What we are up to this week {CHRISTmas break crafts}!

Here is one of my favorite ornaments this year!

 
I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying this first 

week of our official vacation from homeschooling!! I guess

I have never really quantified the deeply /mental and physical commitment it

is for us to homeschool. In addition to the actual teaching time, the preparation time 

is incredibly demanding and {attachment} parenting 

3 children under 5 is quite the challenge, to say the least!

 But, then the Lord brings to mind 

these (2 of my favorite) Bible verses!!

I am happy to report that our girls

keep asking us for "school work" each and every day! 

Em (28 mos) keeps asking me what the color/letter/shape of the week is

and since I told her we are on break, she is making up her own, LOL!!! It is so cute

to see her doing her own learning chart and making up her own lesson plans:)

So, I decided to just let the girls do a lot of free play, choosing their own activities and I would

 provide some simple CHRISTmas-y/winter crafts they could choose to do during the week. 

Here is a peek at some of the crafts we have done so far. I will add more
as we complete them.

Elle just could not bring herself to eat her 

banana snowman--she wanted to "save it for later."

 Painting and decorating small pinecone CHRISTmas trees.

 We made tree ornaments and snowy pinecone trees as well. 

We got the ideas here.

Because this week is CHRISTmas, we are focusing the girls
on how important it is to be thankful for everything we have and
give glory to GOD for our gifts (tangible and otherwise).

 Elle(4 yrs old) is still really enjoying working on her first grade math worksheets!
I love the delight in her eyes when she is working on what she loves:)

 Elle made a Nativity Scene out of our
homemade Play Dough!

 Elle's favorite ornaments this year.

 Our Nativity Scene

Toilet paper roll snowman.

We went out and collected icicles and brought them in to
explore. The girls watched them melt away and had fun playing with them.

 We decorated some CHRISTmas tree cutouts.

 We decorated some picture frames to give as
CHRISTmas gifts.

 Em (28 mos) working on her patterns.
I got the pattern sheet from Childcareland.com and
then simply laminated it.

 The girls both love playing with the Wedgits I got for $1.91!

 Em sorted some shapes by color.

 Yoga time!

The girls have been begging me to let them nap together (and have sleepovers)
for months! I finally gave in and let them try it.
Neither one of them fell asleep, but they had a lot of
fun telling "sister secrets" and laughing a whole lot:)

We hope you all are enjoying this Holiday season and

we wish you the Merriest of CHRISTmases!!

Blessings,
Aria