School Christmas Traditions

What's not to love about Christmas?

Here is a recap of some of the fun things the girls got to do during Advent, leading up to Christmas.

Longtime Traditions.  

Daddy's Christmas Present

Christmas cheer is so much fun to share!

Once school was out, the girls and I found time to make Daddy's Christmas present.

The project was Miss G's idea.

An Angel's Work is Never Done

The girls were invited to join the Christmas Nativity Pageant on Christmas Eve night during the Children's Mass for our church.

We practiced a few nights over the weekend, and I made the angel costumes for the Nativity play.

Miss G was an angel.

Christmas Memories with Gramma and Grampum

Saturday was our first official day of Christmas vacation, and Gramma and Grampum invited the girls over to the house for a few hours on their own (without Mommy and Daddy).

The girls were very excited!

They helped to decorate Gramma and Grampum's tree, had hot chocolate WITH candy canes in the mug, decorated gingerbread cookies, and had plum pudding (actually, chocolate pudding, but Strawberry Shortcake has a strong hold on the girls!).

Miss G's Grade 1 Christmas Concert

Tuesday was Miss G's big Christmas Concert Day!

On Monday, the school got to see the dress rehearsal for the Grade 1 to 5 concert, and that's my big chance to figure out the best place to sit for the best concert pictures of my girl.

I managed to sneak down to the gym to catch her matinee performance, and Daddy got to see the whole afternoon show.

Miss A's Christmas Concert

I was just looking at the girls' Christmas Concert picutres from last year, and my-oh-my they were cute!

But some of these ones... well, it's just too hard to pick a favourite year, and so I won't.

This year, Miss A was in the Preschool and Kindergarten Christmas concert, "Waiting for Jesus... Songs from theh First Christmas," along with my Kindergarten class, so I went from teacher (directing the class in song with gestures and my off key voice, but with loads of enthusiasm) to Mommy in as much time as it takes to get 26 kids off the stage and for me to get my big camera hung around my neck.

Daddy was away this week, and scheduled to land in Yellowknife a few minutes before the concert began, so above you can see Miss A searching the crowd for Daddy. 

She had just asked me, "Mommy, is Daddy here?"

Miss A and the Ledge

Christmas traditions are repeating themselves once again this year, and Miss A got to go to the Ledge this year to decorate a Christmas tree, just as Miss G did last year, and as every Kindergarten student in Yellowknife has done for nearly 20 years.

The tree decorating for Kindergarten classes at our school was last Wednesday, December 5th.

I had a chance to come by in the morning to wish Miss A a fun time, but I had to stay behind at school this year, because I had a Kindergarten class of my own to take later that morning! 

Daddy's work is very close to the Legislature building, so he was able to meet Miss A at the Ledge.  This was taken at 9:00 am, dawn... before sunrise. 

New Year, New Shirts

The girls were super excited about the crafty gifts I picked up for them at our local general store, Weaver and Devore for Christmas.

I saw them last year when I bought my parka.

Once, when we were there buying our super thermal, feel-like-pillow-on-your-feet boots, Miss G and Miss A pointed them out.

And, they pointed them out another time when we looked at hats.

And, another time when we stopped in for a hot dog.

(It's also know as the Hot Dog Store, don't you know?)

These crafty gifts has been coveted for quite some time,

and the girls were whooping when they unwrapped them on Christmas morning!

After bath time yesterday, the girls got right to work colouring their own t-shirts! 

Oh, and yes. 

Above the kitchen table, hooked on the light fixture is a drying rack holding the girls' latest paintings. 

They produce art work at a rapid pace!!   

Note the concentration. 

Miss A LOVED the idea of making her own shirt. 

We decided against the washable markers that come with the t-shirts in favour of the permanent fabric markers I have. 

The girls are quite good with permanent markers, but they do rub off the fabric onto their little hands. 

A little diluted nail polish remover took it right off.

The girls wanted them to be forever t-shirts, like Daddy's.

Miss G made this a "rainbow" flower with all of the marker colours. 

Oh, and I placed a crafting place mat inside the t-shirt so that the marker wouldn't bleed through and stain the back of the shirt. 

We did a similar idea with Daddy's t-shirt, though that time, his shirt was bigger, so I used an old burping cloth! 

