Truth in the Tinsel: Days Six through Ten

Our Truth in the Tinsel experience continues.  Today's post covers days six through ten.  (Not sure what Truth in the Tinsel is all about?  See my previous post here.)

 December 6th:  Mary Visits Elizabeth
The kids listened with great interest as I read to them how Mary went to visit her cousin Elisabeth. They especially liked the part when little baby John leaped up in his mother's womb at the presence of his Savior.  Since Little Sprout was born just last year, they clearly remember her jumping and kicking in my belly; so they understood and delighted in this account of the baby John's reaction to Mary's pregnancy.
I helped the kids cut out these paper dolls representing the pregnant ladies Mary and Elisabeth, and then the kids set about gloriously splashing them with their watercolors.  A preference for greens, blacks, and browns certainly make their dolls look like they were in the throes of morning sickness. :)

 December 7th:  Mary Sings a Song of Worship
We read the story of Mary visiting Elisabeth again today and focused on the beautiful song of praise that Mary sang to God after Elisabeth spoke words of blessing on her baby.  "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.  For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden; for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed..."  These are amazing words of peace and joy from a young woman who had to have been nervous and uncertain of her future.
The kids chose various marbles and glued them to an old CD to help remind us of Mary's beautiful song.  Poor Beast stressed about putting his marbles in a perfect circle, which probably got in the way of him really learning from the truth today.  Oh well.

 December 8th:  Jesus is the Rising Sun
We learned that Elisabeth did indeed give birth to a son that they named John.  Zachariah was finally able to speak, and when he did, the words of praise and prophecy just poured forth.  He spoke of how his child would lead the way and direct people to Jesus Christ.  He described Jesus as "the rising sun" that will "shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace." 
So we made bright orange paper suns and glued brilliant little sequins all over them as we talked about our Savior, the rising sun.

 December 9th:  Joseph Was a Righteous Man
I shared with the kids about another man in our story, a man named Joseph.  He was described as a just and righteous man.  When he found out about Mary's pregnancy, he felt the right thing to do woul be to put her away, but privately so she would not be shamed.  The kids and I talked about what a godly man he was - determined to do right.  I asked the kids if they could think of other righteous men in their lives and was pleased to hear them immediately answer with 'Daddy, and Grandpa, and Pop." 
The kids designed their clothespin Josephs similar to the Mary clothespin dolls they had made. 

December 10th:  Joseph Has a Dream
It was very interesting to talk to the kids about dreams today.  Gabi in particular was eager to share some dreams she had had recently.  I explained that back in Bible times, sometimes God spoke to his faithful followers in a dream.  Then we read about Joseph's dream in which the angel of the Lord told him not to be afraid to marry Mary. 
The kids chose fabric out of my stash and put together this little pillows to represent Joseph's dream.  While they worked on their pillows, I reminded them that God always reassures us and makes His presence known when we are doing right.

Valentines Scavenger Hunt

What is one to do to ensure that her homeschooled daughter receives a whole pile of Valentines on the holiday of love? Have a Valentines scavenger hunt, of course. All you need is a bunch of valentines, candy, paper, and a pen, and you're set to make this a tradition in your house. (The Drama Queen loved it so much that she asked if we could have a scavenger hunt for every holiday!)

Anyway, the night before Valentines Day I went around the house and hid sweet little valentines and candy for the kids, three of each in each hiding spot so no kid was left out. I then wrote out a series of (easy!) clues for the kids to use to find all their treats. Here is a little glimpse into the action: (disclaimer - our hunt took place first thing after breakfast. The Drama Queen had already gotten dressed, but somehow the Beast had become Spiderman during the night and the Spud had lost his pajama pants. I took photos anyway.)

A Christmas Tradition

The first year we were married, the hubby convinced me that we just had to go see the "Singing Christmas Tree" in Portland. Although I was skeptical that it would be the awesome experience he promised, we went and I was hooked! There's just something about the hundreds of people standing in a huge tree and singing beautiful Christmas carols, the thousands of lights, the adorable children's choir singing Happy Birthday to Jesus, the precious re-enactment of the nativity scene, incredible violin solos, and more.
Thus we made it our family tradition and have gone every year since then, budgeting to make sure we don't miss it! Last year, the Drama Queen got to go with us for the first time and loved it.
This year, we debated for some time whether the Beast was really old enough to go. I envisioned spending the entire time trying to keep him quiet and in his seat, and it really didn't sound like a good time. However, after some consideration and knowing his love for music, we decided to take him too.

This was the first year that we traveled to the Singing Christmas Tree with our church group on one of our church buses. The Drama Queen loved sitting next to her daddy and seeing all the lights of Portland out her window.

The Beast also really enjoyed the bus ride, often exclaiming that we were getting to ride in the "church train." He handled himself pretty well at the show, considering he is only 2 1/2 years old. Of course, some gummy worms and other sweet treats helped! He was starstruck when the violin soloist played "What Child is This?" and "Carol of the Bells", telling me that he wanted to learn to play violin like that. :)

And of course we took a quick opportunity to get a photo of us - these moments are rare indeed. Making Christmas memories is so much fun!
We love this Christmas tradition and hope to continue it for many years to come!