47/52: Woodland Dolls and Advent-ish

Edith is getting more and more "big girl-ish" - a dress-up skirt, pigtails, and playing like a real KID in the play kitchen with Peter? It's pretty sweet. And, of course, has certain children asking when we'll have another baby. Peter was pretty confused for a while because he was convinced that our newborn niece was going to be coming home to OUR house. After all, isn't that what happens with all babies?

We got the Advent & Christmas books out because I needed to take some pictures, but the kids decided to just go ahead and read as many as I would let them read. And since it was a quiet activity (as opposed to the near-constant stream of potty language from the 5-and-under crowd these days), I allowed it. Advent starts so late this year it seems weird that we aren't already immersed in the prayerful contemplation!

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We've started our prayer journals, though, and John Paul and Cecilia are VERY excited to be working together on their prayer journals along with me. And we'll begin our nightly Advent storybook readings during dinner this evening. John Paul and Cecilia really want us to read Jotham's Journey again, but I'd rather focus on other things this year. It was good, but a little intense for the younger crowd, and so long at times that it felt like we were missing out on some of the rich picture books that we read. (I also pulled together a bunch of quick links on facebook if you need to Amazon prime some Advent supplies!)

I got a woodburning kit and some peg dolls because I had been promising the kids they could make these sweet little acorn capped woodland people they'd seen in a book and I knew wood burning would hold up better than paint in our house. I meant to save it for Christmas but... Well, I got excited. And they smelled the burning wood as I hid in the upstairs bathroom playing around. So now everybody has their own little woodland family and they LOVE them. It's a super-easy handmade gift if you need ideas!