Gingerbread Houses {2012}

Last year, you may remember we did a Christmas Countdown.  It was fun but was also quite a bit of planning and work on my part.  This year, I decided to go a bit more simplistic.  I took the actitivies we did last year (plus and minus a few) and made a 'Christmas Bucket List.'  Last week, we were able to check off 'Make gingerbread houses' (which, just like last year, were actually graham crackers hotglued together to look like houses)!  

 

 

Now that's good family FUN!  :-)

Christmas Countdown {Part 2}

Well, we did it!  We completed 26 daily activities focused on teaching gratitude, generosity and family togetherness.  It was a bit time consuming and took some work on my part but the smiles, laughter and memories made were well worth it!  Oh and hearing L tell I Man that "Christmas is about the giving!" and I Man being able to name 'Mary,' 'Joseph' and 'Baby Jesus' (as well as several stable animals) in our Christmas books and decor helps, too!  There were a few activities we never got to {like "make a snowman or go sledding" - hello, no snow!} but we checked most of them off the list and L is well aware that tomorrow is our first Christmas!  So, without further ado, the rest of our Christmas Countdown...

{Buy and Donate a Toy for a Child Who Might Not Get Toys this Christmas}

We told L she could pick out anything she wanted for $10 or under.  She spent some time in the toy aisles before choosing two puzzles.  To my surprise, this wasn't a difficult task for her!  She was happy to toss the puzzles in the 'Toys for Tots' box and only asked a few times when she was going to get toys!? 

Side Note:  It was I Man who pitched a fit when the Thomas the Train puzzle didn't come home with us...sigh!

{Make Presents for Sunday School Teachers}

We made Snowmen using microwave popcorn and pairs of gloves.  It was easy, cheap and right up my 4 year old artist's alley!  I got the idea for these gifts here and you can see our finished product here.  Oh and her teachers really liked their gifts (yay!)!

{Choose Toys to Donate to the Thrift Store}

This one was difficult for L.  Buying a new toy and giving it to someone in need {knowing full well that you have new toys coming your way soon}, no problem!  Giving away your own toys was a bit more difficult I'm afraid.  It took L close to 20 minutes to decide she could part with 2 stuffed animals, one toy that neither she nor I Man play with and a few books.  I then decided it wasn't worth the fight thanked her for 'helping' and sent her upstairs while I weeded out a few more things.  We ended up with two grocery sacks and a few bigger items that have been in our garage since the move (7 months ago!) which we then donated.  Oh and later L asked if we could give I Man away.  Um?

{Make a Gingerbread Man}

...and chase him when he runs away! 

Read more about this one here.

{Be Someone's Secret Santa}

Prior to this activity, we watched the Veggietales Saint Nicholas movie which helped L better understand today's activity.  She was very excited to secretly bless someone, especially after I told her that the family we were giving to had 2 little girls one of which is about her age!  I printed the Jack Frost game we played earlier, added some marshmallows, a few packs of hot chocolate and some candy canes to a festive bag and dropped it off when I assumed the family would not be home.  It wasn't much but hopefully it made their Christmas season a little merrier!

{Go See the Christmas Lights}

We headed out to see the Christmas lights after supper tonight.  This one was our favorite and is also a nominee for our area's Clark Griswold award.  Besides all of the lights, the house had music playing and if you look closely you can see the flying reindeer which blinked!

{Make Christmas Cookies}

We made good old-fashioned Christmas cookies (and a big mess too!).  Read more about it here.

{Deliver Goodies to the Neighbors}

I made cracker candy this morning and we delivered bags of it with our Christmas card to our four closest neighbors.  When we stopped at R & S's, they invited us in to see their train set (I Man was sooooo enthralled with it!) and sent us on our way with some delicious rosettes!

{Sing in the Christmas Program}

{Go to the Dollar Tree and Pick out Gifts for Family Members}

This one was fun but a bit tricky as we tried to get gifts for each other in the same small store.  We conspired with each of the kids to get a gift for their sibling, mom and dad (we had already gotten gifts for the kids and each other, you know, NOT from the Dollar Tree).  It was fun to see what L thought we would like, though I did have to steer her away from the flowery lei and the pink baton she was certain D would like...

{Wrap Presents}

If you're going to buy presents for family members, you'd better wrap them, too!  L helped wrap by placing the tape in the right spot and adding the gift tag.  She does the 'bagged gifts' pretty much all on her own (gotta love tissue paper!).

{Throw a Birthday Party for Jesus}

{Have Our Family Christmas}

Our #1 Christmas Countdown Activity is "Have Our Family Christmas" which we will do this evening.  It will include opening presents, enjoying each other's company and taking pictures.  However, I knew if I didn't post this now it might not get done until well after Christmas (and you know I wouldn't leave you hanging!).  After all, our whirlwind Christmas adventure begins tomorrow and I have plenty to do between now and then!

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

D, M, L and I Man

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Today's Christmas Countdown activity:  "Throw a Birthday Party for Jesus"

We did this last year too but it ended up being part of our family Christmas {present opening} night.  This year, (thanks to Lesley (who else?!)) I had the idea of giving gifts to Jesus and making this night totally about Him...

So, during I Man's nap, L and I made and decorated cupcakes for later.

After supper, D read the Christmas story,

before we sang "Happy Birthday" and blew out

the candles

and then 

we dug in!

Later, we each wrote down some things that we could do for Jesus, as a gift to Him (you'll see that L's includes 'OBey' and 'AcT 4' {which would include no whining, throwing fits, being mean to I Man etc.}). 

Even I Man did some writing (with a bit of help, of course!).

