Alina's Adventures

The best free online Christmas books.

Once again, Gutenberg earned my love. My favorites are marked with asterisks- most of these books are intended for a young audience. Enjoy them down to the last morsel.

A Budget of Christmas Tales by Charles Dickens and Others (1895) *
A Captured Santa Claus by Thomas Nelson Page (1902)
A Christmas Accident and Other Stories by Annie Eliot Trumbull (1900)
A Christmas Garland by Max Beerbohm (1912)
A Christmas Greeting by Hans Christian Andersen (1864)
A Little Book of Christmas by Cyrus Townsend Brady (1917) *
A Christmas Mystery: The Story of Three Wise Men by William J. Locke (1910)
A Christmas Posy by Mary Molesworth (1888)
A Christmas Sermon by Robert Louis Stevenson (1900) *
A Christmas Story by Dr. Samuel W. Francis (1867)
A Defective Santa Claus by James Whitcombe Riley (1904)
A Kidnapped Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
A Little Book of Christmas by John Kendrick Bangs (1912)
A Reversible Santa Claus by Meredith Nicholson (1917)
A Right Merrie Christmasse by John Ashton (1894)
A Versailles Christmas Tide by Mary Stuart Boyd (1901)
And Thus He Came: A Christmas Fantasy by Cyrus Townsend Brady (1916)
At Last: A Christmas in the West Indies by Charles Kingsley
Beasley's Christmas Party by Booth Tarkington (1909)
Betty's Bright Idea and Other Stories by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1875)
Brother Robber by Helene Christaller P *
By the Christmas Fire by Samuel McChord Crothers (1908)
Christmas: A Happy Time by Miss Mant (1832)
Christmas: A Story by Zona Gale (1912)
Christmas: Its Origin, Celebration, and Significance edited by Robert H. Schauffler (1907)
Christmas: It's Origins and Associations by William Francis Dawson (1902) *
Christmas Comes But Once A Year by Luke Limner (1850) 
Christmas Entertainments by Alice M. Kellog *
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Ten Stories by Edward E. Hale (1873)
Christmas Every Day and Other Stories by William Dean Howells (1892)
Christmas Holidays at Merryvale by Alice Hale Burnett
Christmas In Legend and Story by Elva S. Smith (1915)
Christmas in Ritual and Tradition: Christian and Pagan by Clement A Miles (1912)
Christmas Outside of Eden by Coningsby Dawson (1922)
Christmas Roses by Lizzie Lawson and Robert Elice Mack 
Christmas Roses and Other Stories by Anne Douglas Sedgewick (1920)
Christmas Stories and Legends compiled by Phebe A. Curtiss (1912)
Christmas Tales and Christmas Verse by Eugene Field (1912)
Christmas Tree Land by Martha Molesworth (1884)
Christmas With Grandma Elsie by Martha Finley (1888)
Colonel Crockett's Co-operative Christmas by Rupert Hughes (1906)
Holiday Stories for Young People edited by Margaret E. Sangster (1896) *
Holiday Tales: Christmas in the Adirondacks by W.H. Murray (1897)
In the Yule-log Glow: Christmas Tales From 'Round the World by Harrison S. Morris (1900) *
In the Yule-log Glow: Book Two edited by Harrison S. Morris (1900)
In the Yule-log Glow: Book Three edited by Harrison S. Morris (1891)
In the Yule-log Glow: Book Four edited by Harrison S. Morris (1900)
Is There A Santa Claus? by Jacob A. Riis (1922)
Lill's Travels in Santa Claus Land by Ellis Town, Sophie May, and Ella Farman (1878)
Miss Muffet's Christmas Party by Samuel McChord Crothers
Mr. Kris Kringle by S. Weir Mitchell (1898)
Myths and Legends of Christmastide by Bertha F. Herrick (1901)
Nibsy's Christmas by Jacob A. Riis (1893)
Old Christmas by Washinton Irving
Old Christmas From the Sketchbook of Washington Irving (1886) *
Old Scrooge: A Christmas Carol in Five Staves by Charles A. Scott (1877)
On Christmas Day in the Evening by Grace S. Richmond (1910)
On Christmas Day in the Morning by Grace S. Richmond (1905)
Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Dogs by Eleanor Hallowell Abbott (1920)
Round the Yule Log: Christmas in Norway by Chr. Asbjorsen (1895)
Santa Claus' Partner by Thomas Nelson Page (1899)
Shakespeare's Christmas Gift to Queen Bess by Anna B. Mcmahan (1907)
The Abbot's Ghost by A.M. Barnard (1867)
The Birds' Christmas Carol by Kate Douglas Wiggin 
The Children's Book of Christmas Stories edited by Asa Dickinson and Ada Skinner (1913)
The Christmas Angel by Abbie Farwell Brown (1910)
The Christmas Books of Mr. M. A. Titmarsh by William Makepeace Thackeray
The Christmas Child by Hebsa Stretton (1909)
The Christmas Fairy by John Strange Winter (1878)
The Christmas Kalends of Provence by Thomas A. Janvier (1902)
The Christmas Miracle by Charles Egbert Craddock (1911)
The Christmas Peace by Thomas Nelson Page (1891)
The Cricket on the Hearth by Charles Dickens (1845)
The Fairies and the Christmas Child by Lilian Gask
The First Christmas Tree by Henry Van Dyke *
The Holly Tree by Charles Dickens (1894)
The Goblins' Christmas by Elizabeth Anderson (1908)
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum
The Little Colonel's Christmas Vacation by Annie Fellows Johnston (1905)
The Manger Mouse by Jane Tyson Clement P
The Misfit Christmas Puddings by The Consolation Club (1906)
The Night Before Christmas and Other Popular Stories for Children (1903)
The Peace Egg and Other Tales by Juliana Horatia Ewing
The Sad Shepherd by Henry Van Dyke (1911)
The Shepherd's Pipe by unknown (1935) P
The Shepherd's Pipe: A Christmas Cantata composed by Maryls Swinger P
The Spirit of Christmas by Henry Van Dyke (1911) 
The Story of a Nodding Donkey by Laura Lee Hope
The Story of the Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke (1896)
The Thin Santa Claus by Ellis Parker Butler (1909)
The Toys of Peace and Other Papers by Saki (1919 *
The Truce of God by Mary Roberts Rinehart (1920)
The Upas Tree by Florence L. Barclay (1912)
The White Christmas and Other Christmas Plays by Walter Ben Hare (1917)
Tommy Trot's Visit to Santa Claus by Thomas Nelson Page (1908)
Trifles for the Christmas Holidays by H. S. Armstrong (1869)
Two Christmas Celebrations by Theodore Parker
Uncle Noah's Christmas Inspiration by Leona Dalrymple (1912)
When the Time Was Fulfilled: Christmas Meditations by various authors P 
When the Yule Log Burns by Leona Dalrymple (1916)
Whirligigs by O. Henry 
Willibald's Trip to Heaven by Reimmichl 
Yule-tide in Many Lands by Margaret Pringle and Clara Urann (1916) *

R is for rats in the rain.

