Asleep in the Stable

Today we read Asleep in the Stable by Will Hillenbrand and made an owl ornament.

In this engaging book, a mama owl tells her baby owl about the Holy family.

"WHOOOO," asked Baby Owl, "is the Holy Child?"
"He is the gift from God," whoooed Mama.
"WHOOOO," said Baby Owl, "forgot to give his Holy Child feathers to keep him warm!"
"God, his Heavenly Father, has given him the warmth of his love instead of feathers," said Mama.

~from Asleep in the Stable

The illustrations in the book were done in mixed media with collage on vellum.  ~So brightly colored and simplistic.  :)

For the ornament, T made a cut-and-paste owl.

T's owl does have feet; they're glued to the back.  He insisted...and since it was his creation, I was okay with it.  ;o)

Supplies:

• white card stock
• scissors
• glue
• adhesive wiggly eyes
• brown craft feathers
• hole punch
• hemp cord (for hanging)

Directions:

Print out the template.

Cut out the pieces.

Glue together the owl.

• Glue the tan oval onto the brown oval so the bottoms line up.
• Glue the dark brown triangle onto the brown oval so the tops line up.
• Glue the orange triangle (beak) and the yellow circles (eyes) onto the owl.
• Attach the wiggly eyes to the center of the yellow circles.
• Glue the orange circles (feet) onto the bottom of the owl.

Glue on craft feathers.  Allow the ornament to dry thoroughly.

Punch a hole near the top of the ornament, add a loop of hemp cord, and hang the ornament on your Christmas tree!  :)

Linked to:
   Christmas Ornament Party
   Christmas Craft Party
   12 Days of Christmas Party
   Read Explore Learn
   Love Books
   T.G.I.F. Party #56 (Living Life Intentionally)
   Shine on Fridays
   Clever Chicks

If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

Today we read If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff and made a mouse ornament.

 

If you take a mouse to the movies, he'll ask you for some popcorn.  When you give him the popcorn, he'll want to string it all together.  Then he'll want to hang it on a Christmas tree.

~from If You Take a Mouse to the Movies

T made a cut-and-paste mouse ornament, complete with a string of popcorn!  :)

(A photo of T's ornament is forthcoming!)

Supplies:

• card stock:  brown, pink, and red
• scissors
• glue
• two silver brads
• tissue paper:  white and yellow
• red round beads*
• white embroidery floss or thread
• plastic needle*
• hole punch
• hemp cord (for hanging)

Directions:

Print the mouse at 35%:  page 1 (head and feet) onto brown and pink card stock, page 2 (arms) onto brown card stock, and page 3 (overalls) onto red card stock. (Alternative:  Print the mouse onto white card stock and color the pieces.  Most of the time, T is not overly-fond of coloring...so I went with the colored card stock.)

Cut out the pieces, except cut out only the nose and inner ears of the face printed on the pink card stock.

Glue the pieces together to form a mouse; use the pink nose and inner ears to piece onto the brown face.  Add the brads to the overalls to resemble buttons.  (We also added a piece of fabric for the pocket on the front of the overalls.)

Scrunch pieces of white and yellow tissue paper (to resemble popcorn).  String the "popcorn" and "cranberries" (red beads) to make a short garland.  Secure the ends to the mouse's hands.  (I made a tiny hole, threaded the end of the piece of floss through it, and tied a knot around the mouse's hand.)

(Alternative:  Use real popcorn.  I chose not to use real popcorn; I want to save the ornament...without attracting a bug or varmint while it's in storage!)

Punch a hole near the top of the ornament, add a loop of hemp cord, and hang it on your Christmas tree!  :)

Linked to:
   Christmas Ornament Party
   Christmas Craft Party
   12 Days of Christmas Party
   Love Books
   Shine on Fridays
   Virtual Book Club for Kids

A is for Angel

In the alphabet book, A Merry Little Christmas by Mary Engelbreit, letter A is for angel atop a tall tree.

I can't say that our tree is tall.  I placed it on top of a cedar chest...and it's still not tall!  :P  However, T did make a darling angel which we placed atop the tree.

As a matter of fact, I liked his angel so much that I decided to make a coordinating meal.

• angel-shaped sandwich...

       with heart-shaped marshmallow wings,
       potato sticks hair,

       ring-shaped jelly candy halo, and

       facial features made out of sprinkles.
       The angel's gown is decorated with edible glitter (tiny stars).

