Month: December 2012

House Decorating

Today Nana, Pompo and Isabel decorated our gingerbread house.

Gino bought it a week ago as a surprise to decorate with them while they were here.

However Isabel noticed it and wanted to decorate it the moment she saw it. I had to keep telling her (daily), we would wait until Christmas vacation (and for Nana and Pompo! – but I didn’t tell her that part)!

Isabel was super excited to finally be able to decorate it and she enjoyed doing it with Nana and Pompo as well. Enjoy!

Pompo did the icing while Nana and Isabel did the decorating.

Starting with the roof line.
Whoa! Pompo you’re losing some icing!

Spreading out the icing on the roof and getting the candies on before it dries.
Gotta work fast!

The roof is completed with red and green stars.
Now it’s time to do the sides.

Need a door.
Great job Pompo!

Working together to get the eave and door complete.

With help from Pompo, she gets those candies to stick!

Windows along the side are next.

Another door is added to the back.

I think they are about finished…

It’s finished!
Great job Nana, Pompo and Isabel. It looks fantastic!

Later tonight we are heading out to the Christmas Eve service at church and then to the park see some Fantasy Lights!… more picture to come!

Sunday In Purple

Today marks our 2nd Sunday with Nana and Pompo here. After church we went to Sizzle for some lunch and then drove to Cabela’s, to look for a new coat for Isabel and me. Didn’t get anything for Isabel but I got a lovely yellow water-resistant jacket.

Earlier in the week Isabel received her Christmas gift from Grandma and Grandpa. Since she wore it to church today, I thought I would take a few photos with Nana and Pompo by the tree in the living room.

She got compliments on her new outfit all day.
Thank you Grandma and Grandpa!

I love this photo.

Love this photo too!

This one is a keeper too!

Now it’s time for a game of “Sequence” before bed… actually she just watched us play…

Well, sort of! “Sequence” chips for eyes!

Gingerbread Men Making

Tonight after dinner and just before Isabel went to bed, she and Nana made gingerbread men. Enjoy!

Rolling out the dough.
Nana working on getting just the right thickness.

Pressing the cutter into the dough.
Not to hard though!

Getting the extra dough off the cut out gingerbread men.

All arranged on the pan and ready to go…

Into the oven to bake.

We decorated them a few days later (see this post here).

First Grade: Day 74

Today is the last day of school for the year and before Christmas vacation begins.

Today is also a special Christmas Chapel. Everyone was invited to attend and since Nana and Pompo are here, they get to see it! (I did get video but it’s a large file and I can’t add it to the website).

Not much work was done today, Isabel said.

An art project she did at some point in time during the month,
today she got to bring it home.

Coloring page.
Fantastic job!

A Christmas card.
Inside it says…

“I love the Christmas season for a most important reason.
It is the time when God above sent down His only son in love.
He gave to you and He gave to me the very best gift upon a tree!
Thank you Lord for Your special son, who conquered sin and victory won!”

Working with words that begin with the same sound.

A sequencing test.
It was several pages and she missed only 3. Great job!

Christmas Chapel began in the early afternoon and afterward Isabel was free to leave.

Each class, k-6th grade, got up on stage to sing 1 Christmas song with their teacher. We (the congregation) also sang chorals together and watched a great animated video of the nativity story.

Isabel’s class singing for us during Chapel.

My picture of Isabel’s class from the balcony.
I love that I got Mrs. S taking the picture of the above picture in my picture! That’s awesome!!

At the end of Chapel the staff (all those working) got up to lead the congregation in one final song.

The staff singing the final song.
It was an awesome Chapel day, I enjoyed the story and all the singing by the kids. Afterward, we picked up Isabel at her class and then went to lunch with Nana and Pompo.

First Grade: Day 73 – Happy Birthday Jesus Party

Today is Thankful Thursday! Thankful Thursday is P.E. with Mrs. S and computer lab with Mrs. T. Computer lab was cancelled today.

For P.E. they played “squirrels/trees” (forgot what Isabel said this game was like) and “4 corners” (this one too!). Isabel said she likes playing 4 corners.

There was a lot of work to do before the celebration later in the day…

Front: learning to add “s” to words when there is more then one.

Back: learning to add “s” when it’s telling something that is happening now.

Front: adding “ed” to words that are telling about the past.

Back: working with “ed“.
She is getting good at doing word searches and crossword puzzles.

A fun holiday maze.

Today is also the class, Happy Birthday Jesus! party!!!

 The class sang Happy Birthday Jesus (tune of Happy Birthday) and then enjoyed cake, ice cream, gingerbread boys/girls, Christmas cookies, candy canes, and chocolate milk! Principle Mrs. B came to share a story with the class a well. Enjoy!

Principle Mrs. B tells a story of the first Christmas.

Isabel with friends from her class.

Friends enjoying the party!

A bag of “reindeer noses” what a great treat from our friend!

Big smiles from the party goers!

Having fun together.

One of the “mom helpers” that helped with the party.
Thanks Mom!

Enjoying her treats.

Teacher Mrs. B and helper passing out goodies to take home.

First Grade: Day 72 – Santa Workshop

Today is Wonderful Wednesday and it’s music class with Mr. G.

During music the class practiced their song that they will be performing on Friday during a special Christmas Chapel on Friday. Isabel’s class will be singing “Joy to the World“. All the other classes will be singing a Christmas song as well. I can’t wait to see the performance since she missed her Christmas program last week because she was sick.

With snow still on the ground from yesterdays snow storm, Isabel said she helped others as recess build a snowman and played in a snow fort that the bigger kids had built on the playground. What fun!

Today was also the “Santa Workshop” in the gym. Parents donate small inexpensive gifts and the items can be purchased by the students from $1.00 up to $5.00 or so. Each class is given an opportunity to shop for siblings, parents, cousins, grandparents, or whomever they choose. The smaller kids (k-2nd graders) are paired up with an older “helper” student (4-6th graders) to help with selection and money counting. A great way to show compassion, kindness, and love to other students in school. All characteristics needed during this time of the year and all year long! This year however, I completely forgot about it and didn’t have any money for Isabel to purchase gifts. When her class went to the gym to shop, a fellow student loaned her (and another classmate) some money to purchase gifts. So sweet! She purchased two gifts; 1 for Nana and 1 for Pompo but I can’t tell you what they are yet! You’ll just have to wait…

Not much work was completed today with all the other activities going on it was hard to get any work done!

Working with titles for people.

Coloring page – very well done!
“Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth and good will to all men.”

The Bible verse for this week…
“Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

Some of the many names of Jesus!