4th Week of Advent/Christmas

December 21-25

• Books
• Music- Christmas Carols!
  
• Crafts- L is for Love Heart, Footprint/Handprint Reindeer, Stand up Paper Christmas Tree
  
• Baking- Gingerbread cookies, Cake
• Activities- A Charlie Brown Christmas Movie, Christmas Classics Movies, Wrapping Presents
  
• Experiments- making gak

It's been a fun week with Daddy, Pa-pa, and Gramsie while Mommy is being monitored at the hospital for pre-term labor. Zachary comes to visit me every day and participated in crafts here. We had a beautiful Christmas Eve here at the hospital.

3rd Week Advent (Joy) /Christmas

December14-18 and through Christmas break

• Books- The Story of Christmas by Patricia A. Pingry
• Crafts- Salt Dough Ornaments, Reindeer Puppets
  
• Music- Silent Night, Away in a Manger, Hark the Herald,
• Baking- Sugar Cookies
• Activities- Adding 3rd candle to morning prayers
• Field Trips- The Woodlands, TX and Opelousas, LA

Making salt dough ornaments


Decorating and playing with the Christmas tree
(Zachary actually asked to have his picture taken here!)


Ornament results



Making Reindeer Puppets with my friend Memay


Rudolph, Zachary and Daddy at the Sunset Station Party


Zachary, Baby Adelyn, and Mommy

Trains/ 2nd Week of Advent (Peace)

December 7-11

• Books- Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg, Trains by Byron Barton, Freight Train by Donald Crews, Thomas the Engine books
• Crafts-
  
• Music- I've Been Working on the Railroad
• Baking- Cookies with train cookie cutters
• Activities- Alphabet Train puzzle (at a friend's house), Transportation puzzle,
• Field Trips- Sunset Station Christmas Party, Bells and Whistles Park in Temple, TX
• For next time- SA Transportation Museum

Daddy and I at Sunset Station


What a big train!


Going up to see the engineers area in Temple with my family


Trying out some of the controls

Winter/ 1st Week of Advent (Hope)

November 30-December 4

• Books- Bunny's First Snowflake by Monica Wellington, Hello, Snow by Hope Vestergaard, Christmas in the Country by Cynthia Rylant and Diane Goode, North Country Night by Daniel San Souci
• Crafts- Decorating a house picture with snow (cotton), Winnie the Pooh skating coloring page, mittens coloring with letter M
• Music- Frosty the Snowman, Let it Snow, Jingle Bells
• Baking
• Activities- Dress up Snowman folder and dress up Penguin stuffed animal
• Science Experiments- Food Coloring Ice block
• Field Trips

Me and my crafts

The food coloring ice block experiement

Daddy helping me pour food coloring on the ice


My silly Daddy and me!

Thanksgiving

November 23-27

• Books- My First Thanksgiving by Tomie DePaola, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving by Charles M. Shultz
• Crafts- Paper Doll Pilgrims and Indians
  
• Music- The More We Get Together, Over the River and Through the Woods
  
• Baking- Banana Bread
• Activities
• Field Trip- Nannie and Poppie's house in Temple, TX

This week was a short and busy week with the traveling and gathering of family. We did the baking of banana bread to bring to Nannie and Poppie's (Scott's grandparents) and had the paper dolls laminated for an activity to play with.

Zachary loved playing with his (second) cousins and staying in the same house with them. We tried to emphasize the importance of being together on Thanksgiving to celebrate being together and all of the things God has given us.




Zachary playing in the leaf pile

A wagon ride around the house


Zachary and Cousin Ben


Aunt Michelle, Zachary's Godmother and Zachary


Cousin Gracie and Zachary


Cousin Gracie and Zachary on the "train".


Great Great Aunt Sandra and Uncle Lawrence's place


Mommy, Baby Adelyn, Daddy and Zachary


Zachary climbing a tree