Alabama winters mean lots of rain, so our exploration of the letter R needed to include a bit of the reality outside our window. Fortunately, the rat is not part of said reality- but there is something quasi-cute about a rat in the rain. 

R is for rats in the rain coloring page (PDF)

RAIN FINGERPLAY
Rain on the green grass.
(Flutter fingers down to ground.)
And rain on the tree.
(Flutter fingers up over head.)
Rain on the housetop,
(Make upside down "V" with hand and arms.)
But not on me!
(Circle arms over head to make umbrella.)

Other awesome ideas and crafts from around the web for exploring the letter R and rain ensemble:

R is for rain watercolor craft (Naturally Educational)
R is for rain handwriting worksheet (Twisty Noodle) 
R is for rain drop collage (Jill McDonald) 
Make a rain cloud mobile (Learning 4 Kids)
R is for rain collage (Momstown)
Rainstick craft using cardboard roll (Enchanted Learning) 

R is for Red the Robot.

Download the free coloring page and song below.

Working on the R sound with Micah and I couldn't find an R song online that I wanted to teach. Solution? Invent my own. So here is The Robot Song and Dance sung to the tune of "I'm a little teapot".

I’m a little robot, hear me out
(cup hand over ear)
I beep and I buzz and I never pout
(shake head and make frowning pout)
‘Cause everything I ev-er need to do
(point to chest)
Comes into my hard drive straight from you.
(point to kids)

I’m a little robot, my name is Red
I don’t ever sleep or go to bed
(close eyes and put cheek on hand like sleeping)
I really like the “R” sound when you sing
(nod and smile)
It starts my name and also r-r-r-ing.
(wave hands around during rrrring)

I’m a little robot, this is my tale
(point to self)
You should know the R sound pretty well.
(point to kids or others)
My buttons flash red just like my name
(wiggle fingers for flash)
If you reboot me, I’ll start again.
(pretend to press button and turn in a circle as pretend rebooting occurs)

We talked about why robots never pout- Max filled us in with his vast knowledge of the Turing test and how feelings and sentiments are difficult to program.

R is for Robot Coloring Page and Song (PDF)

Patrick helped Micah memorize the song and dance. When she finished, she colored the coloring page and added it to her Alphabet book, our ongoing project.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate Unity Study: Chapter 2.

Continuing the free unit study on The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate today with similies and Chapter 2. If you missed Chapter 1 freebies, you can find them here.

Similies Stories (PDF)

Chapter 2 Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary (PDF)

Character Impressions Through Acrostics (PDF)

For the similies stories, we introduced the concept of similies and then looked through the book to find them. Max found the following ten similies as answers for his worksheet:

1. "Like a tiny baby field mouse" (p.10)- object dangling from bird's beak
2. "Like damp, steaming puppies" (p.2)- how the boys slept at midday
3. "Like a dragon's" (p.9)- grandfather's tuftu eyebrows
4. "Like Christmas ornaments" (p.10)- how the cardinals looked along the lawn
5. "As menacing to the feet as straw stubble" (p. 17)- the dried grass on the lawn
6. "Like a bizarre cross between an otter and a duck" (p.66)- a platypus
7. "Like river sludge" (p.38)- the sediment in the beaker 
8. "Like a miniature fox" (p.41)- the bat
9. "As if it were a child" (p. 45)- referring to leg of soldier cradled in his arms
10. "as if pole-axed" (p.2)- how the tired men fell down on their rope beds

Then we talked about how Calpurnia describes so many things with reference to natural objects and animals- perhaps they were closer to nature in her time. Max also observed that most people don't use expressions about "pole-axes" anymore because we don't use pole-axes.

Our vocabulary words were defined and then Max used them in a few unruly sentences of his own making.

dilapidated: In a state of disrepair or ruin as a result of age or neglect

consternation: Feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.

malacca: Brown cane that is widely used for walking sticks and umbrella handles.

stupefying: Make (someone) unable to think or feel properly.

He had knocked over the dilapidated umbrella stand, breaking it and several dilapidated umbrellas. The malacca handles and the cloth tops were part of a jumbled pile on top of the baby, Rupert, who had done it all. It was stupefying. I was full of consternation. 

Christmas storms and stories.

The weather folk jump about waving lasers and warning of ominous storms to come. So we are filling up on Christmas stories from around the world. Reading "Babicka", a tale from Czechoslovakia, we learned that children in Czech villages believed the Christ Child returned on Christmas eve and left gifts. Other interesting Czech holiday traditions gleaned from this story include:

• If you fast all day long the day before on Christmas, on Christmas you will see a magic golden pig running around the room.
• If a girl takes a branch of sweet elder outdoors and shake it as she recites, "Sweet elder branch, I shake thee, Tell me, ye dogs who wake me, Where my intended might be", she can learn where her future husband might be at that very minute by following the direction of the dog barking sounds.
• You can divine the future of a person by cutting an apple crossways twice and reading the seeds and shapes.
• On St. Stephens Day, young boys carol at the local miller's home in the hopes of good fortune for the coming year.

Other beautiful, thoughtful, and free Christmas stories from around the world worth sharing with family:

RUSSIA
Where Love Is, There God Is Also (Leo Tolstoy)- text
Christmas Phantoms (Maxim Gorki)- audio
The Guest (Nikolai S. Lesskov)- PDF 
Legend of Baboushka- text 
Papa Panov's Special Christmas Day (Leo Tolstoy)- text with images 
The Heavenly Christmas Tree (Fyodor Dosteovsky)- text 

ROMANIA
A Christmas Tale (Queen Marie of Roumania)- text

HUNGARY
Which of the Nine? (Maurus Jokai)- text

IRELAND
The Christmas Cuckoo (Frances Browne)- text 

ENGLAND
St Christopher: A Golden Legend- text 
Some Christmas Stories (Charles Dickens)- PDF 
Why The Evergreen Trees Never Lose Their Leaves (Florence Holbrooke)- text 
The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton (Charles Dickens)- text and images 
A Christmas Tree (Charles Dickens)- text 

GERMANY
The Christmas Fairy of Strasbourg (J. Stirling Coyne)- text
The Chess Player (Ger Koopman)- PDF
Behold That Star (The Bruderhof)- PDF book
Legend of the First Christmas Tree- text 
Little Gretchen and the Wooden Shoe (Elizabeth Harrison)- text 

SCANDINAVIA- Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark
The Thunder Oak (William Walsh)- text 
The Voyage of the Wee Red Cap (Ruth Sawyer Durand)- text 
The Christmas Carol of the Birds- text and images 

HOLLAND
The First Christmas Tree (Lucy Wheelock)- text 
A Ragged Christmas Feast- text and images 

ICELAND
Legend of the Yuletide Lads- text 
Getting Even With Gryla- text 

ITALY
Brother Robber (Hellen Christaller)- PDF or audio 
The Story of St Francis of Assissi (Dr. Michael Lockett)- text 
Little Piccola (Nora A. Smith)-text 

FRANCE
Legend of the Birds- text 
The Wooden Shoe Christmas (Francois Coppee)- text 
The Legend of the Robin (The Normal Storyteller)- text 
Little Jean (Francois Coppee)- text 

UNITED STATES
A Kidnapped Santa Claus (L. Frank Baum)- text 
The Other Wise Man (Henry Van Dyke)- text 
The Burglar's Christmas (Willa Cather)- text 
A Christmas Story (Katherine Pyle)- text
The Fairy Christmas- text and images 

We also found the naitivity readings in the Qu'aran to be illuminating and informative. You can explore them online as well. Ignorance is the first enemy of mercy and truth.