Receiving blankets are very handy for clean ups and crafting once the kids outgrow their original purpose.

Two HOURS later, the girls were satisfied and done.

Miss A's ballerina 

Miss G's fairy

After a night of making sure the markers were dry (on Mommy's insistence), the girls woke up and wanted to wear their new t-shirts right away. 

They are pretty exited to wear them to school to show their friends.

Careening Down a Hill

Nothing quite says "Canadian Winter" like careening down a hill, does it?

Ah, yes.

I remember dragging sleds, and (if we were thoughtful and lucky) hot chocolate in a thermos to England's Hollow in Miramichi.

England's Hollow is the site of an old shipbuilding yard from the tall ships era of early Miramichi history. 

Did you know that the sister ship to the Marco Polo was built there??

It's a natural cove, with steep and gentle slopes.

Awesome for sliding!

Even more awesome would be if a parent showed up after several hours of sliding fun to drive everyone home.

Walking home after a day of sliding made your feet feel like rubber.

This nice sliding park in Yellowknife, which Lena directed us to, is called Parker Park and it has a perfect sized hill for sliding.

It's high and steep enough to give you speed. 

We all have the need for speed.

Maybe, even, especially daddies.

It's also small enough that the girls can scale it on their own.

The little bum scooters were easy for them to carry back up.

They only needed some help from us to carry the GT sleds back up.

We all had a wonderful time. 

With our snowsuits and parkas, we were quite comfortable in the "mild" temperatures. 

"Only" -20!

They were determined little sliders, woo-hoo-ing it all the way down the hill, and scurrying back up lickety split!

Red rosy cheeks declared our afternoon outing a success!

Bundle up!  It's chilly out there!

A Handmade Christmas

Some years, I am really great at rolling out the handmade, meaningful Christmas gifts, and other years, I just have less time.

Some years, time works against you.

This year, I made Eli's family their annual calendar. 

I designed and ordered it early early early. 

And it arrived in Yellowknife late late late. 

So, they will be in your mailboxes early 2012.

Sorry.

Now, also early early early, the girls are I were out shopping in the craft supply section, which is where we almost always end up.

They found large wooden letters.

Naturally, they found G and A,

but we already have a large G and A in their bedrooms (2010).

Last October (2010) they designed these button letters for their bedrooms. 

The girls loved doing this craft (2010).

So, at the store, they found N and P for Nanny and Papa and wanted to make them presents.

At home, I took out the acrylic paints, and the girls got to work. 

They made beautiful patterns on the letters. 

They had fun with the colours. 

But, eventually the girls were most satisfied in swirling the colours together. 

Proud painters. 

They covered the edges very well indeed.

The next day, when the paint was dry, we added some bling to the letters.

They are see-through "jewels" like those you might use in a fish tank or at the bottom of a glass vase for flowers.

In the mail, and especially-- I think-- due to the cold weather, some of the "jewels" fell off in the mail. 

Luckily, Papa has a glue gun and restored the letters to their intended state upon arrival in New Brunswick.

The girls each printed their names on the back.

Miss G put their ages.

I printed the year.

Now, Daddy's present is entirely different.

I totally took this idea from Pink and Green Mama's Back Massage T-Shirt idea.

But, of course, we put our own spin on it.

With the girls' guidance, I helped them to draw the basic structure of "Daddyville," and they did the colouring and additional artistic details (including the people... Daddy with Miss G and Mommy with Miss A), all with permanent fabric markers.

There are two lakes. 

The one at the top is the beach lake,

and the one at the bottom is Daddy's fishing lake (his car is parked there with his blue boat). 

Miss A wanted a jellyfish and a whale in the lake.

Our house in Daddyville is red with a star. 

This was Miss G's idea; she added the "shining" lines.

Nanny and Papa live in the green house, and Gramma and Grampum live in the yellow house.

There is a bridge over a river (like the Miramichi bridge), and footprints after the bridge to the trees.

There is a red school with a playground, and the chocolate egg store (our grocery store) with giant eggs on top.

There are big rocks at one end of the road, and two cul-de-sacs, like the court we live on now.

On the front, the girls put their hand prints with acrylic paint, and printed their names (the heart stickers are blocking that detail out).

Truly, Daddy love his girls' handmade t-shirts, and he wears them all the time.

