Let the Holiday Celebrations Begin

It's December!! 

I am a huge Christmas lover.  Having kids (including one born in December just before Christmas) makes me both quite stressed during the holiday season every year but also excited to share holiday magic with the next generation. 

We just made it until after Thanksgiving (but not before December started) to do our Christmas decorating.  Kelvin must really love me because after I have told him for years that I love seeing those lit Christmas deer outside other people's houses (to which he replied "that looks like a lot of work!"), he came home from Costco earlier this fall with a trio of reindeer for our front lawn!  Although it did take him quite some time and sweat to set them up, this is what we see when we come home in the dark now. I love it!  

My Grandmother's Nativity Set graces our front porch (the kids arranged all the statuettes).

The neighborhood is pretty decked out (with inflatables, which we do not have).

Iver has been learning about Hanukkah at school and came home with some dreidels and a NYT Cooking latkes recipe, which we tried our hand at on Saturday.

With an accidental "dump" of kosher salt into the mix from the young helper, they came out very salty, but not bad for this Gentile! 

We also decorated gingerbread house kits.

Kelvin had never in his life before made a gingerbread house!

We also did holiday art...

Niall took painting a Nutcracker very seriously...

Iver has been working very hard on winter art

I saw a local holiday performance "The Jig And Thistle Radio Hour Holiday Show" advertised at the Arcata Playhouse and we took the kids on Sunday afternoon (the event at half-capacity required proof of vaccination or rapid testing at the door for unvaccinated kids, and universal masking). 

"Look at the giant violin!" Iver exclaimed.

Kelvin: "It's a Cello."

Me: 

The kids were excited to be out and about and anxious for the show to start. 

Check out the photobombing "thumbs up" lady behind us!

We loved the live music, singing, and comedy. 

The "second act" was an outdoor performance in the front tent by fledgling percussion group Humboldt Taiko, which was impressive! 

Kelvin showed Niall the "correct" way to seal Christmas card envelopes. I wonder what the kids will say when they see me licking mine.

Niall reminds us to slow down and savor the season.

Happy Holidays!

Folding Surprise Cards

Around this time last year, Iver starting using Art for Kids Hub on YouTube to learn how to draw all sorts of cool cartoon pictures.  At nearly seven, he's still really into art and card-making, and this week has been hitting the "folding surprise" genre rather hard.  While using the site for templates, he will also imagine and draw many "just by mind," as he tells me. 

Basically, you fold a 8 x 11" paper in quarters, accordion-style, decorate the ends, and open up the card to see a "surprise" drawing inside...

(Mouths are popular!)

These cards are truly way more impressive in person, but I did attempt to "scan" them for a sense of trying to preserve their artistry (I think he should give some away as gifts but he largely wants to hold onto them [or sell them, he tells me! LOL]); however, for some reason, unfortunately not all the coloring came through accurately. In any case, he's been spending hours on them this week, rushing to get ready in the morning so he can spend a few extra minutes on "arte" and also getting some time in on the weekends and during the evenings after dinner, reading, music, and bath.

There are lots of Christmas-themed ones!

Pikachu!

Mrs. Claus

  Why not throw in an Easter bunny?!

I'm sooo not creatively wired, and it still amazes me that he has this really unique interest and special talent and also that he’s so focused and motivated. I imagine I may be adding even more pictures to this post as he churns them out. Love this little artist and his creations!