Happy Holidays!

Hello Everyone!
Thanks for stopping by this little "Window On Wonder!"  I hope you had a wonder filled Christmas with friends and family. Mine was filled with all kinds of joy!! We got to celebrate my baby's college graduation...

 and then the birth of our Savior! 

The house was filled with family, friends, and food, along with love, laughter and loads of giving spirit! Today is a little more calm and quiet as my guys are out golfing.  I am cleaning, reorganizing, and actually enjoying a little bit of time to myself.  I thought I'd take a minute of this time to share what I was up to with my little firsties the week before break.
Our parent gifts turned out so cute this year.  For the passed 8 years we had been creating a snowman plate for our gifts. 

But this year, because of our diminishing funds, we decided to take the same idea and put it on a tea towel!! I think they turned out just as cute!! (And unbreakable!)

The first few pics show the steps I took to make my sample.  I didn't get too many pics of the kids actually working on their's. They needed my full attention during the process...if you know what I mean!! :)

We got tea towels at IKEA!
 Very cost efficient!!
(We had to get 130 of them!!)

We  wrapped them simply, in a white lunch sized paper bag. The kids were so happy their hard work and patience paid off.  They were so excited about giving their sweet gifts to their parents.

Speaking of giving, we spend a lot of time talking about and practicing giving this time of year. (The Christmas "gimmies" often take our attention.) We created a tree this year with ornaments that shared some different ideas. 

"I want...   I need... and I can give..."  

We brainstormed different heart responses to these starters and then created our ornaments.

LOOOOOOOOVE the kids' sweet ideas for giving!

Then, of course, we celebrated the wonderful story by Dr. Seuss, "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." We celebrated the changes in the Grinch all week, culminating with Grinch Day at the end of the week! Grinch Day is one of our favorite days of the year. We have been embracing that green guy for the past 6 years or more. Every year it reminds us of the the spirit of the season.
Enjoy the pics!

A stuffed Grinch came to visit and watch us work!

And we couldn't forget that sweet little dog, Max!!

Tune - Row Row Row Your Boat

Adjective Study

Grinchy Adjectives!

Think Outside the Box

Happy Grinch Day!

Celebrating Green!!

Grab some green!

Green Glow Energy for Science!

How about some Who Pudding???!!!

My Crazy Team!!! WOW!!!
If you want to try some of the Green Guy's activities, CLICK HERE!


Stay tuned for a new version of my Snow unit for January.  I love having time to rework things!!
This little blog brings me such joy.  The opportunity to grow as an educator and share my experiences with new friends (fellow educators, parents, homeschoolers, educational publications, professors, even kids!) all over the world takes my breath away. May the new year bring all of you more joys than you can count!!
As Always,
Joyfully!
Nancy