A Christmas eve pageant.

The way the threads of life twist and combine to create a picture which leads us from one moment to another mystifies me. When Tino came and stayed with last Christmas, so many strands were coming apart. Perhaps one of the most difficult was our decision to leave the church in we began our married life and begin the search for a more liturgical, spiritual, and merciful community.

The wise men preparing for the pageant with their guitars.

Since we believe that a church is a community of brothers and sisters whose ties reach beyond the mere bonds of everyday life, it took us almost a year to talk, pray, wonder, and slowly rediscover our faith outside the home of our church.

Being a lover of people, I worried about losing the friendships we had established and nurtured for years at our church. I worried about our children and the possibility of lapsed comraderies. I worried about the message we might send and any feelings we might hurt. I worried about what might appear frivolous and all the misunderstandings that arise from lack of communication, all the gossip, all the ways in which we try to establish and decide how others feel or think without the benefit of asking them directly.

Tino's photo of our shepherds bringing back their sheep.

Ultimately, all this worry and caution fell by the wayside when talking to my husband, whose longing for a service with less emphasis on the spoken word and more deference to the ultimate mystery of Jesus Christ met my own. As a couple, our journey reached a point when all the books we had read, all the scripture we had studied, all the apologetics we had consumed offered no light and began to taste like rationalizations for all those things we wanted to believe. 

Heather and Mike told mentioned Canterbury years ago. We smiled and nodded. An aquaintance suggested we visit. We smiled and nodded. Tino came and stayed and told us about Canterbury, where he decided to attend during his Alabama visit. We smiiled and nodded.

And then, one morning, we decided to do more than smile and nod. We dressed up and attended. And something felt right- from the kindness of strangers to the unconditional love cultivate by Rector Burnette to the music that opened the doors of the spirit. Communion came from a shared cup- a cup shared with our children and with faces not yet owning names to us. And we found ourselves there again the next month. And something keeps drawing us back. I can't think of another way to describe it except to say "it's the love". That's good enough for me.

Milla slept through her shepherding duties.

Our first Christmas at Canterbury was not filled with multimedia presentations or tweets- it was simple and accented by the commotion of little ones in costumes hiding behind pews. Although we watched a pageant, there was no pageantry in the pews- it was simple reverent love and devotion. I am grateful to Tino for being the final thread- and grateful to watch the picture of the present unfold.

A Veteran's Christmas Carol.

The room where we caroled at the V. A. Hospital in Tuscaloosa.

One of my favorite parts of the season is going to carol for our local veterans at the Veteran's Hospital. This year, the number of singers was much smaller because we did it on Christmas Eve- a difficult date for many to free on their schedule. However, the VA administrators made a compelling case for caroling on Christmas Eve- those veterans who are there will be all alone and no one really comes to visit on that day, so it would mean the world to them.

The Tuscaloosa12 Days of Christmas (PDF)

The kids colored  the page below and adding their name (or portrait signatures) with small notes in the margins and the folded it as a card. We know that the staff will hang these in the rooms of the vets for a little of that human touch.

Veterans Thank You Coloring Page (PDF)

Our program included several carols, piano solo performances, a Christmas poem reading, and a little bell-shaking by Milla. One of the best parts, however, was going around and thanking each veteran afterwards.

I learned about what it was like to serve in World War II in the Air Force from this kind couple (not romantically involved). At a time when women were not officially acknowledged as veterans, she was piloting planes. I learned about God's continuing blessings from a mute young man who suffered a traumatic brain injury due to an IED in Afghanistan. He is confined to a wheelchair but even without a voice, I read his lips as he told me and Max about the way in which God blesses his life every day.

Max tried to convince this gentleman that he was not a girl without resorting to showing him any private areas. Proof is complicated.

The girls found a way to cause a ruckus in the lounge- but I think the vets enjoy all the childish hubbub and commotion since it is a relief from their usual routine.

DIY Edward Gorey abecedarium holiday gift.

Edward Gorey's way with words enchants everyone from the tiniest titmouse to the most vociferous violinist.  He teaches us more about language and the texture of vocabulary than any SAT vocabulary calendar.

So my Christmas gift to you, available for download for a limited time, is a printable copy of his Eclectic Abecedarium to frame and give to your favorite budding logophile. Please support Edward Gorey's cultural contributions by considering purchasing a hard copy of his work.

Edward Gorey's Eclectic Abecedarium p1 (PDF)

Edward Gorey's Eclectic Abecedarium p2 (PDF)

Shepherding the nativity.

Somehow I knew all that shepherding practice we got in Romania would pay off. This year, our Romanian sheep will be acting in a Christmas eve nativity. Of course, their shepherds, Miax, Micah, and Milla will also be on the scene. Yesterday was the rehearsal.

Unfortunately, Milla napped through it so her shepherding abilities will be the wild card this evening.

There is something magical and mysterious about nativity scenes in which children with all their natural energy and joy enact the first Christmas. It is no secret why the scriptures say children are closer to God and more capable of seeing angels than adults, for we are steeped in what we call "reality" and convention. We mistake the duties for the love. We struggle with feeling the Spirit as we crush the Spirit that reveals itself in others.

So I can't wait for tonight- for the way the nativity will unfurl amid giggles and foibles and the general joy of children. It is soothing and beautiful and holy to be so close to the untamed, unbridled heart.

"If a man wishes to be sure of the road he treads on, he must close his eyes and walk in the dark." 
St. John of the Cross

A free unit study on "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate".

Jacqueline Kelly earned herself quite a fan club over here with The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. It provides a delicious fictional introduction to the world of being a naturalist at a time when the skills of naturalists are no longer emphasized in science classes. In fact, Max and love it so much that I created a unit study to make sure we pore over every perfect little piece.

Granted, it makes a great subject for a unit study because it combines scientific observation with American history and social studies. The primary conflict in the novel pits Calpurnia's interest in science and curiosity about nature against the social expectations of her sex at a time when corsets were considered "the proper thing to do". 