We finished, by wrapping each of our 'gifts' and placing them under the tree.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Christmas Program {2011}

Today Sunday's Christmas Countdown Activity:  "Sing in the Christmas Program!"

L has been singing her songs {Away in a Manger, Silent Night, Joy to the World and We Wish You a Merry Christmas} over and over again in recent days and I knew she was ready for Sunday's program.  As it turns out though, she was a bit shy {shocker, I know!}, standing still on her step, holding tightly onto her bell and staring out into the crowd of people.  She would occasionally smile and sing a few words if I caught her eye and reminded her to do so (I was up there helping with the 2 and 3 year olds).  In the end, I think she had a good time as it was, according to her, her 'favorite part of the day' (this may or may not have been because of the cookie she got at the reception after the program)!

Here she is at practice looking totally serious and not at all enthused!

Amidst the large group of kids.

Here's a closer look for you!

"Make Christmas Cookies"

Today's Christmas Countdown Activity:  "Attend a Christmas Party and Bring a Gift for the Hostess" "Make Christmas Cookies"

After D's Christmas party for work was cancelled again {this time postponed until after Christmas} I had to do some re-arranging and "Make Christmas Cookies" ended up as today's activity.  I'm feeling a bit overloaded on sweets {hello, we just made a gingerbread man!} but it worked out since I need to take 2 dozen cookies to Church for L's Christmas program on Sunday.  So...

we mixed the batter

rolled it out

said, "cheese!"

added sprinkles

and taste tested {see the shirt?} 

our creations!

And, if you agree with the motto:  "The bigger the mess, the more fun we had!"  Then we had a great time!

You Can't Catch Me!

Today's Yesterday's Christmas Countdown Activity:  "Make a Gingerbread Man" 

Since making a Gingerbread Man isn't much different than making Christmas cookies {which we still have to do}, I thought it might be fun to make the Gingerbread Man run away!  This isn't a new idea...in fact, I did it several times while I was teaching Kindergarten!  But it does take a bit of planning...

During the day, we read The Gingerbread Boy, The Gingerbread Man and The Gingerbread Baby {not pictured, although I wasn't going to 'picture' any of them until I found this while uploading pictures today!  L must have taken it, pretty good, right?  Ignore the messy counter or just refer to this post, ahem!} after which L said, "I wonder if our gingerbread man will run away?!"

After supper, I made and rolled out some gingerbread dough and cut it into the shape of a gingerbread man.  Unfortunately, we couldn't transfer him to the pan in one piece so I ended up rolling it out again on the cookie pan and cutting him out there!  ;-)

L helped me decorate him {we used decorating gel so we could bake him already decorated!} and then we popped him in the oven.  That's when D took the kids downstairs to the playroom while I 'cleaned up' {read: ran around hanging clues} and waited for the man to bake so I could move him to his 'hiding spot' and race downstairs with an empty pan saying, "The pan is empty, the gingerbread man must have run away!  But he left this clue...Run, run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the Gingerbread Man!  I've run to the place where you take a bath."

We found clues in the bathroom (I've run to the place where your mom and dad sleep), mom and dad's bedroom (I've run to the place where you wash and dry clothes)...

the laundry room (I've run to the place where you have quiet time) and L's quiet time room (I've run to those yummy smelling gingerbread houses!)...

before 'catching' him hiding under a dish towel near our gingerbread houses!  He must have run fast because he was all cracked up (I had a hard time getting him off the pan, too!)! 

Once we found him, we had to eat him before he ran away again! 

This was a fun family activity!  L was all about it and I Man (who D carried around so he could keep up) was pretty into it, too!  L didn't have as many questions as my Kindergarteners used to, asking only, "if we make another one will he run away too?" and "how did he hang those clues up?  Maybe he found our tape and used some!"  :-)

Christmas Countdown {Part 1}

We are halfway through our Christmas Countdown and so far it has been g.r.e.a.t!  We've had fun, seen lots of smiles, answered {or at least tried to} some great questions and have done what we could to spread Christmas cheer to those around us.  Here's a peek into what our Christmas Countdown has looked like thus far...

{Deck the Halls}

{Send Cards to Soldiers}

{Watch a Veggietales Christmas movie}

L chose The Star of Christmas

{Color a Christmas Picture and Send it to Someone of your Choice}

L chose Cousin K and was super excited to put it in the mailbox!!

{Open One Present Early}

This was an addition to my list as we received a surprise box in the mail containing (yet another) countdown.  This one includes candy, money, stickers and other small treats and the kids are loving it!  It doesn't exactly teach generosity or gratitude but we did have the opportunity to make and send a thank you!

{Family Game Night}

I printed this game which I originally saw here, added some hershey kisses and mini marshmallows for game pieces and called everyone to the table to play.  I gotta say, it was fun...really fun!  Although, once we stopped using candy to play the kids lost interest pretty quickly...

{Make Salt Dough Ornaments}

This was another fun one (more so for L and I then the boys) which I hope to include in some gifts!

{Call 3 People and Tell Them You Love Them}

L's choices:  Cousins K, A3 and A1

{Make a Christmas Treat}

I had envisioned this being Christmas Tree Brownies or Christmas Tree Cupcakes but I had all the ingredients for Rice Krispie Bars so we made Rice Kripie Christmas Trees instead!

{Put Money in the Salvation Army Bucket}

Read more about this one here.

{Make a List of 10 Things You are Thankful For}

We did this one collectively which turned out to work well since I Man just copied whatever L said anyway.  Maybe next year we'll each make our own list?

{Decorate Gingerbread Houses}

Read more about this one here.

{Have a Pizza Picnic in Front of the Christmas Tree}
Both kids loved this one and have already asked me to do it again!