Happy Birthday Jesus

We spent an entire day having a "Happy Birthday Jesus Day" it was a really awesome and wonderful time spent with my kids reinforcing the real reason for the season!!  We read the Legend of the Candy Cane and made some yummy candy out of candy canes...(thanks Deleise for the idea!)  We also made peppermint ornaments.  We baked Jesus a birthday cake.  Chocolate cake with White frosting.  Chocolate=our sins
White=Covered in Grace.  Here are pics from our Happy Birthday Jesus Day.

My Boys being silly and licking the cake batter out of the bowl.. this is one tradition that I have always let my kids do.  Anytime I bake brownies or cake, they sit in the floor and lick the bowl, just like I did as a girl when my Grandma Hedrick made a cake....so fun and they love it!!

We read the story of "The Legend of the Candy Cane" 

We learned what the real intention was for the candy cane and the man who first created it.

It was originally a "J" for Jesus

Or a staff like a shepard would carry.

It's Red Stripes and White candy hold special signifigance as well.

During our candy making, one of Brendan's Candy Cane's broke.

Here is what it broke into.

When this happened Brendan looked at me and said, "look Mommy, it a "u" because Jesus died for "U"

So Precious...

Next we put the candy canes in the food processor and ground them up into a powdery goodness.

Then melted white almond bark and stirred in the candy canes.

You gettin' the picture here??

There it is!! Let cool and break into pieces... Delicious!!

Next, we made peppermint ornaments.

First, unwrap peppermints and lay them in a design.  You are supposed to do it in a candy cane design.  But my kids had a different idea.  Here are the designs they chose.

So...you put them on a foil lined baking sheet and put them in the oven until they melt together.

Waiting.....Waiting....Waiting

Aren't they pretty!!!

We had a wonderful time remembering the real reason for the season.

North Pole Day

This Christmas Season we did a lot of mini unit studies....lots of fun stuff!!  Of course we did our usual math and reading.  But, the rest of the time we were learning and having a blast doing it!!!  We learned all about the Artic.  We learned about the climate, the terrain, mostly the animals. 

Here are some of our fun activities on "North Pole Day" 

some of the resources we used to learn about the artic

One of the days we made Penguins in the afternoon!!  It was so fun!!

Our finished product!!!  Aren't they cute!!!!

Next we made "Soap Snow Balls"

our ingredients and recipe (coutesy FamilyFun Magazine)

After being shredded in the food processor....its smelled soooo good!!

Adding a little water....

Forming Snowballs!!!

Suprisingly....Chayce was a little skiddish about putting his hands in the soap!!

Voila!!!!!  SOAP SNOWBALLS!!!  Very Fun!!!!

We wrapped these in cute little snowman cellophane bags and gave them to friends and familys as gifts.

Now.....for our next project.

Glacier Gak

Our Ingredients

2 bottles of Elmer's Glue

however...he had no problem putting his hands in the gak!!

This was the part where we put it in the corner of the pan and watched it move very slllooooowwwwllyyy simulating the movement of an actual glacier!! 

We played with this Gak for a long time!!!

Next Up: Snow Clay

Our Ingredients and Recipe (courtesy of FamilyFun Magazine)

This project requires cornstarch, baking soda and salt.  And some items from your junk drawer.

Brendan made a Reindeer.  Rudolph to be exact.

Chayce made SpongeBob...not very much on our theme...but couldn't talk him out of it.

Mommy made a Snowman

Our Snow Clay Creations!!!!

Up Next:  Snowman Greeting Cards

Our Supplies:  felt furniture pads, cardboard, paint and paint brushes.

First you make your stamp by peeling of the sticky backing and sticking them to cardboard, paint and stamp.

Press Down Hard!!

The Finished Product!! So cute and soooo fun!!

This was such a FUN day!!!