Advent: 5 December

I finally got round to cooking my Maple-Mustard Pulled Pork today having forgotten to put it in the oven early enough for the last two days!! It has been lovely smelling the rich aroma all day; it's a shame I can't share the smell with you!

Jesse Tree Activity

God told Abraham he would have as many descendents as stars in the sky, so today's activity was based around stars. I had a few ideas depending on how Zoë was after her toddler group; she was happy and calm so we made salt dough stars. We added a little bit of cinnamon to make them smell Christmassy. Ok, Zoë added quite a lot of cinnamon, but as the Best Before Date was in 2008 it wasn't actually that strong! I really need to go through my herbs and spices and check the other Best Before Dates...

24 Books

We had a new book today. I'd found an immaculate copy of Dear Santa at a recent NCT sale; following the same pattern as Dear Zoo. It was lovely watching Zoë 'read' it to herself. I'm trying to encourage her to read books herself and am showing her how she can look at the pictures to follow the storyline.

Lolly Sticks

Today's activity was "Craft and listen to Christmas music" - how do I do it?! We had Mr Buble blasting out while we were making our stars.
We also did some Christmas dancing (yesterday's activity), well Zoë did while I put clothes away.

Jesse Tree Story

We didn't manage to fit our story in tonight as both Zoë and Caleb were tired and crying, and Steve was out at church youth group. We'll catch up tomorrow, as well as doing the label for Abraham and Isaac stories.

Mummy Time

I've managed to spend some time today getting all our clothes put away; we've had piles of clean clothes waiting. And I've changed our sheets - I love clean sheets! Can't wait to go to bed now!
I was optimistic at 6.15pm that both children were asleep, but in reality it didn't happen til 7.30pm! My kitchen is tidied and I'm now watching On Her Majesty's Secret Service while writing this and about to start my Christmas cards,

A bonus photo of my cheeky little man!

Advent: 4 December

Today has been a busy day, but a fun day. We have done lots but not done much... The day started with a visit to the GP for Zoë ("my wee wee hurts"), then on to Fishes toddler group, followed by Zoë's swimming lesson. The pool was freezing but we had good fun! After swimming we went out for lunch and a playdate with friends from swimming. P is a military child and is moving away next week so we decided to have a 'last' playdate together. The girls played so well together all afternoon at the RAF community centre soft play, and A and I just chatted.

(Sorry for the poor colour!)

All this 'out-and-about' activity meant that very little was done at home on Advent stuff...

Jesse Tree Activity

We didn't do today's activity, but it would have been putting sad faces on our Paper Plate world. Maybe we'll do it tomorrow morning (depending on what time the children wake).

24 Books

Our book today was the amazing 'The Snowman and the Snowdog'. We bought this book last year and it came with a CD of the story, read by none other than Benedict Cumberbatch! I often play it for Zoë at bedtime and sit and listen to it with her...

Lolly Sticks

I was looking forward to today's lolly stick activity, but ran out of time so will reschedule it for another day. We were going to do some Christmas dancing; run like the gingerbread man, prance like a reindeer, twist like a candy cane, twirl like a snowflake etc.

Jesse Tree Story

Tonight's story was Abraham. God promised Abraham that he would have more descendants than stars in the sky - and one of those descendants will be Jesus. We had a guest at dinner tonight and it was lovely to see Zoë and her friend snuggled up on the settee listening to the Bible together.

Mummy Time

It't Thursday evening and I am tired! Caleb had been up til gone midnight last night and then I had to go and wash my hair (as I knew I wouldn't have time this morning). At least being out most of the day means there's not much washing up and tidying up to do... Hopefully I can get an early night. Now, where's my chocolate?

Advent: 3 December

Do you find that sometimes things just work? Today has been a bit like that! The Jesse Tree activity linked with the Lolly Stick activity, and Caleb had a good sleep giving me more one-on-one time with Zoë. Today was also an attempt at a screen-free day; my laptop, tablet and phone were all put away when I was with the children, and Zoë only watched 2 episodes of Peter Rabbit while I was clearing up lunch and putting Caleb down for his nap. A reduction in TV has a huge effect on the atmosphere in our house so this is something I want to keep up.

So, onto today...

