Holiday Traditions

Some of our holiday traditions: Sweet Delights doll bakery with homemade treats (pretend, this year's dough flavor - peppermint candy cane) and Tomte Christmas porridge (real, very yummy with cinnamon and sugar).

Gingerbread and Santaland

We had fun making gingerbread houses with the Thompsons as usual!

We also visited Macy's Santaland. Every year, it's the same elf display, crazy crowds, and difficult parking. But also the same gasps of excitement, giant treats, and happy kids!

Folkways of the Holidays

We attended Folkways of the Holidays with our friends to learn about Christmases of yore. The biggest hit: the ice push sleds! The biggest takeaway: an appreciation for all we have now.

Class Parties and Student of the Month

At Willa's class party, we made a bird feeder, painted a picture frame, decorated cookies, and took a blurry family photo. I love the "love" in Willa's family portrait!

For Jia's class party, the kids made lunches for residents at a homeless shelter. I was touched by their drawings and inspirational messages.

She and her cousin were also Students of the Month on the same day! Way to go!

 

Hello Santa

We visited the Arboretum. It was the perfect remedy for a dreary day: visiting Santa, playing an intense game of checkers by the fire, and strolling around greenhouses!

Oh Jia...

I love Jia's big heart and sense of responsibility. Today, she:

1) asked for mittens for her friend who doesn't have any (a friend who receives food from the school to cover the weekends, and Jia realized she likely can't afford them);
2) arrived in the house before I did (after visiting with the neighbors), discovered that our dog dumped the kitchen trash, and cleaned it all up before I arrived; and
3) says she wishes she could be sick instead of Willa because she feels so bad for her. (Despite their bickering!)

Speaking of Willa being sick (she was out for a week with the flu), apparently there was a rumor going around first grade that she was dead. One kid asked Jia what Willa's last words were. Their conversation went like this:

Jia: She didn't die.
Kid: But, what were her last words?
Jia: Well, okay. They were, "I'm sick."

I'm not sure Jia did enough to dispel that rumor.

Preparing for Christmas

The girls did a great job on our tree:

We also had fun decorating the tree at my parents' house:

And Willa had fun posing our elf!