O-Shogatsu New Year Festival

Yesterday, at the Portland Japanese Gardens, we celebrated O-Shogatsu New Year Festival! "A" and I have been studying Japan a lot this year because my sister moved to Okinawa last year. We have had fun receiving care packages from her and researching here at home. You can see our Japan Lapbook in my post here. When I saw the New Year Festival I knew we had to go.

I don't know what the arraignment represents but my sister says all her neighbors have the same thing on their doors.

We had a great time. They offer a scavenger hunt for young kids with pictures of garden features. For the festival we saw a calligraphy demonstration, "A" got to write in Japanese "New Spring", and I got to try some traditional Matcha (Green Tea) with sugar cookies made in the traditional Japanese way and served by kimono wearing ladies. I love introducing the boys to different cultures and am so lucky to live in an area where that is a possibility.  Not to mention by learning about Japan it makes us feel a little closer to Aunt Katie!

ShiShi Dogs

Zen Garden

Learning Japanese Calligraphy

New Spring (or close too ;o)

Making Green Tea

Kimono in motion

I love these Cherry Blossom buds hanging on during Winter

Boys near Patagonia

Christmas Highlights 2011

I am ashamed how little I have written this month. I had the best intentions of crafting, teaching, cooking, and all other fun festive Christmas things, just didn't happen. My boys were sick most of the month and I wasn't really in the Christmas mood with the hubs away in Alaska. That isn't to say we did have some fun, family memories being made. Here is a highlight of some of our Christmas memories.

"B" found the corner behind tree was his favorite hiding place

Ornaments constantly thrown through out the house to be sucked on and played with

Family tradition of walking the Fantasy Trail

Polar Express Train Ride

Golden Ticket

Daddy is home!

 Santa threw up in our house!

My mother-in-law made match dog sweaters=LOVE!

The boys got matching sweaters as well!

Opening Night for the Blazers (Aiden's 1st NBA Game) 

Keepsake Ornament my sister in Japan made me

She included a list of all of our memories that are in the ornament. So thoughtful!~

 

Handprint Art

Every year I do one piece of Handprint Art. This is just such a visual way to see how your child has grown. I love looking at little ones hands and how tiny they are. The side by side comparisons of years can be striking. I am sad for the day when "A" will be too old/big to do our art tradition. His hand is already getting dangerously close to the edges of the paper. This year we did something different with the handprint ornaments, but here are some different handprint/footprint art from years past.

Paper Plate Wreaths

I had wanted to share a really simple craft for your preschooler. As I get older I am really starting to be fond of wreaths. I have my fancy one that hangs outside over the holidays, but why not make some that hang inside as well. Simply take a paper plate and cut out the middle. Decorate the rim, then punch a hole and add string. Viola! The ideas for decorating are endless. Here are two "A" has has made over the years...

What  are some other things you could decorate it with. Hmmm...we may have to make a button one since I love how much our turkey turned out at Thanksgiving.

Max our Scout Elf

With the boys being sick my Christmas festivities have not gone quite as planned. That being said one thing I have been able to keep up with is our Christmas Elf, which came to live us for the first time this year. I think the Elf on the Shelf is one of the funnest way to introduce a Christmas tradition I have seen. We are having so much fun with him in our house. Here are some of greatest memories of Max so far!

Stealing my Supreme Hot Cocoa

Ready for take-off

Composing a new Christmas Carol

Hanging from the chandelier

Doing some caroling

Reading "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas with his pal

Going down the firehouse pole!

Practicing snow angel making

Going Fishing!

Christmas Food Gifts

This month my boys have been continously little sickos. It is never ending fevers, coughs, sore throats, body aches, etc. Due to that,  the fact I am preparing for Student Teaching and my hubby is away in Alaska I am going SUPER SIMPLE for Christmas this year. One thing I am doing for loved ones is making some food gifts, thanks to ideas from Pinterest.

#1) Rudolph Hot Cocoa Sets:

You are suppose to take frosting piping bags (but I just used sandwich baggies). Fill then up with some hot chocolate, then tiny marshmallows, tiny chocolate chips, and some Christmas sprinkles. Tie a bow with a brown pipe-cleaner. Add stick on eyes and a red pom. Viola-two cups of cocoa. I would not that I don't like the baggies and will be looking for the piping bags as I make more.

 #2) Reindeer Mix (aka Chex Buddy Mix):

I have had Buddy Mix before but never made it myself. Holy Cow it is easy. The recipe can be found at the back of most Chex cereal boxes. It calls for 9 cups of Rice Chex (less than one big box). Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips, 1/2 cup of peanut butter, and 1/4 cup of butter all together in the microwave (about one minute). Mix them together and then mix it with the Chex cereal. Next add powder sugar to coat them. I then added some red & green M&M's (hence the reindeer mix). After putting some in individual serving Ziplocks I stabled some Christmas scrapbooking paper to make labels. Then if you want you can print Christmas notes to glue on.

Handprint Ornaments

So, I know everyone is making these ornaments this year, but I saw these hand-print snowman ornaments about two years ago and have always wanted to make them. This was the year! I had put it off because I couldn't figure out how to do it exactly. I was totally over-thinking it. All you have to do is paint the entire hand white. Then as you hold on to the top (where you put the hook) you have your child grasp the ornament below. Imagine the ornament is going to be thrown underhanded. That is it-too simple! Then later on add details (like the eyes, nose, scarf, hat, mouth, and buttons). I haven't quite mastered this part, but I hope family appreciates them anyway!

"Gingerbread" Forest

I have to admit but I have the WORST luck making gingerbread houses. They always fall apart before I even get the candy on. More often than not the boys and I have high hopes of an adorable creation, but out of complete frustration of trying to keep the roof from caving in we just pig out and forget our dream Christmas houses.

Then I came across a brilliant idea on Pinterest to have a cute decorated creation with no worries of making walls stay up. We decided to take sugar cones and turn them upside down to make a forest of Christmas trees. It was so much fun not having to worry if it would break or not. We decorated it the same way we would a gingerbread house. I have to admit they were pretty tasty as well. However, this time we didn't eat them out of frustration but because they looked too yummy to resist!

Some of our supplies

Can't contain the excitement-do you see baby sneaking treats

I had to let him in on the action!