about 25 seconds.  I cut them out with scissors like snowflakes, then placed them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  I brushed them with melted butter, then sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar.  I baked them at 350 degrees for about 3 minutes, then sprinkled them with powdered sugar while they were still warm.  Very good, and easy too.

We continued with our Scripture Ornaments advent and enjoyed reading more books and also watching movies together throughout the week.

Unrelated to our Discover Christmas unit study I made this seed bead glass ball ornament:

Hanna made this adorable glass ball snowman:

I helped Jack make a handprint snowman ornament just like Hanna and Joe made last year.

Trying to keep my morale high and my spirits up despite all going on at home with the kids’ not being well, especially my Jack, being so sick.  I am praying each day he will get well soon and trying to remember how precious each day is.  I have learned much about my Savior in the last couple weeks and have enjoyed all of our reading and learning together.  It has been a time of spiritual growth and renewal for me and for this I am very thankful.  I look forward to learning more this week and spending time together along the way.

I am linking this post to:

• Read.Explore.Learn
• Kids Get Crafty
• stART
• Christmas Fun 2010
• What My Child Is Reading
• Countdown to Christmas

Discover Christmas Days 1-5

We have enjoyed our Discover Christmas unit study so much this week.  It is the perfect mix of spirituality, learning and fun.  Each day’s reading is filled with a short history of Christmas passage, a Bible verse, a simple craft and sometimes a recipe.  I chose to get lots of books from the library to go along with our unit study.  Each week we are reading selections that go along with what we have covered from Discover Christmas.  This week was about the history of Christmas trees—where they originated, when they became an indoor tradition, when they became popular in America, lights on the Christmas tree, why an evergreen tree, and most importantly all the different ways the Christmas tree actually symbolizes our Savior and His life.

For Jack’s monthly play doh I used what has become my favorite play doh recipe and made peppermint play doh—it smelled SO good.  You could smell it in the whole room.  The kids loved it!

• 1 cup flour
• 1 Tblsp. vegetable oil
• 1 Tblsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 cup water
• mix-ins this month—1 tsp. peppermint extract, Christmas colored glitter—1 tsp. each of red, green and gold

Mix oil, water and extract in a mixing cup or bowl—set aside.  Mix dry ingredients in small mixing bowl.  Pour all of the above into a medium sized saucepan and cook while constantly stirring over medium heat.  When play doh forms a sticky ball (will be about 3 minutes) remove from heat and knead on waxed paper until nice and smooth.  **Add glitter in this last stage of kneading.**  This recipe makes the perfect amount for all four of my kids to have a nice sized ball to create with.  I store it in a gallon sized ziploc bag and it keeps well for about a month even being used repeatedly. 

I put our play doh on a tray with Christmas cookie cutters and a rolling pin.  The kids made “cookies” and decorated them with beads and sequins.  I’d originally had this idea just for Jack, but even Hanna got into it and they all asked to do this off and on throughout the week—it was fun.

  

No sensory bin this month.  I just couldn’t think of one I wanted to make.  Instead, next week I am pulling out a new child’s nativity set I got.  I’ve wanted one for years and can’t wait to give it to the kids.  I know they are going to love it.

We made an advent chain with a Bible verse for each day.  We are doing this in the morning before we read our daily passage from Discover Christmas.

We are doing another advent at supper called Scripture Ornaments from this month’s Friend magazine.  We read from The Friend and practice our weekly assignment from The Living Christ every day during lunch.  I like having something spiritual to read and focus on off and on throughout the day.  I think it’s important and helps both me and the kids.

The kids made a Christmas tree ornament from craft sticks.  They were simple to make and look so sparkly and pretty hanging on the tree.

Jack made a handprint Christmas tree just like he made last year.  I was blown away by how much his sweet little hands have grown in just a year.  He loves having his hands painted and gets so excited when we do a hand or footprint craft. 

Before our movie night Friday I read The Cobweb Christmas and then Jamie, Hanna and Joe made sugar cone Christmas trees just like we did last year.  Then, they enjoyed eating them while we watched one of our favorite Christmas movies together.  Once again, I found Jamie in the background being silly while I was taking a picture of Hanna:-) when I pulled the pics off my camera.)

Unrelated to our Christmas unit study I made a hand and footprint reindeer with Jesse.  This was his first official craft and he was an angel while we made it together.  He sat on my lap so still while I painted his sweet little foot.  I think he was wondering what I was doing:-).  He was just as still while I did his handprints.  I was very surprised that he was so still and cooperative to be honest—he is a very on the go boy!

We also made a thumbprint reindeer card for my grandma.  Jack’s handprint Christmas tree is for her too. The card is adorable!

The kids were so excited when Wednesday got here and we could start our advent and unit study.  Hanna had been talking about it the whole week previously.  We had so much fun together reading, crafting, baking, watching movies, riding around looking at Christmas lights after supper.  The kids have been sick all week, we all still are (except Jamie), but despite that, it has been a wonderful week.  We have learned things we didn’t know, and spent a lot of time reading scriptures centered around our Savior. 

As we were moving through all of the different activities this week I often caught myself looking at the kids around our school table with our Christmas tree right beside it and listening to Christmas music in the background, and I would think how blessed we all are to school together in the comfort of our home.  I can teach my children about Christ all day long if I choose.  I can interweave our beliefs, scriptures, and life lessons into our learning on a daily basis.  We can pray together throughout each day.  This is such a blessing that can only come about through homeschool and for this I am very, very grateful.

I am linking this post to:

• What My Child is Reading
• Kids Get Crafty
• Read.Explore.Learn
• stART
• Christmas Fun 2010
• Countdown to Christmas

Do You Need a Quick Christmas Gift Idea?

Remember the fun our family had *here* with Pick and Draw?  We are still enjoying it just as much as a family, and the kids on their own too.  If you’re looking for a quick gift idea Pick and Draw would make a great one for both younger and older kids.

Don’t forget to include it on your Christmas shopping list this month!  There’s still plenty of time to order it and have it before Christmas!  What are you waiting for—head over and check out Pick and Draw now:-)!