Decorating THE Tree

Note to self:  If EVER in the future we get a huge tree, plan LOTS of extra time for decorating.

 

Well.  We are on Day #3 of decorating this tree.  Yesterday, I decorated around the house and got the beads and angels put on the tree.  Today, the kids put the bulbs on during their lunch break from school.

 

I'll try to remember to put a finished product photo on later (see below) . . . after I finish putting bulbs on the very top of the tree where the kids couldn't reach. {sigh}

 

Butterfly the ballerina balancing to place bulbs on our beautiful tree.

There were about 10 bulbs in the section Bud is standing at.  He was doing a real thorough job.

After we explained that he needed to spread them around a little, I found him saying, "Hmm" with his finger to his mouth as he stared at the tree.

Teamwork! YAY! And they did it on their own.

Funny side story:  Yesterday the kids were digging through the Christmas stuff while I was decorating, and they were trying to figure out whose snowman toy was whose.  One child commented, "Hey, we figured that out without fighting about it."  I told them that is the goal!  We are getting there.  Slowly.

Our 2012 Christmas Tree ~

Advent Calendar

Today is a perfect day to organize our Advent Calendar.  Most of us are under the weather in one way or another. 

 

Last year's calendar ended up being mostly a count down because it wasn't very organized and because we moved December 17th.  This year we don't have a refrigerator that will hold magnets, so I have to come up with something new.  I'm still tossing around a couple ideas, but I like the idea of stringing something across the windows in the breakfast nook!

 

 

I can't wait.  Hopefully we can keep up with it.  I'm trying to make the activities realistic, so it doesn't make our schedule any more hectic.

I'm most excited about incorporating this idea . . .

The week of Thanksgiving we researched thanksgiving in the Bible: how we should give God thanks in our prayers and in our praise / singing and how we should be thankful in EVERYTHING.  The kids enjoyed the study, and I think they learned quite a bit.