Jesse Tree Activity

Before doing today's activity we needed to make the label for the Jesse Tree; Zoë drew a pink Eve and a grey Adam to represent 'God made people'.

Today's activity was about people. We added some people to our paper plate worlds and then went and made some Gingerbread Men. (I have to confess to a mummy-fail here - they were just biscuit men as I've run out of ginger powder!! Oops!)

24 Books

Our book today was the Mr Men 'A Christmas Carol'; starring Mr Mean as Ebenezer Scrooge, Mr Happy as Bob Cratchit and Mr Nosey, Little Miss Wise and Little Miss Bossy as the three ghosts! A great book which actually sticks pretty close to the original storyline...

Lolly Sticks

Our activity today was Bake for an old person. Given that Zoë thinks she's an 'old girl' as she's now 3 it gave us quite a wide range of people we could give to...
As I mentioned above our Gingerbread Men were made out of a vanilla biscuit recipe from my Be-Ro cookbook due to the lack of ginger. We also made butterflies, stars, snowmen and unicorns - and God made all of them! Once we'd finished cutting out the biscuits Zoë continued to play with the dough - she rolled it on the floor, on her hair, on Caleb's hair etc. Nice!

Are you wondering who the lucky old person was who got a biscuit from my gorgeous cook? I asked Zoë who she wanted to give it to and she said Baby E - a friend's newly adopted 18 month old daughter! Oh well, you can't argue with a 3 year old! Baby E seemed very happy and her Mum was very touched so it all ends well.

Jesse Tree Story

Tonight's story was the fall - where Adam and Eve disobey God and are banished from the Garden of Eden. It's been helpful to explain to Zoë about disobedience and consequences.

Mummy Time

Both children were asleep by 7pm so I've enjoyed writing this blog whilst watching Masterchef: The Professionals, oh and eating a hot chocolate fondant pudding! Looking forward to watching The Apprentice and later reading my Advent Devotional.

Advent: 2 December

Jesse Tree Activity

Our activity today was to make a paper plate world. Zoë was very keen to get the green and blue paint out, but I was a little hesitant to make that much mess on an already busy day so managed to convince her to use felt tip pens. We had great fun colouring and sticking fish, birds and animals onto the world. Caleb didn't quite get the idea but he joined in by eating the pencils!!

24 Books

Our book today was "That's not my snowman"; one of our favourites! Zoë sat for ages 'reading' it to her little brother. Aww!

Lolly sticks

Now this was a fun activity as we went to visit the local Winter Wonderland Grotto with some friends. When we arrived Zoë snuggled up too me and said 'Mummy, it's beautiful!' as she gazed at the twinkling fairy lights and moving animals. She then whizzed round in super high speed before slowing down and going back and forth to explore the bits in between. Caleb seemed to be less impressed; maybe he'll be a Scrooge like his father!

Jesse Tree Story

Tonight's story was from Genesis 2 and the creation of Adam and Eve; "God made people". Caleb and I missed it as he was exhausted having boycotted his afternoon nap in favour of playing with his sister's cars. We'll get the label drawn and hung in the morning before Zoë heads of to preschool.

Mummy Time

It's time for bed now and my daily reading. Night all!

Advent: 1 December

Now that Zoë is 3 and is really starting to grasp the idea of 'waiting' and 'celebrating' we decided to make a little more effort in Advent. So, we're trying a few different ideas:

Advent Box

I'd seen loads of ideas of Christmas Eve Surprise Boxes with a film, mugs, PJs etc and loved the idea, but we go to a Christmas Eve Carol Service so it wouldn't work. So I adapted the idea and created an Advent Box. Yesterday lunchtime when Zoë got home from preschool with Daddy we opened our Advent Surprise Box. It contained Christmas crockery, DVDs, CDs, toys, cooking book, new Christmassy PJs and a new (child-friendly) decoration. It was amazing watching the excitement in their faces as they discovered different items.

Russian Doll Nativity Set

24 wrapped books 

I've wrapped up all our Christmas books and we're opening and reading one a day over Advent. This is seriously going to teach Zoë about patience as she's so eager to open all of them NOW! Today's book was 'Santa is coming to Aylesbury'. I wonder what tomorrow's will be...

