Fun Learning this Christmas

What makes each day of December fun? 

1. Celebrate Christ's birthday

To celebrate Christ's arrival, we are counting the days till the 25th with an ornament a day to hang in the tree.

2. Christmas lights, trees and goodies

Do I need to say more? :)

3.Music & dance

Opening the second semester is a Christmas special from her class. Moving up together with three year olds, our daughter is starting to learn to join other playmates and go around singing and dancing to the season's music.

4. Drawing and story telling

A special story for this season as told by their teacher.

5.Gift Giving

Fun fun with Santa's Elves as they distribute Christmas goodies and the kids give some of their own too.

6. Chrismas book surprise

We read christmas story every day since 1st of December.

7. Friends and Family

It is The season where we spend with people that matter.

Have a Joyous Christmas to all!

The Nutcracker

Books
We are fond of the Ella Bella series, we are kicking off with Ella Bella Ballerina and the Nutcracker.
James Mayhew's is a  great introduction to the story, the ballet and the music.

More of The Nutcracker

Different versions of E.T.A Hoffmann's Nutcracker can be found, some are ballet adaptations, some are from the original book, try to find what appeals to your family.

Music & Ballet
My husband and I had the chance to watch Lisa Macuja, via Ballet Manila last year. We are hoping the event will continue to show until my daughter is old enough to watch. For the meantime, we listened to the the Music of Peter Tchaikovsky and watched online an orchestra play.

Read a book about instruments too.

Photo from Silas Orchestra and Houston Ballet

Crafts

We made snowflakes cutouts.

Photo & instructions at Martha Stewart's site

Together with her dad they made several art faces and one of them is the nutcracker.

Tissue core plus water color, and viola, here is the finished product

Christmas
We decorated the 'small tree' hoping it will grow big.

This year marked that she understood what Christmas is about

A themed decoration where my daughter got excited and identified all the characters.

counterclockwise, the Wooden Nutcracker, Clara, the would be Prince,
my daughter's favorite Sugar Plum Fairy, Rat King,
and a pose from an enthusiastic little girl 

A surprise from her dad, a musical nutcracker where my daughter 'danced' ballet in its tune.

Enjoy the season of joy! Happy Christmas!

Book:The Carrot Seed

With few words, this book has a lot to say.

It talks about hope.

It talks about perseverance.

It talks about planting.

Daughter plants, waters, removes weeds

It highlights color. (See how the carrot is highlighted at the end of the book).

My daughter and her dad made their own representation of the carrot.

Carrots in watercolor 2014.11.20

We incorporated singing of the chinese song Ba Luo Bo.

A song we often sing - Pulling Carrots

A read along book with this.

One of our favorites

Bible go along story: Parable of the Sower.


Few words can mean a thousand more to every reader.

We were Disneyfied!

How was your Halloween? A post trick or treat celebration for my daughter's class  made us quite busy hunting for materials and making the costume that she would enjoy using.


And we came up with Maleficent. Minimal participation on my part-- I did the material shopping :) All effort thanks to her dad who stayed up late nights to cut, shape and paint her headgear, her grandmother to sew the cape and alter the dress.

Tissue rolls, newspaper and spray paint

My Little Maleficent

It's time for class...

It is always a surprise for the theme. We walked in and Anna and Elsa's presence awed the kids. 

Trick or Treat!

Infused with the monthly theme is the Frozen soundtrack which made my daughter squeal with delight.

Elsa meets Maleficent

Each child had a nice costume, everybody enjoyed taking wonderful snapshots of the fun filled day!

Anniversaries and Baby gifts

One surely will be delighted when you receive  a well thought-of gift with concept and design or symbolic.

On Anniversaries:

Wedding symbols give you challenge to think or guide you so you don't keep on repeating the same gift over and over every year.

Paper for 1st

Cloth for 2nd, Leather for 3rd

Flowers & Appliance for 4th

Wood for 5th

Baby showers & Gifts

1. Harry Potter

Props: Hogwarts Express train coin bank

Outfit: 

   -Fuzzy wires maroon & yellow stripes for Gryffindor scarf, 

   - Onesies and tie side pajama set

Hedwig: 

   - Cloth diaper, yellow socks, mittens

Happy to receive a gift from a dear friend

2.Dog on a Bike!

