Christmas is almost here

 I cannot believe Christmas is almost here. We have been having a lot of fun. It is really neat to see how the kids this year embrace things on a different level.

  Secrets- While we do not promote secrete keeping, the children have expressed A LOT of enthusiasm about buying gifts for others and not telling the receiver what the gift is. They really seem to revel in the receiver's surprise as they open the gift. We did have a conversation about when it is okay to keep a secrete and when it's not. I have been blown away at their ability to with hold telling the person about their gift, exspecially to each other. It has become a new joke in our house. "C.J. I know what your present is.", "What?" "A poopy diaper!" then she dissolves into giggles.

Re-enacting/ Dramatic Play- We have been reading a bunch of seasonal and holiday themed books. I find both of the children together and separately re-enacting what we have read. They on their own decided to place their shoes outside their bed room doors to receive goodies, after we read about it. They have used a children's nativity to act out the nativity story. we have read this story every year and I love the questions' they have been coming up with this year.
   Each child has had numerous opportunity to play wrapping. I give them scissors. tape and wrapping paper. They spend hours wrapping up there toys and then giving them to each other or daddy and myself to be opened. Jasey's scissor skills amaze me.

Art/Crafts- We have made ornaments, cards, pictures, and paintings. I love how I can incorporate this into our school. In science we learned about snowflakes and how they were made, the we made snow flakes out of coffee filters ans decorated the house. I keep always keep holiday wrapping paper with the intentions of using it, this year I gave my kids all the odd scrapes and they cut out the scenes, figures or words and re-glued them to paper to make Christmas pictures.

Baking- We have always done a lot of baking, this year it has been really fun because C.J. has been learning about fractions. My oh my how fast he picks up on concepts when we are doing fun things. We hand out sweets to family and friends.

  C.J. has been such a wonderful helper this year. Always striving to separate himself from what he calls "the little kids". The other day I was in our bedroom frantically wrapping daddy's gift when C.J. yells "Dads home." I say, "Don't let him in." I finish wrapping as quickly as I can and carry the present to the living room where we find C.J. standing behind the door rapidly turning the lock every time Chris unlocks the door, "Mom, are you done, he keeps trying to come in." You can hear Chris out side, "C.J. what are you doing let me in!" I was laughing so hard, I let daddy in and explain I just didn't want dad in the bedroom. I didn't mean for him to be repeatedly locked outside. It was pretty funny.

  Our days have been filled with laughter and chaos, but I love it.