Advent Garland

As promised here are the books that we'll be reading leading up to the holidays. Each day a little note will be left in the stocking garland (must finish that soon) with a book title, a project we'll do together and sometimes a little handmade gift.

Books:

2. Christmas Magic by Sue Stainton (Author), Eva Melhuish (Illustrator)
3. A Wish to Be a Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe
4. Snow Ponies by Cynthia Cotten (Author), Jason Cockcroft
5. The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren
6. The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet
7 The Little Fir Tree - Margaret Wise Brown
8 The Gingerbread baby Jan Brett
9 The Three Snow Bears - Jan Brett;
10 Snow Bear by Jean Craighead George
11 The Elves and the Shoemaker - Jacob Grimm
12   Lucia and the Light- Phyllis Root  
13 Willow at Christmas Camilla Ashforth
14 The Animals' Merry Christmas by Kathryn Jackson (Author), Richard Scarry (Illustrator)
15 The gift of christmas Kathrine Leeson
16 Christmas in Noisy Village (Picture Puffins) - Astrid Lindgren;
17 Little Robin Red Vest by Jan Fearnley
18 The Wild Christmas Reindeer - Jan Brett
19 The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer and Jesse Reisch
20 Sun Bread by Elisa Kleven
21 The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
22 Christmas Trolls by Jan Brett
23 Room for a Little One: A Christmas Tale by Martin Waddell
24 The Night before Christmas

We will also be reading
While the Bear Sleeps: Winter Tales and Traditions by Caitlin Matthews , Judith Christine Mills


Here is a sample of some of the activities we are planning:

- Make Ornaments
- Make Cards
- Create a gingerbread house
- Bake Cookies
- Bake a suncake (solstice)
- Make a Balsam Wreath
- Make a gum Ball wreath
- Make soft button trees
- Make bird feeders (and edible bird houses)
-Snowflake window ornaments (borax stars)
- Go to the park to see Holiday lights
- Each chose and buy 1 special ornament
- Holiday Video and Hot Cocoa in bed night
- Harvest tree and decorate
-Make Truffles
-Yule log
( i know I am forgetting a few)


On the sundays they'll also be a red candle , a little poem, and a little gift to represent the earthly natural kingdoms; the first week a stone /crystal, the second week a lavender pillow or a seed necklace to represent the plant world, the third week a little animal (I have an Ostheimer fawn, and a ginger bread person or an angel the 4th sunday to represent Humans.

The first light of Advent is the light of stones.
Stones that live in crystals, seashells, and bones.

The second light of Advent is the light of plants.
Roots, stem, leaf, flower and fruit by whom we live and grow.

The third light of Advent is the light of beasts.
Animals of farm, field, forest, air and sea.
All await the birth in greatest and in least.

The fourth light of Advent is the light of humankind.
The light of love, the light of thought, to give and to understand.
Rudolf Steiner

Now I must go finish the stocking garland. Then back to appropriate seasonal posting!! It just feels good to have a plan, the past few years I have been disappointed with my lack of organization.

More on Pancakes:

Zoe really LOVES pancakes.

On slower mornings she has been requesting to have breakfast at Elmers (the newest/well only) breakfast joint in Ashfield. We love going there! There is enough space for kids to play, and more often then not there is another small child wanting the play. The owner and waitstaff are especially small child friendly and soooo helpful, the coffee is good, they the background music great, the other morning Zoe said "mama I hear Tracy's fiddle!" it was indeed a Signature Sounds compilation CD featuring our friend Tracy Grammer! and Elmers has high speed internet...for your blogging needs!!

Our latest pancake read is

Mama Panya's Pancakes: A Village Tale from Kenya
By: Mary Chamberlin

oh Did I say IT"S MARCH!!! YEAH!

Lollypop Update:

The second batch of herbal lollypops made with an infusion of rosehips, lemongrass, orange peel, horehound and licorice, sweetened with pomegranate concentrate and raw agave nectar and a small amount of raw sugar worked out GREAT! Next step a variety of herbal combos to treat colds, coughs, immune enhancers etc.....Soon they will be avaliable for you.

We have also made some yummy herbal chocolates.........adding osha powder and dried orange peel to dark dark chocolate....etc

The experiments continue.

I love music! Definately one of the top 5 things that make me happy. Zoe has been going to concerts with me since she was 4 weeks old, not counting the ones she went to when we were one! The first one was a Vance Gilbert and Ellis Paul Concert at the Iron Horse soon to be followed by a Richard Shindell also at the Iron Horse. In her first year I think we went to 13 concerts. We have been to many folk festivals together....we both LOVE Falcon Ride Folk Fest four days of camping, rain, sun, mud and the best music out there. I only mention all this as tonight I did something I have not done in a long time, something that made me happy. I put in a CD. "MY" music, without negotioation, no whiny child in the back seat.

Funny it is that often in the evenings when Zoe is finally in the land of nod when I could listen to a CD instead I enjoy the quiet.....Until I had Zoe I had music on 24/7 now I am understanding my families"turn that noise off! " comments. Do we all become our mothers? Strange also, is the fact that I have been writing this blog for 6 plus months and hardly mentioned music except in the context of festivals and kids music ....... tonight I rediscovered that I still love music.

as I baked Lemon- Cornmeal Cookies #16 from the collectable cookie edition of Everyday Food. I am enjoying my subscription. I listened to Kris Delmhorst "Strange Conversations. What a great CD.

I have also been enjoying
Abigail Washburn :Song of the TRavelling Daughter
Erin Mckeown:Sing You Sinners

Lots of Cheryl Wheeler thrown in ther efor good measure although that needs to become late night enjoying and Zoe has memorized most of the "On the plane song" and the "It's the phone" song neither really appropriate for a 3 year old!!

Next on my list to purchase are

Crooked Still:Shaken By A Low Sound
Dave Carter &Tracy Grammer:Seven is the number

Both put out by Signature Sounds our AMAZING LOCAL RECORD LABEL.

I am also anxiously awaiting Susan Werner's new record "The Gospel Truth" CD to be released March 6th.



Now my goal for the rest of the evening is to not eat all the cookies before the bake sale on sunday at the museum.