This unit study is what I call a "folder study" in that we go through it gradually and add all related materials to a 3 prong folder as we go. It gives us something to go back and flip through- something to save and enjoy again. I'll try to post a few pages from the study every couple of days as we continue our exploration. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary (PDF)

Nature Journal Page 1: Stump Stories (PDF)

For more opinions and perspectives on this book from educators and book lovers, try Handmade Homeschool, Here in the Bonny Glen, Books 4 Your Kids, Simple Homeschool, Avant Parenting, Home Education Magazine, and Write4Kids. I'll go ahead and warn you that you'll have a hard time finding negative reviews of this book- it charms kids and adults alike.

The history of Yule is cool.

I love mythology and ancient folklore, so we can't miss out on the oldest celebration of the year. That's right, the Yuletide, the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and the longest night of the year, the eve when the sun is reborn, and so on. Today, December 21st, is Yule. 

The history of Christmas does not begin with Christ- and I don't think anyone who is a follower of Jesus need fear that celebrating ancient harvest traditions endangers their faith in any way. Understanding our past poses no threat to a faith lived in the present.

The winter solstice - the shortest day of the year - has been celebrated in one form or another for millennia. Northern Europeans called it "Jul" (a term remembered in the English word Yule, which now means Christmas); in ancient Rome it was the Dies natalis solis invicti, or ''the birthday of the unconquered sun''. Through sacrifices and feasting, pagans celebrated the beginning of the sun's revival. You can learn more about the history of Christmas from this succint article in the Telegraph.

Winter solstice celebrations vary across cultures and geographic locations, but a celebration of the end of darkness runs through all of them. Explore the histories of the solstice around the world and use the free printables below to create your own Yuletide traditions.

• For a neat bit of history about Yule in the Northern Isles, see Orkneyjar. 
• In Romanian villages, solstice is still celebrated with merry folk bands roving through town.
• The mistletoe tradition is related to Yule celebrations and the myth of Balder. The Vikings believed that mistletoe had the power to raise people from the dead. Share the story of "Balder and the Mistletoe" with your family this eve. 
• Learn about the Yule legend of the silver pinecone.
• Make your own silver pinecones. 
• A pagan blogger (from whom the image above is borrowed) explains the festival of light from her religious perspective. 

Yule Log Coloring Page from Geekmom (PDF)

Yule Is Cool handout (PDF)

DIY ironwood branch spools.

Since the image is as blurry as my eyes without glasses, I've included a printable version below which is much, much easier to read. What you are making is an ironwood branch spool which can be used to store large amounts of string, twine, garland, ribbon, or even yarn. The metal hook is optional- it can be added so you can hang and display your spools on the underside of shelves or for easy access in your craft room.

YOU WILL NEED

a saw
hammer or drill
nails, screws, or wood glue (nails are stronger and last longer)
one wooden dowel under 2 inches thick
ironwood or other very dense wood branch
a small, screw-in metal hook (optional)
  DIY ironwood branch spool printable (PDF)

Tip: We used screws and I wouldn't do it again as they tend to come unscrewed with all the twisting and turning of the spool. Nails are probably your best bet.

"Hot dog" doodle.

As I try to wrap and tidy, the kids are coloring the hot dog doodle. Max is writing a story about it in the margins explaining why the boy is raising his arms. I can't wait to find out. In the meantime, if you feel like printing a doodle and seeing what your munchkins do in the margins, download the freebie below- the margins are much larger in the PDF version.

Hot dog (PDF)

Is technology narrowing our perception of life?

Lowell Monke's essay, "Charlotte's Webpage", is a must-read for any parent with kids of school-going age. Originally published in the September/October 2005 issue of Orion magazine, Monke's essay preceded the day of personal kindles and laptops for every child (though one could argue the cusp was already apparent). What Monke does is to make a compelling case for hands-on learning where the hands touch something apart from computer keys and the eyes follow something apart from a pixelated screen.

"Charlotte's Webpage: Why children shouldn't have the world at their fingertips" (PDF)

Paraphrasing him would be tawdry since he expresses himself very clearly and effectively. For example:

The teacher explained that her students were so enthusiastic about the project that they chose to go to the computer lab rather than outside for recess. While she seemed impressed by this dedication, it underscores the first troubling influence of computers. The medium is so compelling that it lures children away from the kind of activities through which they have always most effectively discovered themselves and their place in the world.

Ironically, students could best learn the lessons implicit inCharlotte’s Web —the need to negotiate relationships, the importance of all members of a community, even the rats—by engaging in the recess they missed. For recess is not just a break from intellectual demands or a chance to let off steam, but also a break from a closely supervised social and physical environment. It is when children are most free to negotiate their own relationships, at arm’s length from adult authority. Yet across the U.S., these opportunities are disappearing. By the year 2000, according to a 2001 report by University of New Orleans associate professor Judith Kieff, more than 40 percent of the elementary and middle schools in the U.S. had entirely eliminated recess. By contrast, U.S. Department of Education statistics indicate that spending on technology in schools increased by more than 300 percent from 1990 to 2000.

Structured learning certainly has its place. But if it crowds out direct, unmediated engagement with the world, it undercuts a child’s education. Children learn the fragility of flowers by touching their petals. They learn to cooperate by organizing their own games. The computer cannot simulate the physical and emotional nuances of resolving a dispute during kickball, or the creativity of inventing new rhymes to the rhythm of jumping rope. These full-bodied, often deeply heartfelt experiences educate not just the intellect but also the soul of the child. When children are free to practice on their own, they can test their inner perceptions against the world around them, develop the qualities of care, self-discipline, courage, compassion, generosity, and tolerance—and gradually figure out how to be part of both social and biological communities.

If children do not dip their toes in the waters of unsupervised social activity, they likely will never be able to swim in the sea of civic responsibility. If they have no opportunities to dig in the soil, discover the spiders, bugs, birds, and plants that populate even the smallest unpaved playgrounds, they will be less likely to explore, appreciate, and protect nature as adults.

Computers not only divert students from recess and other unstructured experiences, but also replace those authentic experiences with virtual ones.

So what's the problem?

During the decade that I spent teaching a course called Advanced Computer Technology, I repeatedly found that after engaging in Internet projects, students came back down to the Earth of their immediate surroundings with boredom and disinterest—and a desire to get back online. Having watched Discovery Channel and worked with computer simulations that severely compress both time and space, children are typically disappointed when they first approach a pond or stream: the fish aren’t jumping, the frogs aren’t croaking, the deer aren’t drinking, the otters aren’t playing, and the raccoons (not to mention bears) aren’t fishing. Their electronic experiences have led them to expect to see these things happening—all at once and with no effort on their part. The result is that the child becomes less animated and less capable of appreciating what it means to be alive, what it means to belong in the world as a biological, social being.

Monke also worries that the virtual connect engenders a place-based disconnect in young people searching for a place to belong. His points about schools (see below) are being fought by an amazing group of dedicated teachers, principals, and parents in Tuscaloosa who are adding outdoor classrooms and gardens to nearby schools. I am honored to know a few of them.

