Busted Ornaments

Today's advent pick was making ornaments.  

Last year we didn't have a Christmas tree.  Aside from having just moved and unpacked in the four weeks prior to Christmas, we had a 20 month old terror running a-muck.   I hated it, the boys hated it, but I knew that putting a tree up with the Diva at that point was just like dancing on the edge of the cliff -we'd be asking for trouble.  This year I don't know that she is going to be much better, and she's definitely got more skills in her destructive repetoire but gosh darn it, we all want a tree.

So we're compromising.

We're getting a tree, but we're not putting any ornaments on it.  Lights and tinsel yes, but nothing breakable.  Jake is still a little worried she might "get in the tree and climb up it", but I'm fairly confident this can be a win-win situation.

Hence the idea of making ornaments.  Paper ones would be fun to make, and who really cares if they get destroyed?

 This is Leah's crafting stool.  She will sit in a chair for any other table activity, but for crafts, she has to sit in this stool.  Go figure.  She also made another lovely pink Christmas decoration.  It looked rather like an Easter egg.  At least part of her is girly.

Austin loves crafts of any kind.  He thoroughly enjoyed making ornaments, even after he realized he was trying to cut paper with Play-Do scissors.

For whatever reason, making ornaments was kind of a bust for Jacob.  At one point he just sat cutting paper into strips and thought we would just hang those around the tree.  

  

And that's the extent of our ornaments.  Austin spends a lot of time on one thing, and Jake just wasn't interested.  We still had a good time, however, listening to music and making cookies while we crafted.  

Random note #1 - My kids all this time have thought the Muppets were called Muffins, and they're pretty sure there are 52,000 of them.  I learned that tonight while crafting.  Who knew?

Random note #2 - I hate taking pictures in my dining room.  The lighting is horrid and there is all that glass on the sliding doors that reflect flashes.  

Once There Was a Snowman

The countdown is on!  I can hardly believe it's December, but we are ready for it around here.  The decorations are up, the tree will be here this weekend, and we started our advent calendar activities today.  

Our first activity was making snowmen.  We hauled out all my (sadly unused) scrapbook supplies, and the kids had at it.

I did not try to explain to Leah that pink isn't really a Christmas color

almost as soon as we got her snowman glued down, she ripped him up and was done.

I loved seeing how each of the boys designed their snowman

 Mine

 Jake's

Austin's

Epiphany of the day - crafts are not for 2 year olds.  While I don't want to exclude Leah from our advent activities, unfortunately I think there are going to be some best saved for after her bed time or during nap time.  Somehow, it's a complete killjoy when your child throws her craft at you and has to be sent to her room in a screaming temper tantrum.

No Two Snowflakes Are Alike

Jake came home from school today all prepared to teach us how to make snowflakes.  I have been wanting to incorporate some fun winter/Christmas crafts into our holiday celebrations, so I was more than happy to let him lead the way.  

 teaching brother

 determined Petunia

 she held her mouth like this every time she was concentrating on cutting - somewhere in my mothers photo archives there is a picture of me in a pink leotard on the uneven bars doing just the same thing with my mouth.

 ignore my ghetto burned out light bulb

 Jake hung them all around the house for us, kicking off our holiday decorating night

I love these reflected in the window

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Transition

This weekend was one of the nicest we've had in a while - clear, sunny, and dry.  What better time to finally get the yard in shape after weeks and weeks of rain?

Jake is so like me - he loves yard work, especially when we are all out there doing it together.  He actually said, "Lets get this party started!"

 This was all I could get of Brian when I told him I needed to take his picture.  He said I should take a picture of his boots I had stolen, and was wearing...

 So I did!  I love them, even if they are 4 sizes too big.  I think that's what I love about them.  I had to get rid of my cute lime green ones because they made my feet claustrophobic.  True story.

This is Austin's idea of yard work.  A nice rousing game of mini Frisbee.

and this is Leah's - teaching herself how to scale the chain link fence.  Which she did.  Successfully.  About 3 times before we sent her inside.

Finished product.  Nothing makes me feel better than a clean yard.  Just in time to put up Christmas lights!

Love these faces