Weekly Wrap-Up: Deck Them Halls

Our last week of structured school before we take our Christmas/New Year's break!  This week we hit the high points: Bible, copywork, math, French, piano, grammar, spelling, and, of course, our independent reading.  We even took some time to study the digestive system.  Click here to discover some of the online resources we were delighted to find.  But we were busy with other activities, too!

Monday was Jasper's first birthday, and we celebrated big. 

Wednesday was my dad's 70th birthday, and he and my mother came to visit.  We all went to church that evening for the fellowship meal and (drumroll!) the children's Christmas musical.  Tiny Girl sung one of the solos (in French) and Miss Priss served as one of four narrators.  The drive home was tricky, though.  Our area has had unseasonably cold weather this week, and the rain quickly made icy, treacherous roads.  It took us almost an hour to get home from church, and we had to turn around once to find an alternate route.  Thankfully, we made it home safely!  I was at the wheel, as Himself met us at church on his way from work, and I have no interest in duplicating that experience any time soon.

We've been decking our halls in the last two weeks, a bit at a time.  I thought I'd display some of my old favorites in ornamentation:

This candy cane came from my parents' first Christmas tree way back in 1965.

My sisters and I loved the dancing Santas when we were children!

 I made this ball in the fourth grade and it has miraculously survived several moves.

We have two of these nativity ornaments.  Hand-carved in Israel, they were gifts from the girls' baptisms a few Christmas Eves ago.

And here's our tree in all its glory.

We don't have a decorator tree.  Nor do we have what I've heard someone call a "junk tree": one with all the handmade ornaments that dare not sully the other, lovelier tree.  No, our one Christmas tree proudly displays fancy, store-bought ornaments alongside a myriad of handmade, child-made ornaments.  Those are treasures to me.

Miss Priss received a Christmas Tree in a Box for her birthday last month.  She loved putting it together.

My first treat-making session was a disaster.  The Marvelous Mocha Fudge was not.  I followed the directions perfectly, but when I added the chocolate chips, marshmallows, vanilla, and cinnamon to the hot, cooked milk, sugar, butter, and instant coffee crystals mixture, the chocolate seized; the result was a fudge that's hard and a bit grainy.  The flavor is wonderful, though!  My dear friend, Jennifer, at Half-Baked Homeschool assured me that traditional fudge is crumbly and a bit dry.  Since she is a trained chef, I felt better.  But I still can't give it as gifts.    I guess I'll have to eat it myself!  I think I'll try again and add the chocolate chips last, after the mixture has cooled a bit.  If you have any ideas, please share!

Blessings from our home to yours for a wonderful, peaceful, blessed Christmastime.  Veni, veni, Emmanuel!