Rather than attempt to compensate for a growing disconnect from nature, schools seem more and more committed to reinforcing it, a problem that began long before the use of computers. Even relying on books too much or too early inhibits the ability of children to develop direct relationships with the subjects they are studying. But because of their power, computers drastically exacerbate this tendency, leading us to believe that vivid images, massive amounts of information, and even online conversations with experts provide an adequate substitute for conversing with the things themselves.

As the computer has amplified our youths’ ability to virtually “go anywhere, at any time,” it has eroded their sense of belonging anywhere, at any time, to anybody, or for any reason. How does a child growing up in Kansas gain a sense of belonging when her school encourages virtual learning about Afghanistan more than firsthand learning about her hometown? How does she relate to the world while spending most of her time engaging with computer-mediated text, images, and sounds that are oddly devoid of place, texture, depth, weight, odor, or taste—empty of life? Can she still cultivate the qualities of responsibility and reverence that are the foundation of belonging to real human or biological communities?

And, once again, Monke returns with a thought-provoking point about the consequences of our dance with LeapFrogs rather than pollywogs.

The child pushes a button and the computer draws an X on the screen. The child didn’t draw that X, she essentially “ordered” the computer to do it, and the computer employed an enormous amount of embedded adult skill to complete the task. Most of the time a user forgets this distinction because the machine so quickly and precisely processes commands. But the intensity of the frustration that we experience when the computer suddenly stops following orders (and our tendency to curse at, beg, or sweet talk it) confirms that the subtle difference is not lost on the psyche. This shift toward remote control is akin to taking the child out of the role of actor and turning her into the director. This is a very different way of engaging the world than hitting a ball, building a fort, setting a table, climbing a tree, sorting coins, speaking and listening to another person, acting in a play. In an important sense, the child gains control over a vast array of complex abstract activities by giving up or eroding her capacity to actually do them herself.

The computer environment attracts children exactly because it strips away the very resistance to their will that so frustrates them in their concrete existence. Yet in the real world, it is precisely an object’s resistance to unlimited manipulation that forces a child (or anyone) to acknowledge the physical limitations of the natural world, the limits of one’s power over it, and the need to respect the will of others living in it. To develop normally, a child needs to learn that she cannot force the family cat to sit on her lap, make a rosebud bloom, or hurt a friend and expect to just start over again with everything just as it was before.

As a parent, I find the issues of technology to be increasingly important divides between my children and others. Some adults have even expressed amazement that I haven't started teaching them to type! No one ever taught me to type. Typing doesn't require teaching- not in this day and age. Not seriously. Children and young adults teach themselves to type when provided with the opportunity. I figure my kids will have an entire lifetime to type, text, and tweet their hearts out. In the meantime, I hope to provide them with something akin to a beautiful, natural childhood. We learn as we go. I'd love to know your thoughts on this essay and on how technology is rewiring our brains for different relationships to other humans and the world around us.

DIY watercolor bookmarks for holiday gifts.

Bookmarks make lovely gifts- especially tucked into a favorite book you are sharing. Though books themselves are increasingly demode these days, those friends who have't lost their bibliophilia will appreciate what has become a quaint and traditional gift.

YOU WILL NEED

thick watercolor paper
watercolor paints
paintbrushes
water
twine or string
tiny beads
a non-bleeding ink pen or sharpie
scissors 
holepunch 

Rather than painting each individual bookmark, you will paint one large piece of thick watercolor paper as you please- I chose a beach landscape for one and a geometric pattern for the other. Don't worry if, like myself, you lack skill or experience using watercolor paints- just combine colors that attract you. You can add a water wash afterwards to dilute any strong colors or soften the edges.

When you have finished painting, let it dry overnight. The next day, use your scissors to cut the painting into six long strips, each of which will be used as a bookmark. Punch a hole at one end. Then decide if you want to use a pen to add a quote to the bookmark.

Now get your twine and loop it through the hole at one end. Add a few beads and tie knots between them for extra effect. 

A simple, handmade gift sure to brighten the room and heart of any book lover. And the holidays continue...

DIY dear sweet Santa letter for little and big ones.

Dear sweet Santa printable (PDF)

Print it. Then bring together crayons, colored pencils, glue, and scrap paper. Let the authors of the "letter" decide how they best wish to communicate with Santa. For those well-versed in the homo sapien language, written words will work wonders. For those who have not yet outpaced their evolutionary ancestors, glue and magazines allow them to communicate with visual images, collages, and drawings. 

Authors may also want to "dress" ore decorate the child above to resemble their own likeness more closely. The printable includes much more room around the margins for writing, wishes, and thanks of all kinds. We plan on hanging ours with a few clothespins from a garland over the fireplace. I'd love to know how you share your communications with the mightiest Claus in the English language.

The birdie diaper clutch.

A work in progress which started as a gift for Isla but then I decided the colors were all wrong. The inside lining is a geometric flannel and the main fabric is a light gray sailcloth which I can't find anywhere anymore (that's what happens when your primary fabric source is the thrift store bin). I haven't decided whether to add snaps, velcro, or ironwood buttons for closing. If you'd like your own diaper clutch and have an idea in mind, try to custom order at my y.so.str8 shop- I love the challenge of bringing your vision to life.

Love letter #45: Christmas plays and reader's theatres.

Last year's performance of Aaron Shepard's "A Christmas Truce" was one of the highlights of my holidays. Now that Tino is here, of course I'm back on the task of finding the perfect scripts, reader's theatres, and performance opportunities for this holiday. I think it might even be the right time for a little spontaneous public performance art.

Here's my current list of free scripts and reader's theatres. All PDFs are marked with a plus sign. An A indicates more adult-oriented drama, while a K indicates kid-oriented drama.

PLAYS AND SKITS

A Clown Christmas (Clown Ministry) A or K
Traditional nativity skit for kids (Tearfund) + K
Get Up, Get Out (Scruffy Plume's Play Script and Song) + K
The Littlest Christmas Tree (DLTK) K
The Perfect Gift (Songs of Praise) K
Santa's Reindeer Christmas Play (DLTK) K
Yesterday's Toys (Sunday School Dropouts) + A
Scrooge and Bob Marley (Sunday School Dropouts) +A
A Good Thing About Christmas skit (Scoutorama) K
A Christmas Reunion (Apples 4 Teachers) K
Christmas Around the World: A Christmas Play (DLTK) K
Change of Plans (Sunday School Dropouts) + A
Christmas Smackdown (Sunday School Dropouts) + A
Santa Goes South (Sunday School Dropouts) + A

READER'S THEATRE

Goldilocks and the Christmas Elves (Teachers Pay Teachers) + K
Redheaded Robbie's Christmas Story (Elementary Reader's Theatre) K
Cowboy Christmas (Rob Sanders) + K
The Twelve Days of Christmas Vacation (Carol Montgomery) + K 
The Christmas Truce (Aaron Shepard) A- this is the one we used last year 
Polar Express Reader's Theatre (Teachers.net) K 
The Night Before Christmas (Reader's Theatre) + K
Arthur's Christmas (Elementary Reader's Theatre) K 
Christmas Jars Program (Sugardoodle) + K 
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (Pedagonet) A or K
Home for the Holidays (Education World) + K 
The Baker's Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale (Aaron Shepard) K or A 

Holiday light awards: A family tradition.