Also included are:

• Goldfish Space Adventures crackers (stars)
• Cheez-It Scrabble Junior crackers
• Holiday Treats cookies (I think they look like angel wings, no?)
• applesauce with jumbo star sprinkles

As I was creating his meal, T came into the kitchen to check on my progress...and commented, "Cute!"  I thought that was sweet of him.  He's always so appreciative of my food fun efforts.  :)

A Merry Little Christmas

Today we read A Merry Little Christmas by Mary Engelbreit and made an angel ornament.

 

A is for angel
atop a tall tree,
aglow with the light of
what Christmas should be.

~from A Merry Little Christmas

In their tiny village in the woods, Gregory Mouse and his family are busy decorating gingerbread houses, wrapping presents, baking cookies, and sledding down snowy hills.

This is a delightful holiday alphabet book that is written in rhyme.

T made an angel with doily wings ornament.

I love the angel face he drew.  :)

Supplies:

• card stock (any color)
• scissors
• sequins, trim, glitter
• glue
• white paper doily
• fine point marker
• yarn
• gold wire garland or pipe cleaner
• monofilament or gold cord (for hanging)

Directions:

Cut a triangle and a circle out of card stock for the angel's gown and head respectively.

Decorate the triangle with sequins and any other decorative item(s) you wish to use.

Fold the doily in half, and glue it together.  Then, glue it to the back of the triangle.

Use a marker to draw a face on the circle.  (I stamped a face using Stampkins.)  Glue the circle to the top of the triangle.

Add yarn for hair.  Shape the garland into a halo, and glue it to the back of the circle.

Let it dry thoroughly, add a loop of monofilament, and then hang the ornament on your Christmas tree!  :)

My inspiration for the ornament:
   DLTK

Linked to:
   Christmas Ornament Party
   Christmas Craft Party
   12 Days of Christmas Party
   Love Books
   Shine on Fridays

Christmas in the Manger

Today we read Christmas in the Manger by Nola Buck and made a stable scene ornament.

I am the baby
asleep in the hay,
and I am the reason
for Christmas Day.

~from Christmas in the Manger

I love the rhyming text of this board book, which we gave to T for Christmas when he was little.  The book tells the story of the first Christmas from each participant's point of view.

T made a nativity stable scene ornament.

Supplies:

• white card stock
• scissors
• markers or crayons
• file folder label - Isaiah 9:6
• hole punch
• four craft sticks
• glue
• hemp cord (for hanging)
• silver star sequin

Directions:

Print the nativity scene at 80%.  I printed the version "with words."

Cut out the picture and color it.  Add a label with the Bible reference to the bottom, under the picture.

Punch a hole in the top center (for hanging).  Glue the side craft sticks in place.  Then, glue two craft sticks to form the roof.

Add a loop of hemp cord.  Glue a star sequin to the peak of the roof, catching the cord underneath.

Let it dry thoroughly, and then hang the ornament on your Christmas tree!  :)

Linked to:
   Christmas Ornament Party
   Christmas Craft Party
   12 Days of Christmas Party
   Read Explore Learn
   T.G.I.F. Party
   Shine on Fridays

Snowbear Meal

I wasn't planning on preparing a coordinating meal for T, but then some ideas came into my head...and I couldn't resist!  :P

In the book, Snowbear's Christmas Countdown by Theresa Smythe, Snowbear counts down the days to Christmas...hence the placemat.

The date, December 25, is circled in red on Snowbear's wall calendar.  I intended to put the 25 (icing decorations) on a square Wheat Thins cracker (to resemble the date square on the calendar), but I discovered we didn't have any.  So, it is on a snowflake Ritz cracker (with additional crackers underneath).

On the 6th day, Snowbear shoveled snow.  Those mashed potatoes are really a big pile of shoveled snow.

Next up is applesauce with jumbo snowflake sprinkles...because it's a very snowy story!

Snowbear had his penguin friend over for lunch on the 19th day...and they ate fish, of course!  That's where the Goldfish crackers come in.

What would be a Snowbear meal without Snowbear?  He's a polar bear-shaped piece of toast with Swiss cheese on top (and a sprinkle eye).

Linked to:
   Muffin Tin Mom
   Read Explore Learn

Snowbear's Christmas Countdown

We started our book and ornament advent today by reading Snowbear's Christmas Countdown by Theresa Smythe.  I thought it was the perfect book with which to begin our countdown to Christmas since, in the story, Snowbear counts down to Christmas, also!

It was the month of December and time for Snowbear to get ready for Christmas.

