Four years ago we woke to wonder. Today we woke to rain and grey skies. And chaos. The usual kids bickering, yelling. Tonight I found bite marks on Anthony’s back. No one would fess up to having done it.
Anthony, not thrilled at having to wait.
Ben also doesn’t like waiting.
While they were waiting, they did get to open up their books of the day, three books about St Nicholas: Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend
, The Legend of Saint Nicholas
, Saint Nicholas: The Story of the Real Santa Claus
.
It bought me some time to brush my teeth and wake up a bit. Anyway, once Lucy and I were up and they were able to dive into the candy and presents. (Most of the presents I ordered online a while ago. The candy I picked up when I got to go shopping my myself last week, a special treat.)
Each kid got a dark chocolate Santa Claus, one that looks more like St Nick than the jolly old elf.
There was also a handful of chocolate coins.
Holy cards. St Nicholas for everyone, and then each kid got a patron saint or favorite saint.
And then a Christmas ornament.
Lucy got two holy cards, but nothing else. (I forgot to get her an ornament. She didn’t miss it.)
Then there were three books, a collective gift for all the kids: Bring a Torch Jeanette, Isabella, a provencal carol
, which was not a new book– St Nick doesn’t mind giving previous library copies; Sense of the Sacred Coloring Book
, Paradise
.
They were especially in love with the coloring book. I photocopied pages (every homeschool should have a printer that makes copies) so that every kid could color every picture. And when Ben was unhappy with the yellow face he colored on his angel, I even printed him a second angel.
We’ve been enjoying our Advent chain, reading some of the stories from the children’s Bible– Ben is really enjoying those and wants to know the stories that go with each picture– and some from my Bible– Bella really wants to hear the full story. She’s hungry for it. We’ve been hanging the ornaments on a Jesse tree I made and using the prophecy verses as makeshift leaves.
