advent presents!

We have been making most of their presents this year for advent.. so far so good , we "cheated" two days and gave a small flash light and chocolate coins from the co-op. Here are a few of the things we have made!

I have been really inspired by resurrection fern http://www.resurrectionfern.typepad.com/ for ideas

One day we gave them a wool basket full of pom pom's. It was too big for the pocket on the advent knome calendar so I made a small map and hid it out in the yard. They are turning them into flying fairies , necklaces etc.

Danny took a thicker stick and made these super cute little knomes!

Gingko leaves for the second of advent! This is completely a one of a kind poppa project. Then as good homeschoolers we read about gingko leaves!

Last sunset of November

Today we had a very peaceful day , if you asked me two years ago I may have said boring or depressing because the lack of doing or moving. Sitting in our quite little house telling stories and doing crafts would have sounded tedious. But this day was great , we did out circle time , baked together , colored amazing pictures. later on we met a friend at the nature center and took a hike. It was a prefect day for me and the kids. As I was getting ready to make dinner I looked out the window and saw this beautiful sunset on the last day of November. We took a quick jaunt down to the park at the end of the block. I took a couple pictures went down the slide and ran home to make turkey and rice soup!

advent spiral and zora's birthday ring

Finally on the first of December our advent spiral is fully done and ready. After a trip to a wonderful shop called wood from the hood. The project this man created is to reclaim trees that must be cut down from city yards. Hence wood from the hood , he then turns it into boards of useable lumber. I was lucky enough to grab a couple nice pieces and turn it into an advent spiral for our family. On the last birthday ring I made for our family I drilled the holes to fit the small candles and not for the brass candle holders that are two dollars and change a piece. This advent spiral I accidentally drilled the holes 3/4" to hold the brass holders. I will not buy ninety dollars worth of candle holders!
So I had an idea , I went on our usual walk in the woods and brought home some branches , bought a 3/4" dowel.

Then cut "coins" of both , the bottom being the dowel I made a bit thicker coins The branch coin on top is a bit bigger than the dowel.

Then glued the branch coins onto the tops centered. I just used standard wood glue , but I bet something like gorilla glue would work great too.

The next day I drilled holes to fit my candles. Zora and Otis helped me rub beeswax oil mix into them. Viola!

A low cost great looking way to make candle holders for an advent spiral or birthday ring.

Also I have included a picture of Zora's finally finished partially full of new candle holders birthday ring! This is from a great log a found on a walk a block from our house. My husband just laughed when I came home from a evening walk huffing and puffing with a log in my arms. He said "only you would come home carrying a giant log!"

having memories of the past

Today I am commiting to posting on my blog for real. I keep saying I'll get a diary of all the funny things the kids do , all the cool crafty things I make or would love to make. And I never do so here it begins!

angler fish

Just finished this last night phrana and angler slept with little Oatie last night