Here's my confession. EVERY year I go through a cycle called Advent Devotional Overload (ADO). ADO begins innocently enough. I simply pull all the great resources I've gathered.....We usually do Jotham's Journey or Barthlomew's Passage every night (we've done this for years and years - I can remember it back in Great Falls - maybe Hardin). We also go through the chapel devotional - usually one that Mike's written. This is also nightly. We do the Jesse Tree ornaments and devotional - this is daily. We love the Adorenaments and do them daily. We have a family inductive Bible study on Christmas that we do - this is daily.....see the picture? Everyone feels massive guilt to welcome the baby Jesus.
This year the chapel hasn't handed out Advent devotionals - or I didn't get one if they did. I loaned out my *Let's Make a Jesse Tree* to Adrienne, a friend who was interested in it. This year I will simply put up all the Jesse tree emblems on the banner and we'll discuss them as we have time. The Adorenaments didn't get unpacked - the kids voted to put only photo ornaments on the tree and those must have been in an ornament box.
I've not decided about the Family Inductive Bible Study Guide...it was AWESOME and I may do it for myself. I'm not sure I'll have all the children attempt it this year. I will make the coloring sheets available.... You really should check out this study. Mike and I talked about printing it up and making it available for families at the chapel - but he's gone and that's as far as the idea went...maybe next year. ::snort::
When I
pulled out Jotham and Barthlomew, Jamin asked if there wasn't another one. Yes - TABITHA. Then I discovered that it was out of print. Copies of these books are going for $70 each. Yowzer! It was mailed to me by a cyber-friend. Jamin was surprised that Tabitha is a GIRL and Arielle is thrilled. We are enjoying these readings. I wish I could find something like this for year round use. All this to say, keeping it simple may be the most blessed route for us to take. We are doing a lap book on Christmas symbols. I want to make this FUN for the children again - Christmas School had become to school- like in years past. You see now why we HAD to take the month off of school? ::snort:: I really am enjoying reading Tabitha and working on our lap book. I'm not sold on the lap book I bought - where ARE THE INSTRUCTIONS???? I think I liked the Live and Learn better. LOL BUT we are happy making our own and we don't need instructions for it....just piles and piles of paper. So far....a few days into Advent we have no symptoms of ADO.
4 comments:
And thanks for the loan of Bartholemew. He made it across the Atlantic fine!
Now we've caught up a bit, I'm remebering how 'hard-hitting' these stories are!
Good though.
Yes, I'd like something like this to read at other times too. Perhaps during Lent?
Dorothy
We are the same way. I usually am on Advent overload, but this year we are just doing Jessee Tree and then weekly advent wreath readings. I do plan to finish the inductive study we got sidetracked half way through, last year, but I have to figure out where I stuck them!
I can't imagine fitting all that in, it does sound better to simplify at least some years.
I've decided that LivenLearn has better instructions and tends to have more varied activities and Hands of a Child has a better research guide.
Loved the sisters picture. So sorry that you're having some sort of appliance rebellion going on there.
LOL.... at least you DO something! I don't know what I have, but I have SO MANY choices of things to do with all I've collected over the years that it overwhelms me and so far we haven't done anything although I do plan to start our Advent reading tonight.... not sure what else we'll do by the time Christmas gets here.
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