Monday, December 21, 2009

Christmas Time Is Here

It is official! Chris and I are on our winter breaks! Of course they actually started this past Friday, but not getting up at the crack of dawn this morning made it real for us. I wanted to share some things my class did on the last week of school and also some of the decorations we have up in our home.
Every year since I have taught third grade we have taken a day on the last week before the break to make a huge gingerbread house. It takes us the entire day, and the kids LOVE it. Then later in the week we donate it to a nursing home, hospital, or someplace where they can appreciate it over the holidays.

The kids all bring candy, I put them in groups, and then I assign them a part of the house to decorate. They then plan out what they are going to do. Here was the set up:
           


Lots and lots of candy, and yes it doesn't all go on the house. The kids get to eat some too! Here are some of my kiddos planning and working together. I was doing the icing as the kids talked and decorated, and some of the conversations that were happening were hilarious! I was trying to get my video camera to work but couldn't figure it out.  Kids are so funny. Here was one conversation that tickled me. "Hey guys, let's make sleds out of Laffy Taffy, and then use the gummy bears for people riding in the sled. " "Oh, that is a great idea!" Let's make a pond out of blue M&M's and then we can have people ice skating on it!" Ha!  Isn't that creative? You gotta love them!


One side of the roof completed!


Other side of the roof done and one side yard completed! As you can see we don't use real gingerbread, we just use cardboard. I think it makes it easier to decorate and for the candy to stick.



The completed house! It is so fun to see how it turns out each year. This year my class is a little rambunctious, so the house reflects that some. Oh well, the kids are always so proud of their creation and that is what it is all about!

In other decorations, here are some we have in our own home. We don't have a lot this year, but here is what we do have:


Dining room centerpiece.


Garland on the dining room window. We decided not to get a tree this year but next year when we do we are going to put it in here in front of the window!


I know this is a bad picture but here are some lights on our front porch outside.


And this is our solution for how to display our Christmas cards this year. Next year I plan to get a small metal tomato tree to put them on, but we thought it was a fun and different way to display them. Now, we can look at them everyday this way!


Lastly, I had to share this! This year Chris doesn't have an actual class so he didn't get any gifts. Yes, that is right, no super funny ones to write about this year. Boo! But, a teacher at his school did give him this and I laughed out loud when he showed me. It even has little plastic pieces of coal in it. I think this will be in Coco's stocking this year! I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
Love, Carrie

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