For as long as I can remember, we've taken an evening to drive around town through neighborhoods and along back roads selecting the homes with our top three outdoor Christmas light decorations. As more of the munchkins have learned to communicate verbally, the awarding process has become a more boisterous and democratic affair. 

Some evening this week, we'll go for our drive and add Tino to the family mix. In the meantime, Meghan helped the kids make award ribbons to place on the front doorsteps of the top three winners. The back of each ribbon reads, "Thank you for making our town a more beautiful place and for sharing your love for the holidays with everyone."

If you'd like to try this on as a family tradition, here's the how-to on making the award ribbons. 

YOU WILL NEED

cardboard box flap
glitter glue 
scissors
crayons
little hands
marker or thick black pen

Begin by cutting one cardboard box flap from the cardboard box. Then divide and cut the flap into three long pieces. Select the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winning ribbons and use crayons to label them (Max did the labelling for us). Now turn over each ribbon and write a thank message on the reverse- something akin to "Thank you for making our town a more beautiful place and for sharing your love for the holidays with everyone."

After you've finished decorating the ribbons with crayons, use glitter glue (we like Crayola) to add a border and to accent the numbers. Now set them out to dry overnight- glitter glue takes a long time to really set if it is used as puffy paint.

Pick an unrainy night to drive around and award the ribbons. Make sure you have a nice Christmas music CD packed to bring along and play for the journey. For extra fun, print a map of your city afterwards and have map-knowing kids label the year's winners on the map. Add it to your Christmas or family scrapbook.

Somewhere in the land where unicorns roam...

He is lost in a book about unicorns. I recognize the posture, the expression, the heady feeling of running through lines of words woven in such a way that bring imaginings to life.

I love watching him read, watching him get lost. And I love HIM- so much, sometimes I think I will bubble over with joy at his affections and idiosyncracies. As my firstborn, it was his pudgy little face which first revealed my own heart to me. Now his long, skinny fingers stitch hearts and flowers from thread and play Scott Joplin pieces on the piano. 

Being a mother, to me, means making sure that he knows this love as surely as he knows the sun lights his page. It is part of who we are now- the soil of everything we become. I am so grateful for the miracle and the mystery that is Max.

DIY cardboard box nativity diorama.

Thanks to Suebee, we have a beautiful and precious nativity scene. Unfortunately, it is too beautiful and precious for the kids to play around with. Solution? Let's make our own play-friendly nativity scene from one of the cardboard boxes that just arrived in the mail.

SUPPLIES

colored pencils
glitter (optional)
white glue
scissors
cardboard box
paintbrush and black paint
pipe cleaners
masking tape or thick tape
construction paper or other thick paper
printout of three nativity diorama coloring pages
(Nativity diorama sheet 1,  Nativity diorama sheet 2,  Nativity diorama sheet 3)

Print out the nativity diorama sheets and let the munchkins color them as they see fit. Yes, this means camels will be yelllow and hair will be purple. All part of the charm. As they work on this, you can cut the bottom flap from the box and use the black paint to create a night sky above the top of the manger scene.

Let the paint dry and use your scissors to start cutting out the images and pasting them to construction paper or sturdier paper. You can cut out the figures with paper backing while the glue is still wet. Add glitter and glue to stars or wise men gifts as you see fit.

 Now comes one of my favorite parts- the Max invention (a.k.a. the opportunity to use those pipe cleaners). If your box is anything like ours, the night sky did not wish to comply with our request for it to stand up and stop falling over. 

Suddenly, a star shone down on the shack we fondly call our castle- the light of Max's mind. "I know!" he blurted out and ran to the craft drawer, returning with a few pipe cleaners and a roll of thick tape. Then he explained how putting the pipe cleaners into the cardboard siding and taping them down in the back would provide "invisible stability". Boy was he right. It worked perfectly!

In fact, we had Max add his pipe cleaner stability to all the stand-alone diorama pieces since they exhibited the same tendency of flopping over. 

As Max created these backing pieces, we glued the holy family onto the back side of the box. 

The wise men held their gifts proudly without flopping over. The bendable pipe cleaner backing- bent into a v shape- also allows for flexibility of positioning.

All that was left was for the kids to position everyone atop the piano. Perfect.

DIY salt dough bead ornaments.

Back when Max first created a batch of salt dough beads, I promised to show how we used them to make ornaments. Then, I forgot. Today, however, I remembered. So here's the simple loveliness.

YOU WILL NEED

thin jewelry twine or rope
sparkly beads
your kid-crafted salt dough beads
scissors
needle (optional) 

Tie a knot at the bottom of a 6 inch piece of twine. Then put a salt dough bead onto the twine- use a needle to enlarge the bead's hole if it closed a bit while drying.

Continue adding dough beads interspersed with small sparkly beads until you get the look you want.

Tie a loop at the top for hanging and cut of any extra twine. These simple ornaments look great hanging above windows or even mirrors in bathrooms.

DIY painted pinecones with kids.

Another super simple way to add holiday spirit throughout the house while bringing the outside in.

SUPPLIES

fine glitter
glue
acyrlic paints
paintbrushes
tiny helping hands
pinecones from the yard

It's hard to give instructions for such a simple craft. Spread out some newspaper, pass out paints and brushes, and let the kids paint the pinecones as they please. Once they have dried a bit, give them glue to touch to the tips of the cones and then sprinkle glitter over them. Add them in unilluminated corners to bring some holiday joy throughout the house.

DIY magnificent holiday memory game.

Grandma Vicki got Micah hooked on memory games, so I figured a holiday version would be in order. Here's a free printable copy for you to download, color, and play as well. Please don't sell this because the images aren't owned by me or you.

SUPPLIES

Colored pencils
Printout of game
Dark sheet of construction paper or paper
Glue or glue stick
Scissors 

Magnificent Holiday Memory Game (PDF)

Thoughts on violence and Sandy Hook.

We spent our weekend in Atlanta visiting with extended family- but the story of the Sandy Hook massacre was never far enough from my mind. Every mother who loves her children knows her children- knows in some silent, unspoken way what their challenges and struggles in life might be. My heart breaks for Nancy Lanza and what she feared about Adam- how the way in which she tried to protect him was ultimately undone by her blind spot with respect to guns.

The news media keeps bandying an Asperger diagnosis (a.k.a. high-functioning autism) as if this explains the killer, Adam Lanza's, motives and actions. Unfortunately, the media's ignorance about Aspberger's feeds into a generalized public ignorance at this point which does unspeakable harm to families with "Aspie" kids. Aspberger's is not a form of mental illness- it cannot be medicated or fixed with pills; it is considered a "developmental disorder".

