Advent Day 1: Creation

Last year, I was really inspired by Nicole at Tired, Need Sleep and her family tradition of a Jesse Tree for Advent. This year, I knew I wanted to incorporate a Jesse Tree into our family tradition too! I am so thankful that Nicole took the time to share her Jesse Tree information...schedule of Bible stories, prayer cards, and ornaments for the tree.

Sunday, the first day of Advent, we explained the Jesse Tree concept to Izzie, who was thrilled to learn that she was going to have her own little Christmas tree with very special ornaments, that she would receive each night. I really wanted my husband to part of our new tradition; therefore, we are waiting until evening to read our focused Bible story with craft/activity.

Advent Day 1: Creation

After reading the Story of Creation, Izzie placed the world ornament on the tree.

(I simply made it out of felt and added some glitter glue for details.)

She also colored this (I created in Word and thought that I saved it to share, oops...I'll recreate and add a printable one in the near future) to add to her Bible Study binder.

Then, Izzie used her story sequencing cards to retell us the story.

I added a felt board (one side of a cereal box covered in felt) to her Bible Study binder with her sequence cards...I'm leaving her binder out, so she can have access to all the materials.

Izzie and Mac really enjoyed playing with their Creation Bean Bags...Izzie was using them to retell the story and to match up with the sequence cards.

I'm so thankful that we're starting this new tradition with our girls! It's a great way to explain the real reason for the Christmas season.

Creation Bean Bags

I've been planning activities for Advent and decided to make more textured bean bags for the girls. They still really enjoy the number textured bean bags! I saw a tutorial about Creation bean bags and knew I had to make them for Izzie and Mac. The only store I went to on Black Friday was JoAnn Fabrics...they had fabric on sale for $1.29 a yard....and, yes....I bought a lot! I tried to get a variety of textures....

Day 1: Light and Dark
The yellow side is a baby cotton material and the black is satin.

Day 2: Clouds and Water
I found this great blue fleece with white clouds! For water, I used a real shinny blue material with white sparkles, which are hard to see in the picture due to the flash.

Day 3: Plants and Trees

The green plant side is a fuzzy and the brown side is a harsh and scratchy.

Day 4: Sun, Moon and Stars

The sun side is a thick fleece and the stars and moon side is baby cotton...I really didn't like that Curious George was on the fabric, but it was the only fabric I could find that had both moons and stars.

Day 5: Fish and Birds
For fish, I used a very shiny metallic blue and for feathers, a white feathery material.
This is Izzie's favorite bean bag....it's probably the best textured bean bag!

Day 6: Man and Animals
I used a multicolor brown fabric to represent man and a cute animal print for the other side.



Day 7: God Rested
On one side, there's white felt to represent a pillow and on the other side is planet Earth, for God rested and observed what he had created.

The girls are having so much fun with the bean bags, and they were really quick and simple to make!

(I tried to use a different format to help reduce the length of the post....apparently, I've done something incorrect! Please, excuse me...the text is not lined up with the appropriate pictures.)

Tiny Talk Tuesday

Izzie recently turned 4 years old, but lately will only answer to the name "Hailey" and insists that she is 5 years old.

Izzie: Mommy, I'm 5 years old!

Me: No, you're 4 years old.

Izzie: How old are you?

Me: (Pause) 30....

Izzie: How did you get so old?

Izzie loves pretending that she has "really big problems", so she can call Team Umizoomi for their help!

Izzie: Mommy, I can't find my phone!

Me: Oh, no! That's a really BIG problem!

Izzie: No, that's not a really big problem....that's just a short problem.

To share or read, please visit Tiny Talk Tuesday hosted by Not Before 7.

Kite Flying Fun!

Over the weekend, we went to a Kite Festival, which was so much fun!

The girls enjoyed decorating their kites!

And flying them, too!


A little help from Dad...

Flag Ceremony...

Playing under the gigantic American flag!

Don't you just love our family photo??

Oh, how I wish for just one family picture with all of us looking at the camera and smiling....maybe in 10 years!!

I Spy Shapes...

For our stART project this week, we focused on shapes. First, we read Shapes, Shapes, Shapes.

This is a great book to help discuss that there are shapes all around us and to help describe what type of shapes we see in our environment.

Then, I printed off these super cool Shape Viewers (laminated, glued Popsicle sticks to the back to make sturdier, then added one more for the handle).

As we read, Eye Spy Shapes, we played the game too with the new shape viewers!! Izzie had so much fun discovering all the different shapes around the house.

To see more stART activities, visit A Mommy's Adventures.