Christmas preparations have been slow and deliberate. Things have happened one day at a time. I have not blogged for everyday of Advent, but I’ve done a good job. It’s been a nice season to relax into. Nothing has monopolized life. One Xmas party. One holiday show. We’ve dipped into Advent with our Jesse Tree devotional. Our Xmas shopping has been measured and relaxed. There’s been time to get things done. We don’t do everything everyday. There’s things we miss. The devotion gets unread. The tree sits undecorated for a few days. It has been good to take a measured approach to the season. It is our family’s style.
Nativity sets are the first things to come out of our Xmas decorating.
Veggie Tales ride again!
Playmobile Nativity!
These guys almost got played with to disappearance. The parts move and get integrated with other systems. We’ve had to institute policies to keep the set together 
Tree decorating! The ornaments haven’t been up for 2 yrs!
One night, I decided to try Trader Joe’s fondue. I read about so many fun things in the TJ holiday flyer: chocolate covered kettle korn, fondue, chocolate cream filled pannetone for Xmas dinner. This one worked well.
The girls skipped the cheese and just fell in love with the pointy wooden sticks. They used it to eat green apples. They now think fondue means sticks.
Sara’s school did a cool project. Every year they do Helping Hands- picking out presents for needy families. This year, one mother has the wisdom and energy to organize a wrapping party. Normally, the giving family wraps the gift. The observation is that kids often get cut out of the process. The parents shop, wrap, and give the present. The wrapping party was to get the kids more involved. I love the community feel of this project to teach giving.
Sara and Laura found a mentor mom who was an expert is wrapping technique for odd shaped gifts. (Their mother is not an expert).
iPhone gathering.
Friends from our church gathered at our house for one last meeting before Xmas. One member had a new iPhone received that day. All of a sudden, there was a plethora of iphones and advice and app talk. It was an adhoc iPhone party! It’s amazing how ubiquitous these things are becoming.
My friend, Kimberlee, was observing how her Laura aged daughter is fascinated by Zombies. It was such an amusing post. Even more, because Laura had brought this story home from school.
Shirley, mistress of turning the simple into the exciting, sent Laura and Sara this card. We are blessed with a mantel full of cards. I love receiving cards during this time of year. This card, with an audio rendition of a carol, is the one Laura will take down and listen do time and again (driving her parents mildly insane).
Sara ended Mad Science at her school this week. Wayne continued the trend with Mind Blowing Science. This was an experiment involving crystals. Both Laura and Sara drew their observations in science journals.