While Adam's withdrawal into this own world may be characteristic of Asperger's, his controlled silence and shyness are not. Most Aspie kids tend to speak continuously on a topic of their choice- their social problems stem more from inability to recognize social cues than from shyness or avoidance.  The likelihood that an Aspie child will turn into a killer is minute compared to the likelihood that they will do amazing and wonderful things in this world.

I am convinced that when the true story emerges, Adam Lanza's medical record will reveal a diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoid personality disorder. I am convinced that his mother, Nancy Lanza, kept him under close watch as this diagnosis became evident (schizophrenia usually emerges in the late teens and early twenties). I think she homeschooled him because the public system refused to provide the mental health resources he needed. I believe his reclusiveness was a symptom- not something imposed by his mother. I am convinced that she assumed the medications he was supposed to be taking made it safe to keep guns in the house. (Sadly, she was very wrong.) But I am also convinced that she loved him deeply, that she structured her life around his illness, that she was scared, that she felt him beginning to disappear, that she knew the world he inhabited was so different from her own that she couldn't bridge the divide.

Schizophrenia is a complicated and torturous illness for those involved. Adam Lanza's flat affect is more characteristic of schizophrenia than Asperger's. In sum, here are characteristics of schizophrenia that lead me to believe this is what Adam struggled with (I am not a medical doctor, of course, and do not wish to anger any physicians who worry that I am treading on their turf):

• Isolation
• Showing little emotion
• Flat, expressionless gaze of teenage years (compared with smiles of younger years)
• Inability to carry on a conversation
• Inability to cry or to express joy
• Delusions of grandeur
• Flat affect or speaking in monotone
• Insensitivity to physical pain
• Not responding much to other people
• Inability to care for oneself
• Reclusiveness
• Hallucinations and breaks with reality

If you know someone struggling with this illness, remember that it is not their fault and that they are not "evil"- the way in which they perceive reality is just markedly different and makes it difficult to live in our "normal" world. The absolute best movie I've seen on the subject of paranoid schizophrenia is The Devil and Daniel Johnston. It should also be noted that those with schizophrenia are not more likely to be violent criminals or murders- they are just more likely to feel threatened by perceptions unrelated to what actually happens around them.

I think Adam Lanza's connection to reality was severed and he acted on a hallucination or delusion. I do not believe having more prayer in schools would have made a difference in this outcome. On the other hand, exposure to violent video games and familiarity with assault rifles and weapons cannot have a good outcome in persons subject to hallucinations. The extent to which violence and the celebration of violence permeates our culture never ceases to disturb me. It's time we started thinking about the longterm consquences of a culture in which God is equated with crueltry, bombs, and killing.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the families in Sandy Hook devastated by this nightmare, as well as to the surviving members of the Lanza family who are asking themselves what they could have done to prevent this.

A Pat-made ornament from years past.

DIY holiday headband.

Sewing baby blankets with minky fabric has left me with lots of minky scraps. Today, I stumbled upon a great use for these super-soft pieces in making holiday headbands.

SUPPLIES

Scrap minky fabric (I used ivory)
Sequin ribbon
A small strip of elastic 
Thread and sewing machine (I used green thread)

Pick up a scrap rectangle and stitch a line of sequins straight across the center of the fabric using a zigzag stitch. Stitch back across again using the zigzag to secure your sequins.

Then grab your minky, pick up the elastic, hold it up to the head for which you are stitching, and pin the elastic so it fits snugly around the head.

Remove the fabric and elastic and turn the minky with the wrong side up. Pin both sides in with one on top of the other (your sequin should run straight down the center of the other side). Make sure your elastic end is pinned between the layers of fabric.

Stitch around the edges of the folded and pinned minky and make sure to backstitch several times over the area with elastic (it needs a little extra securing).

My apologies for the image-less tutorial, but I didn't take all the right photos. It happens more than I like to admit.

The Maker's Market in Tuscaloosa.

Handmade holidays sometimes require us to buy handmade rather than make absolutely everything. Balancing the two this year has given me more time to spend with the kids just dilly-dallying instead of frantically stitching and painting during every waking moment. 

Tuscaloosa offers a burgeoning market for handmade local goods- the Maker's Market is the latest treasure trove where you can find a variety of makings at a variety of prices. 

Stunning wood whistles from Wild Wood.

Festive baby bibs with ric rac trim.

The best of funky bow ties.

Delightful fabric birds, baby hats, and vintage quilt stockings.

Inspiring doily and lace stars.

Ornaments, baby boutiqueries, and handmade dolls.

And amazing knitted stockings...

But don't take my word for it- see for yourself. The Maker's Market is located in downtown Tuscaloosa across from the bus stop near the Chamber of Commerce. Your support of local artists, artisans, and crafters makes a positive difference in the lives of those living in our community.

Love letter #44: Spike Mason's Widening Circles.

Spike Mason's album, Widening Circles, brings Rilke into the room as a song. 

The words, sung by the 2012 National Jazz Award winner Kristin Berardi, are an English translation of poems penned over a hundred years ago by the German poet Rainer Maria Rilke. The music is composed in a style that is a synergy of jazz and classical music.

"The writing came slowly" says Mason, "I worked for eight years on the music, and over that time the words have weaved their way into my life. I knew I couldn't get in the way of these poems - the music had to cushion and support the lyrics, all the way through. If I moved toward overpowering them, the structure and meaning would simply collapse."

It is beautiful, wistful, and the perfect gift for a few on my Christmas list. Thanks to Spike for telling me about it.

DIY salt dough beads.

Basic salt dough beads are the building blocks of many things from garlands to jewelry. You can imagine my pleasant surprise when Max decided that his project for the day would be to make salt dough beads. All by himself, mind you. "With no supervision". Here's how he did it.

YOU WILL NEED

large metal bowl
1 cup flour
1 cup salt
1/2 cup warm water
newspaper
wooden spoon
pencil
acrylic paints
paintbrushes
acrylic gloss 

First he assembled all the materials. This included a spatter of flour in places that have never seen the light of day in our kitchen. It's amazing how flour gets everywhere.

In a large bowl, he combined the flour and salt and mixed them well with his wooden spoon. When he was done mixing, parts still looked a little lumpy but this mother held her tongue (and it turned out just fine).

Then he took out the mixture and put it on the clean countertop. He kneaded it well until all the flour and salt were combined and the dough was firm and fairly solid.

Finally, he invited his sisters to help him make beads. To do this, he rolled small amounts of dough of varying sizes between his palms until he had what looked like little balls or marbles. Then he poked a pencil all the way through each bead and made a hole to string thread or wire.

Meanwhile, Micah disregarded his patient instructions, rolled her little balls, and made snowfolk from them. After the beads and snowfolk were made, they were laid out on a sheet of newspaper to dry overnight. We put the remainder in the freezer where it can be thawed and used to make other salt dough creations on a rainy day.

