We started the week with a drive to the Shalom Institute for Hanukkah Family Day.
Gemma had fun feeding the alpacas and the goat...
...and doing all sorts of activities in the camp's garden...
One of her favorite things was making applesauce by pedaling a bicycle with a blender attached to it.
After lunch in the dining hall and a Hanukkah sing-a-long in the amphitheater, Gemma got harnessed up to go rock climbing. She also tried her hand at tomahawk throwing and archery...
...and dipped her own candle.
There was also cookie decorating, dreidel playing, and hanukkiot making.
It was quite the fun-filled day!
The following day, I hosted our after school co-op. The theme this month is sea creatures, so I read the book
Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle. In my research about the fish mentioned in the book, I learned so many interesting facts. (Did you know that some fish are mouthbrooders and incubate their eggs by carrying them in their mouth, which means that they can't eat for a couple of weeks? Well, they don't eat
on purpose.) For our snack, each child made one of these...
To make your own cookie aquarium... First, spread a dollop of blue frosting (canned buttercream frosting and blue gel food coloring) on a Pillsbury slice-and-bake sugar cookie. (Canned frosting and slice-and-bake cookies? Finally, a Pinterest pin I can do!) Then, crush a quarter of a graham cracker in a ziploc, and pour the "sand" on the cookie ("ocean floor"). Add 3 multicolored goldfish crackers, 3 pieces of green Sour Spaghetti candy "seaweed" (this is thinner than green apple Sour Punch Straws, but those could work too), and - for bubbles - a few white candy pearls (available in a craft store's cake decorating section).
For our craft, we made Mister Seahorse ornaments...
I came up with these
myself, thank you very much. While I did use Pinterest for the cookie aquariums, I'm taking all the credit for these seahorse ornaments. ;)
As is our Christmas Eve tradition, we went to my husband's parents' house...
Every year, we dress up all the children as characters from the Nativity story, and send them outside to sing "Cantos Para Pedir Posada," which is "Song Asking For Shelter." We turn them away at the back door, singing that there is no room at the inn, but when they come to the front door, we let them in. Once inside, we all sing a song of adoration to Baby Jesus, a role that goes to the family's newest member. Everyone takes a turn kissing the baby's tiny feet.
A little while later, after everyone has put away their wings and shepherd's crooks, Santa Claus arrives...
...and doing all sorts of activities in the camp's garden...
Your cookies are so cute.
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