Props: Dog Stuff toy, 

Bike:

    - 1 Feeding bottle, 24 pcs disposable diapers, 

    - A small mommy bag, clothes,  towel, baby hand gel

3. Tangled / Rupunzel

Props: Pascal toy (Littlest pets - chameleon)

Rapunzel outfit set:
   - Disney Rapunzel new born baby romper set (w/ head cap)
   - baby socks in purple doll shoes design
Tower w/ Rapunzels braided hair:
   - 18 pcs new born disposable diapers,  big feeding bottle
   - 3 pcs cloth diaper (for braided hair)
   - ribbons, flower hair clips, paper flowers

4.Alice in Wonderland.
Props:
    - white rabbit puppet stuffed toy
    - vintage pocket watch necklace
    - miniature tea set
    - checkered ribbons, doilies
Diaper cupcake
   - 4 pcs new born diapers, baby blue wash cloth
Alice outfit set:
   - blue onesie, blue skirt, white bib
   - black head band, baby socks in black doll shoes design
Accessories:
    Precious Moments teether in keys design
   - small white feeding bottle

   - baby blue training cup

5. Car

   - blue onesie with bear print
   - blue bib, blue mittens
   - blue wash cloth, safety pins
   - 1 pc cloth diaper
   - 12 pcs disposable new born diapers
   - washi tapes, ribbons

6. Frozen
Props:

  - Olaf stuffed toy, 'First Snow' scented candle

  - 2 pcs aqua color thow pillow cases with silver lace washi tapes

  - doily snow flakes

 Diaper Sven:

   - 1pair Cutex pedicure toe separator (for antlers)

   - 3 pairs brown baby socks

   - 1 pair baby barefoot sandals

   - 1 long baby/kid's brown leather belt

   - 1 pair googly eyes, 6 pcs cloth diaper

    - Organics (because of beige color):

          - baby pajamas with foot cover

          - receiving blanket with hood

          - 2 pcs baby bib, 2 pcs wash cloth

Princess Anna outfit set:

     - Pitter-Pat brown boots, aqua mittens

     - Periwinkle royal blue dress with Norwegian embroidery design

     - violet hooded cape, aqua long sleeves button-up top

7. Mulan

Props:

 - red dragon Mushu stuffed toy
   - wooden comb
   - purple oriental design embroidered throw pillow case
Tea kettle:
   - 6 pcs disposable new born diapers
   - 2 pcs cloth diapers
   - big yellow feeding bottle wide neck
   - toy rattle, floral washi tapes
Outfit set:
   - Bebe yellow new born baby dress
   - Apple green long sleeves tie side top
   - Violet burp pad, Red ribbon
   - Baby socks in floral purple/pink doll shoes design
   - 24 pcs disposable new born diapers
   - 2 pcs printed receiving blankets
   - 2 pcs cloth diapers, printed bib
   - 2 pcs big feeding bottles
   - 6 pcs Owen plain pink & green wash cloth
   - 4 pcs safety pins
   - strip of printed cardboard
   - lace washi tape, ribbons

8. Baby Stroller

- 24 pcs disposable new born diapers

- 2 pcs printed receiving blankets

- 2 pcs cloth diapers, printed bib

- 2 pcs big feeding bottles

- 6 pcs Owen plain pink & green wash cloth

- 4 pcs safety pins, strip of printed cardboard

- lace washi tape, ribbons

It is the thought and effort put into a gift that makes it so special! :)

Saints, Souls, Costumes and Movie Themes

1. All Saints Day

As a catholic country, saints are given importance and some celebrate it by having costumes and reading about their life's work.  

An introduction, we discussed about What are Saints?

Also, we have read about Don Bosco.

2. All Souls Day

Years ago people are preparing to visit memorial parks, praying for the dead, it is a culture  I've seen diminishing. 

Praying for our loved ones

3. Halloween

Among the three celebrations, Halloween is becoming the top celebrated event in the Philippines. It is a product of marketing strategy of malls, but who could resist whether it is a cute costume or a scary one, it is still fun. It is an opportunity to express creativity, best costumes are done not bought.

Animal themed costumes

4. Movie Theme

Since we are talking about costumes, heroes and all, a visit to one of Yexel's collection inside Manila Ocean Park is what we did.

Who's that little spider crawling in the ceiling?!

More to know about spiders

An angry queen

 Hold on tight

In a galaxy far far away

The infinite illusion made this little girl run around looking at herself!

She wants to be in command!

Mark I to VII

Hope we never forget to honor our saints and to remember the dead midst the fun filled Halloween parties.