Another hat

Here is a little hat that I made recently.  Sorry about the weird way I had to display it.  But I couldn't very well have one of the kids model it since it is a surprise for one of the girls.  So you get it see it propped on a Mason jar.  :)  This was a really easy hat to make.  Quick, too.  I made it according to the pattern on Ravelry.  I think I may add some tassels on the corners, though.  Kind of spice it up a bit.  I'll probably make a couple more of these, too.  It's do-able by Christmas even for a slow knitter like me.

Christ the King

Last Sunday was the Feast of Christ the King.  On this day I bake a king's cake with a golden cross inside.  Whichever of my kids gets the piece with the cross in it gets to start the Advent calendar the following week.  The look on C's face was priceless when she realized that she was the lucky one this year.  If only I had been quicker with the camera...  I guess the shot I got wasn't too bad considering I only had my phone camera nearby. 

And today is the first day of Advent.  I'm ready.  I love this time of year. 

Two projects completed

J finished her doll!  It's so cute.  She decided to leave it with no face the way the Native Americans did.  I'm so proud of her for working so diligently on this project.

Here she is wearing the hat I just finished.  It was actually intended for a certain guy...  Unfortunately, I have no real concept of gauge and it turned out way too small.  So, J has a new hat.  She really likes it.  Yay!  I'm thinking that it was really meant for her all along.  (This means that I need to cast on again for a second try at a large hat.)

Meanwhile, I have already started working on a pretty pink hat with cat ears (yes, cat ears!) for her for Christmas.  I guess two mommy-made hats won't be too much for my girl.

Leaf garland

This is a super easy and fun craft to do with the kids.

We collected some beautiful fall leaves.  Then we dipped them in melted beeswax and let them cool on waxed paper.  After that we threaded them onto a string to make a garland.  I totally copied the idea from Elizabeth Foss who copied it from Ginny.  (Sometimes I just love the internet!  Good ideas getting passed on and on.) 

 

Colonial crafts

On a recent trip to Historic St. Mary's City my girls each got a doll making kit as a souvenir.  The kit basically consisted of fabric that had been pre-cut into shapes for the dolls body and head, arms, legs, and dress.  Then there was some stuffing and some yarn to sew on for the hair.  It's a lot of hand sewing for a little girl.  J has been up to the task.  In fact she has been sewing nearly every spare moment she has.  She even worked on her doll Friday night in front of the television during our family movie night!

Here she is sewing the dress right after breakfast.  You can see the doll (minus the hair) next to her.

Martinmas

For Martinmas, or the feast day of St. Martin of Tours, I made St. Martin's Croissants, a Polish tradition.  While I don't have any Polish ancestry that I know of, Ray is half Polish.  That means that my kids are 1/4 Polish.  So that is as good a reason as any to adopt a Polish tradition for our household.  Especially when it involves making and eating sugared croissants!  I couldn't get a decent picture of them, though.  In real life they were all sparkly from the coarse sugar coating.  And mmmm, yummy!

While we were enjoying the croissants and hot apple cider, M re-told the story of how St. Martin gave a beggar half his cloak so he wouldn't freeze. Next year, if I get my act together, I think it would be nice to have the kids collect some coats to give to charity on this day.

Fall fun

This week we met some of our homeschooled friends at a local park.  It is one of my favorite parks because it is right on a beautiful lake.  The weather was perfect.  Chilly but sunny.  The children raked together a pile of leaves with their hands and feet then took turns running down the hill and jumping into it.

 

 

And a trip to this park would not be complete without playing with the ducks a little.