Christmas is almost here!

It's been hectic around here this week. We got the tree up this weekend, and somehow between that and the "deep cleaning" emails on SHS I got a bee in my bonnet that it needed to be done here too. I'm slowly getting things scrubbed and organized as I go through rooms with my regular chores. But, I feel so much better even if my family can't tell that the curtains have been washed. :) I've still got many rooms to go through (only the living room and kitchen done!) but I'm making progress.

We've started our Advent readings like many others. I just love this time of year. Normally we take the entire month of December off as our break, but between not getting anything done over the summer and really wanting to finish our Mesopotamia unit we're going to keep plugging along. We are spending more time in Advent readings though each morning. I was going to be selective about which books we used this year, but C was very vocal about not wanting to drop anything. Silly me... here I thought we could not read one since I bought something new. WRONG! :) It's that "no change" thing. Additions are evidently ok, but subtractions are not.

This is our Advent routine:

Each morning we start with Jesse Tree Devotions: A Family Activity for Advent by Marilyn S. Breckenridge. We've tried this every year, and each year we get closer and closer to actually finishing it! lol We're determined to do it this time. We seem to have misplaced the poster that came with it, so we used some brown paper (crumpled of course) to draw a tree for the living room door. I have to admit, I like this even more than the white paper poster. I think this one will have to stay! We've added leaves for Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-2); Creation (Genesis 1:26-31); Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-7); Noah (Genesis 6:11-22; 9:8-13). Today we'll add Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 12:1-7; Hebrews 11:8.) For my friends and family who aren't familiar with a Jesse Tree, it is a way to trace the spiritual family tree of Jesus through retelling the Bible stories that lead to His birth. The symbol of the tree comes from Isaiah 11: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots." Through his son, David, Jesus was born. There are many ways to make a Jesse tree using leaves, an actual tree, or a branch, but we choose to have a poster (or this year a drawing!) of a tree on our closet door in the living room which is near our Christmas tree. Each day we add leaves so that by Christmas day our tree is full.

After our Jesse tree reading and leaf-adding, we read our devotions from Celebrate Jesus! At Christmas by Kimberly Ingalls Reese. This is by far one of my favorite advent books. This is the third year (I think!) that we've used it. The readings take you from Advent - the fourth Sunday before Christmas- through the Epiphany - when the three wise men visited baby Jesus. We did not get the candles for the advent wreath this year simply because A) I forgot, and B) I think the burning near branches bothered my fire-concerned hubby. I know that it's a great visual, but to me the point is the thinking and the reading, so we're doing good. I just love this book! Each week has a special focus with suggested activities to drive the point home with the kids. (Ex: Week one talks about how God keeps his promises, so one suggestion is to promise the kids that you will take them to see lights at the end of the week and then keep that promise.) The activities are simple. Each day includes readings and discussion along the week's theme, a prayer, a hymn or carol (C's favorite part!) and a step in the building of the nativity (my favorite part!) I just love how the nativity becomes something living and teaching rather than just a very special decoration through the changes each day. This week we've set up the empty stable, added the animals, placed Mary and Joseph across the room, and we'll add shepherds a distance away from them today. (In our case it's lego men since our set doesn't have shepherds!) There is just something about placing the angel next to Mary to make you wonder on how it must have felt to a girl so young, or seeing how long it really did take for them to get to the stable. I just love it.

Our other reading is from Jotham's Journey: A Storybook for Advent by Arnold Ytreeide. I figured out why we have such a hard time with this each year.... we read at night! This year we're reading in the morning and it is making a world of difference. We both love it, I don't fall asleep, and we're getting excited about the story line. Funny how time of day changes things! I was going to drop Jotham this year in favor of our ADVENTure of Christmas book, but again.... change is not our family's friend.

The ADVENTure of Christmas by Lisa Whelchel is my new favorite. At first I thought we would work systematically through the book learning about a symbol or tradition of the season/holiday each day, but instead we're just using the book as we come to bits and pieces that are applicable. Example... we'll be baking tomorrow so I'll read the portion about Christmas baking. We drove around to see lights on the way home from church last night so we talked about what lights represent (Jesus being the light of the world.) It helps that our children's pastor's wife is using selections from this each Sunday in advent, so we're getting some things covered there as well. :)

As for other subjects... history is going well. C is still fighting science. She likes the FIZZ BANG BOOM bits of science but not the every day/do lessons part. :) We've focused on Babylonia the last few history lessons with a focus on the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and Hammurabi's Code yesterday. We've got several lessons left (Persia, life in Mesopotamia, Science/Art in Mesopotamia, etc) but we'll get it finished in probably two weeks. I'm considering a new routine - harsh as that is! - after the first of the year where we focus on a history unit or a science unit and alternate between them. C loves history so much that science is a struggle. I'm wondering if having a concentrated focus would help. Any thoughts on this or experiences would be helpful.

Math is going very well, but this is a good subject for her. We're very happy with Math Smart Junior. I've added in some games and activities, and she seems to enjoy it. Right now we're working with ratios and proportions. She flew through the first half of the chapter so we'll work on some "real life application" problems to carry us from the completion of the chapter until Christmas break. I don't want to start a new topic and have to stop for a week. I believe our next unit will be graphing, so she should enjoy that.

The only other "WOW" thing that has happened lately is that C finally had the light bulb moment about why we actually have to learn/practice typing! She typed up a report on the Hanging Gardens and was very happy that it went faster than writing! (Hear the singing of angels in heaven with the bright lights and amazed looks?) She's always liked to sit and type, but now it's FUNCTIONAL! :)

Reading... she picked up Number the Stars after finding out she'll be able to see the play with my MIL and SIL/nephew. She flew through the book in two days loving every minute of it. It came at a good time because I was explaining to her how there are so many good books out there and why I don't want her reading some of the "candy" type of books that her friends read. It was a great lesson with perfect timing. I'm now on the hunt for a list of great books for strong readers with young hearts to read. Suggestions?

More later. We have a bit of snow today so we're starting late. I can't claim it as a snow day since there isn't enough to play in, but it is sort of a "first snow" day. :)