Lolly Stick Activities

I'm slightly addicted to Pinterest and loved the idea of Advent Activities which kept popping up on my feed, so I sat down one evening a few weeks ago and wrote a range of activities on some colourful lolly sticks. On Sunday Zoë and I selected some for this week. Today we bought a present for a disadvantaged child

Jesse Tree

Zoë is not having a traditional advent calendar and no chocolates either. Instead we're developing an idea we came across last year called a Jesse Tree which uses Advent to summarise the story of Christmas from creation, through the genealogy of Jesus and to his birth on Christmas day. Last year we used a reading schedule based on The Jesus Storybook Bible, but it was too grown-up for Zoë and she quickly lost interest. So this year we're writing our own... Each day has a reading, a 'picture' for her and us to draw on a label to hang on the tree, and an activity to do. (As we will do our reading at dinnertime the activity will be done on the following day.)

Today was our first day and we read the story of creation - "God made the world" - and Zoë drew a snake and a cat, and Daddy drew a tree! Tomorrow's activity is to draw a world on a plate.

Family advent

As well as doing advent things with Zoë and Caleb, I'm also aware that I need to slow down during this month and get my heart focused on the real meaning of Christmas. To ensure this happens I've got some candles out and (when the children are in bed) I am lighting them, and I am reading an Advent Devotional book by John Piper called The Dawning of Indestructible Joy. I'm looking forward to reading this when up in the night feeding Caleb!

Each day I'm hoping to share some thoughts from the Jesse Tree, 24 Books and Lolly Sticks.

Genesis 2:18-20 - Suitability

Can you imagine pairing a human with an elephant, or a horse, or an ant? They're just not suitable helpers for a human; they can't supply the support needed!

In this passage in Genesis God has noticed that Adam is alone and that this is not good - there is a lack of completeness and something needs to be done. Adam needs a helper. The word helper is used in a few other places which will help us to understand that Adam's need is not for someone to do the washing up but to strengthen him and support him:

• Psalm 121:2 - "My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." - the help God provides in a crisis
• 2 Kings 14:26 - "The Lord has seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free, was suffering, there was no-one to help them." - the help given by an ally in war

In his hunt for a helper Adam names all the animals; this helps us to see how Adam is ruling over them whilst being under the rule of God.

A while back I promised you the Narnian account of the creation of the animals. As we consider the naming of the animals I thought it was a suitable time to do so...

Can you imagine a stretch of grassy land bubbling like water in a pot? For that is really the best description of what was happening. In all directions it was swelling into humps. They were of very different sizes, some no bigger than mole-hills, some as big as wheel-barrows, two the size of cottages. And the humps moved and swelled till they burst, and the crumbled earth poured out of them, and from each hump there came out an animal. The moles came out just as you might see a mole come out in England  The dogs came out, barking the moment their heads were free, and struggling as you've seen them do when they are getting through a narrow hole in a hedge. The stags were the queerest to watch, for of course the antlers came up a long time before the rest of them, so at first Digory thought they were trees. The frogs, who all came up near the river, went straight into it with a plop-plop and a loud croaking. The panthers, leopards and things of that sort, sat down at once to wash the loose earth off their hind quarters and then stood up against the trees to sharpen their front claws. Showers of birds came out of the trees. Butterflies fluttered. Bees got to work on the flowers as if they didn't have a second to lose. But the greatest moment of all was when the biggest hump broke like a small earthquake and out came the sloping back , the large wise head, and the four baggy-trousered legs of an elephant. And now you could hardly hear the song of the Lion; there was so much cawing, cooing, crowing, braying, neighing, barking, lowing, bleating, and trumpeting.

Genesis 2:15-17 - Good and evil

Provision: Man was made to rule over the fish, birds and living creatures, but to live under God's rule. Eden is a picture of the kingdom of heaven: blessing under God's rule. It's the present privilege and future destiny of Christians.

Purpose: Our purpose is found in showing God's likeness by ruling the creation under us.

Prohibition: 'The knowledge of good and evil' is to presume to decide between right and wrong independently of God. This leads to death as it separates us from God and puts us in opposition with him.

Romans 12:2 says  ^"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will." We need to pray for obedience to what God's words says is right and wrong.