Getting ready for the holidays!

our winter solstice countdown garland

Celeste's Christmas (or should I say Santa?) countdown garland

We have been wrapping our regular school work this week, and getting ready for our Christmas and Winter Solstice themed learning fun.

We have already been reading many picture books on both subject, and reading "When Santa Fell to Earth" by Cornelia Funke. Next week we will start our historical Christmas unit study, based on the American Girl books (Kit and Samantha). I also have "A Pioneer Christmas: Celebrating in the Backwoods in 1841" for us to read and use some of the craft ideas. We also have been enjoying singing together every day after lunch!

This afternoon the kids made two countdown garlands. Celeste has been asking every morning if it is Christmas yet, she is having a difficult time waiting to open the only present that is under the tree so far (home made jewelery from Adrienne!). We made one garland to help her see the days left until Christmas. We dug up our recycled magazine pile and made the simple garland together.

Adrienne, Andre and I made a second one to countdown until Winter Solstice. We have been reading a few books on that subject. I had shared one for Book Sharing Monday, the post is below this one.

I have been reading a fun little book, filled with interesting facts about Christmas : "The Curious World of Christmas" by Niall Edworthy. I especially enjoyed reading the chapter called "Farting Dwarves and Peacock Pie: How Our Ancestors Celebrated Christmas". It is definetely not a children book! I also picked up from the library a book called "The Return of the Light: Twelve Tales from Around the World for the Winter Solstice" by Carolyn McVickar Edwards.