He likes to show them off.

He put this one on right away, and Christmas evening, the girls gave Daddy his first back massage by driving cars along the roads in Daddyville.

"Twas the Day After Christmas

I've just had a chance to look through our pictures from our first Northern Christmas.

I tend to take fewer pictures on Christmas morning...

I like to live it up live.

But, between Eli and I we captured the morning quite well.

But, first, I'll back up to Christmas Eve.

I had recently moved the snowman nativity set up to higher ground after a wise snowman unfortunately lost his nose. 

It happens.

The Little People nativity set took its place on the side table.

By Christmas Eve night, Miss A ensured that everyone available was present to witness the birth of Jesus. 

Firefighters, construction workers, office workers, zoo keepers...

Heck, even a pirate showed up.

Aargh... 

At our church's family mass (held in the high school gym to accompany visiting families and the like), they had a beautiful nod to the Northern influence.

Miss G said,

"I thought Jesus was born in a manger.

I thought that a manger was a stable." 

Accuracy is important to Miss G.

I told her how some people would have used a tent to help Mary and Joseph the night Jesus was born if he had been born near Yellowknife. 

She said, "Yeah.  But, they didn't.  He was born in a manger."

The family mass was longer than what I am used to in the East, but the girls did well, considering that we ended up being almost an hour and a half past regular bedtime.

Miss A almost fell asleep snuggled with her Daddy.

Miss G munched on crackers.

That is why she looks like a chipmunk.

A new Yellowknifer, Meagan, joined us for Christmas mass, and got to join us back at our place for Nana's meat pies.  Mmmm....

The next morning, the girls slept in.

Seriously.

8:30 am.

Eli and I were up and ready for them long before they walked down the hall.

Presents! 

There was a letter from Santa beside the empty plate and glass

(that had, of course, cookies and milk, and extra cookies for the reindeer).

Miss G asked why we didn't leave cookies out for Jesus. 

Or presents. 

I told her that we are His kids and reminded her that love is a present, too. 

She is very thoughtful about this whole thing.

Santa said he hoped that they loved their watches.

Miss A got a flower watch and Miss G got a butterfly watch.

And, they love them, and were oh-so-impressed that Santa knew what they wished for.

And, they are getting pretty good at telling time on an analogue face already!

Miss A is rolling up her sleeves her to admire her watch.

They dug into their stockings first. 

Seriously, Mama?

Only one present at a time??

Gramma and Grampum slept over the night before, arriving after the girls were in bed, so they could spend Christmas morning with the girlies. 

Nanny and Papa joined us on Skype, as they were with Unkie Bubba, Auntie Emily and Baby E in New Brunswick. 

The girls brought over their gifts to the computer camera to share! 

To say they were excited would be an understatement.

They were vibrating, and it was hard to get a non-blurry picture!

Seriously.  Blurs.

And, with all the warm gear they got, they tried it all on!

Warm helmet for sledding.

Excitement continues with Ponyville!

"It's just like the one we loved at the store!  Oh, Mama, you got it!"

They are just so appreciative.

The girls were so pleased to give their gifts, too.

But, I loved watching their reactions to their surprises.  Check out this series:

What is it??

What is it???

Woa!

YES!

It's a dog that moves!

Miss G asked me what the dog's name was.

I told her that the dog's name is Cookie.

She said, "Hmm.  I think I would like to change the dog's name."

I said, alright... what will the dog's name be?

"I think I will call the dog Cookie!"

Wow.  Great idea!

Miss A was SO excited about the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

She had no idea she was getting it.

I don't think that she even knew it was a toy you could buy!

She played with it ALL DAY.

Nanny and Papa sent the girls Lite Brites, and Gramma helped Miss A make a boat.

By the middle of the day, normalcy returned, and the girls were back to playing and crafting.

They did put on a fashion show.

Our school mascot, Chip Chip, sent everyone in the family matching Jerseys (their names are on the backs!).

The adorable hats are Gramma's taste!  How cute are they?

Daddy finished up the prime rib we had for Christmas supper.

It was delish!

Then, Miss G wanted to go for a spin on the snowmobile.

They just zip around close by on the snow covered roads.

Ready, set, GO!

Once warmed up again, we lit the candles for the birthday brownies.

... and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.