~from Snowbear's Christmas Countdown

The month of December is full of joyful anticipation for Snowbear.  There are so many things to do before Christmas arrives!  Snowbear counts the days to Christmas as he puts up decorations, buys presents for his friends, makes cookies, and plays in the snow.

This is a good "counting book" with cute, fuzzy-looking illustrations.  :)  The artist used cut-paper collage to create the illustrations.

To go along with the book, T made a polar bear ornament.

Supplies:

• card stock:  white and blue
• scissors
• glue
• scraps of fabric
• pom-pom
• white craft fur
• snowflake stickers
• hole punch
• ribbon (for hanging)

Directions:

Print and cut out the polar bear.  (It's on the first page of the printables that go with the book, Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?)

Cut a scarf and a hat shape* from the scraps of fabric.  (*I used this drawing by Kerry Godsall as a pattern for the hat shape.  Scroll down to "What is the Meaning of Christmas?")  Cut a piece of craft fur for the polar bear's body.

Tie the scarf around the polar bear's neck, and glue it in place.  Glue a pom-pom to the tip of the hat, and glue the hat to the polar bear's head.  Glue the piece of fur to the polar bear's body.

Mount the polar bear on blue card stock, and add snowflake stickers.

Punch a hole near the top, add a loop of ribbon, and hang the ornament on your Christmas tree!  :)

Linked to:
   Christmas Ornament Party
   Christmas Craft Party
   12 Days of Christmas Party
   Read Explore Learn
   T.G.I.F. Party
   Shine on Fridays

Book and Ornament Advent

I love books (especially children's books), Christmas, and ornaments...so what better way to celebrate the season than with a book advent?  I've noticed that a number of other bloggers* have done this...and, well, it just looks like so much fun!!

I have a bunch of Christmas books, of course!  :P  Here are the books I've selected:

     A Merry Little Christmas
          by Mary Engelbreit
     A Shepherd's Gift
          by Mary Calhoun
     Asleep in the Stable
          by Will Hillenbrand
     Careful, Santa!
          by Julie Sykes
     Christmas in the Barn
          by Margaret Wise Brown
     Christmas in the Manger
          by Nola Buck
     Gingerbread Baby
          by Jan Brett
     I Love Christmas!
          by Hans Wilhelm
     If You Take a Mouse to the Movies
          by Laura Numeroff
     My Christmas Stocking, Filled with God's Love
          by Crystal Bowman
     My Merry Christmas and the Real Reason for Christmas Joy
          by Sally Lloyd-Jones
     O Little Town of Bethlehem
          by David Mead and Chris Sharp
     One Snowy Night
          by M. Christina Butler
     Room for a Little One
          by Martin Waddell
     Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
          adapted by Rick Bunsen
     Saint Francis and the Nativity
          by Myrna A. Strasser
     Santa Mouse
          by Michael Brown
     Snowbear's Christmas Countdown
          by Theresa Smythe
     Sugar & Spice - The Yummy Scents of Christmas
          (author unknown)
     The Christmas Story
          by Carol Heyer
     The Donkey's Christmas Song
          by Nancy Tafuri
     The Little Christmas Tree
          by Karl Rühmann
     The Littlest Christmas Tree
          by Janie Jasin
     The Night Before Christmas
          by Jan Brett
     The Twelve Days of Christmas
          by Jan Brett
     The Very Snowy Christmas
          by Diana Hendry
     This Is the Star
          by Joyce Dunbar

Each day leading up to Christmas, T and I will read a Christmas book and make an ornament.  I've put up a tree specifically for these ornaments.  Here it is, ready to go!

The ornaments already on the tree are examples of the ornaments T will make.  I've also hung a little ornament for each book we will read...a printed copy of the book cover, mounted on card stock.

I should add that this is a very lofty goal for me...especially with everything else that occurs during this time of the year!  We will see how many books we actually are able to do.  ;o)

*My inspiration:
     The Crafty Crow
     The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman
     A Day of Wonders
     The Fantastic Five

Thanksgiving Day

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

This is a turkey we saw at Hollywild Animal Park when we went there on a field trip with T's co-op on September 7, 2012.

Thankful Candy Bars

This afternoon, T and I went to the office where his Papa works.  T gave candy bars with Thanksgiving wrappers to the reps in his Papa's customer service group.

Amy at Living Locurto created this printable...and it's free!  (Free is good.)

All you have to do is print it, cut it out, and wrap it around a Hershey's candy bar!

When T's Papa arrived home from work, he showed us this Daily Shout Out Award he'd received...presented to T!  :)

Awww...stickers and everything!  ~Love it!!