Ok, I know, that housework while homeschooling post still hasn't materialized. It's all up in my head, baby. Unfortunately, I've been too busy actually trying to get house stuff done to write about it. I hosted an unexpected Thanksgiving dinner this year because my parents' house finally sold and they had to start packing very quickly.
More pressing, though is Advent planning, and that's what I've been working on today. We do Advent up good, and my kids are almost as excited about the first Sunday as they are about Christmas, so I'm doing something right. I've written before about our Jesse Tree. Well, this year I've decided to forgo the candy. That was kind of an expensive pain to put together. This year I've decided instead to have something special planned for each day of Advent and write that out on a little scroll to be opened each evening. That sounds really ambitious, right? Well, many of the things are traditions we already have,,,like having an ornament making day...others are new...like watching special Christmas movies each Sunday of Advent...and many are very simple or based around things that need to get done anyway, like "have a present wrapping day" or "make tissue paper poinsettias".
Here's our plans for this week---
Sunday, November 30th- Read "Merry Christmas Strega Nona" and have an Italian dinner. Start the Immaculate Conception novena today.
Monday, December 1st- Read "The Manger Where Jesus Lay. First Movie Night- Polar Express and It's A Wonderful Life.
Tuesday, December 2nd- Ri's Shopping Day with Mom. We will pick up little somethings for her to gift her siblings and Dad with, and pick up a yummy goodie while we're out.
Wednesday, December 3rd- Read "Country Angel Christmas". Make glitter star ornaments.
Thursday, December 4th- Craft day at the art museum. Read "Our Lady of Guadalupe" and start the Our Lady of Guadalupe novena.
Friday, December 5th- Field trip to a local museum. Read The Miracle of St. Nicholas and put out shoes.
Saturday, December 6th- St. Nicholas visits! Town Christmas parade! Read "The Huron Carol".
What are your favorite Christmas traditions? I've gotten many of ours from Elizabeth Foss's lovely unit study. I'm lacking about 5 simple/special things for the tail end of my list. :) I love doing these things with my children. We try to keep the gifts and such to a minimum, and this leaves a wonderful void to be filled with better traditions.
3 comments:
Great ideas! I am trying to come up with some of our own... we will do St. Nicholas Day by leaving out shoes to be filled with chocolate coins, December feast day holy cards (Lucy, Stephen, Nicholas...), and a St. Nicholas book if it comes in time. We'll make St. Nicholas cookies the next day and have a special dinner. Those are my main upcoming plans... we'll see what comes together over the rest of the season. I know we're going to put up Christmas lights on St. Lucy's feast day since her name means "light." And I heard a great idea to begin on St. Andrew's feast day (Sunday) - there is a St. Andrew's Christmas novena (not really a novena because you say it every day from Nov. 30 to Christmas). I think we'll incorporate that next year.
Who wrote your book about Our Lady of Guadalupe?
St. Lucy's day would be fun to celebrate. I've heard of neat traditions of having the oldest girl where a wreath on her head and serving the family breakfast. :)
That book is by Tomie de Paola...I love his books! He has quite a few Catholic ones.
Love all the ideas above! Especially the Advent movie night. Now let's see if we can all agree on a movie : ) We have "It's a Wonderful Life" too, but I would like to hear other movies you are viewing...keep us posted! (One of my favorites is the "Muppet's Christmas Carol")
Erin...I like your St. Nicholas "shoe" idea with coins and holy cards...thanks!
Blessings,
Theresa
http://carmelitemom.blogspot.com/
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