oooh, it looks like a little gingerbread house!

Remember these?

The best part is always playing in the glitter!

Christmas Classics

A Charlie Brown movie, milk and Brownie Cookies with sprinkles, and lots of paint to decorate the Christmas knick knack gifts for Grammy and Nana and Jean Ayi. It is a very good start to this second week of Advent - the prophecy week. Hannah read from Isaiah 9: Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Father. Bethany read about Gabriel visiting the virgin, Mary. We lit the second purple candle.

Breaking News!

Bethany's art entry for "Reflections" has won an award for excellence and will move up to council for judging (whatever that means.) Hannah, however thrilled she is for Bethany, doesn't understand why her own submission is not on display. sigh. Scroll down a few entries to see pictures of both.

First of December - Time to Remember

The Advent House held a message behind door number one:
Today is special - the first of December -
A perfect time for us to remember.
We have many friends who are far away
Who we can send some hope today.
Come on then, it won't be hard -
Let's make them a special Christmas card!

So while I edited my address book, the girls worked on cards to send dear loved ones all their hopes and well wishes. Hope comes from knowing you are not forgotten. The address book was an old one I hadn't used in fifteen years. Sadly, there were many names, once dear enough to write down, who had moved - or divorced - or died. So many friends who moved on or moved away, now remembered.

These cards go out to you.

Wow!

Wow! is the theme of this year's "Reflections" event - a statewide arts program that allows elementary participation in the Arts. The piece is not returned, so I took pictures for posterity.

Bethany's composition of oil pastels and watercolor is "man made from a star."

Hannah's composition of oil pastels and watercolor is "erupting volcano."

Now we are six

Aside from the title of one of my favorite collections of children's poetry, it is a fact that my 25 week preemie, miracle extrordinaire, butterfly and swan, is now six. It happened so all of a sudden that four weeks later I can only say, time flies too fast. Heart of my heart, she wanted an "art party" for her birthday. I'll let you peek at some of the masterpieces...