Baked beads anyone?

The next morning, Max wanted those beads to be ready so he could make a gift for some friends who happened to be visiting that day. So he baked the beads at 350 degrees for an hour and then removed them and waited for them to cool. In the meantime, he assembled paintbrushes, acrylic paint, and wet rags (the best way to really clean a brush between colors).

Then the painting began- they painted their beads and chatted about making leaf stew and other such late autumn delicacies. The final result just needs a coat or two of clear acrylic gloss (right next to the acrylic paints at Michael's) to seal the deal. Bracelets were made for friends. Stay tuned and tomorrow I'll show you how we used our beads for holiday decorating....

DIY acorn wire wreath.

A simple little wreath with a nod to the cleanish curves of a coathanger. 

SUPPLIES

a wire coathanger
5-10 acorns
wax paper
scissors
sewing machine and thread
a few sprigs of evergreen
a few magnolia  leaves 
a little bit of twine 
pieces of ornament hanging wire (optional) 

First twist the coathanger into the shape of a circle and loop the ends securely.

Visit your trusty sewing machine friend and pick a thread color that suits your fancy. Then use the scissors to cut three or four rectangles or triangles which can be folded over to comfortably house an acorn. 

Using a decorative or simple stitch and beginning in the top center of each acorn packet, sew the acorn into its wax paper packet. Leave varying lengths of thread tails (between 5 and 10 inches) on each acorn package.  Do this for 3-10 acorns.

Use the thread tail to tie your acorns to the bottom of the wire wreath.

Cut a few lenths of matching thread (or use the ornament hanging wire as I did) to secure your evergreen springs to the wire. Wrap it around the base and one more time somewhere in the center of each sprig.

The tree that didn't get trimmed: How to love your tree beyond the holidays.

Last night, what started as a simple storytime ended with a family council. The kids got in their pajamas, Patrick made a fire, and we read a short story, "The Tree That Didn't Get Trimmed", published in 1957 by Christopher Morley. It is available for free reading online and also on Google Play. 

The story begins in the woods with vivid imagery of what it must be like to live as an evergreen tree:

If you walk through a grove of balsam trees you will notice that the young trees are silent: they are listening. But the old tall ones- especially the firs- are whispering. They are telling the story of The Tree That Didn't Get Trimmed. It sounds like a painful story, and the murmur of the old trees as they tell it is rather solemn; but it is an encouraging story for young saplings to hear. On warm autumn days when your trunk is tickled by ants and insects climbing, and the resin is hot and gummy in your knots, and the whole glade smells sweet, drowsy, and sad, and the hardwood trees are boasting of the gay colors they are beginning to show, many a young evergreen has been cheered by it.

The final paragraph of the story left the family feeling hopeful, yet somehow disturbed about the future of our own tree. 

Something nice, the old firs believe, always happens to the trees that don't get trimmed. They even believe that someday one of the Christmas-tree bean poles will be the starting point for another Magic Beanstalk, as in the fairy tale of the boy who climbed up the bean tree and killed the giant. When that happens, fairy tales will begin all over again.

After reading it, all of us stared at our tree and thought things we didn't articulate. So I called a Family Council and tried to make the case for a better future.

ALINA SAID, WAVING HER HAND: 

"I move that, after the holidays, we take our tree into the woods behind the house and put it in a special place where it can return to its roots and we can visit it."

MAX:

"Yeah! It can be the Christmas Tree Corner."

ALINA:

"Does anyone second the motion?"

MAX:

"I second it!"

ALINA:

"All in favor, say aye."

EVERYONE CHEERS AND SAYS SOMETHING AKIN TO "AYE". 

If only all family council meetings and decisions went so smoothly.... Democracy in action is a messy, messy thing.

5th Street Vintage Market.

I almost spent more than I earned at the 5th Street Vintage Market this weekend. It was beautiful and chock full of fabulous vintage frocks, old books, records, trinkets, and collectibles. 

One of the hardest parts about selling handmade goods for me remains picking a price and sticking to it. When someone likes something, I find myself so happy that I slash the price into shreds for the satisfaction of seeing a person with a y.so.str8 goodie going home. Everything happens so fast that it's hard to keep track of what you sell if you operate on a cash-only basis (as I do). Super grateful to Monica for her half-sandwich and general kindness.

I've been trying to go through my goods and make note of what I sold.... I do remember that the fairy tale bonnets went to two lovely little kids. Made from upcycled sweaters that needed a new raison d'etre, the bonnets were created from a design based on the fairy tales I share with the kids. 

Working with cashmere for bonnets and winter hats is lovely because the awful itchiness of wool hats as a young child sticks fresh in my mind. Wherever the little red riding hood may be, I know she isn't itching when she wears her bonnet.

The green lacey bonnet went to a little girl with a head full of beautiful black curls which peeped out around the lace. 

I kissed a number of handmade cards bye-bye. I also sold my old friend, the two-faced doll, as well as a funky grate-full packet for a young lady whose mother wanted "something creative and different for Christmas". I think the doily bib also found a home. (Boy, I would be easy to rob....)

Astri's star ornament.

What I sold is dim in my memory. But what I got is fresh. Dani Beach's itch for kitsch landed me with a dress straight out of my wildest 1970's daydreams. I stocked up on soap from The Left Hand- the scent of vetiver still lingers in my car. I also discovered some lovely old books from a vintage dealer impacted by Hurricane Sandy, and found myself the proud owner of a knit star ornament made by Astri Snodgrass, who has way too many talents up those sleeves.

The next 5th Street Vintage Market will take place in March of 2013. I'm so grateful to its organizers and planners who did the legwork of making it happen and bringing a little more awesome to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Love letter #43: Stitchspirations from Jane Eyre with Charlotte Gainsbourg.

Charlotte Gainsbourg has the voice of a dove and the kind of beauty that never passes for merely "cute" or remotely pretty. Watching Jane Eyre (1996) last night left me longing for capes, cloaks, and long frocks that brush against my ankles. And a little Charlotte on the playlist. 

La Collectionneuse- Charlotte Gainsbourg

From the capelets to the long cloaks and the gorgeous white dressing gowns or nightgowns, the opportunities abound. 

For the tutorials and how-to's....
Sew a walking cloak (The Jane Austen Centre)
Knit cool cape (Pickles) 
White sheet hooded cloak (Mermag) 
A cape for all seasons (Imagine Childhood) 
Upcycled kids capelet (Project: Project) 
Little riding capelet (The Black Apple)
How to sew a capelet with pattern (Prudent Baby) 
Sweet little capelet (Sew Mama Sew) 
Audrey cape tutorial (Project Run and Play) 
Multi reversible cape (Lia's Space) 
Lacey bolero (Joy Folie)
Blair waldorf capelet (Ruffles and Stuff) 
1830's corded petticoat tutorial (Historically Dressed)
Capelet collar pattern (Sew Stylish) 
18th century style cloak (Romantic Historical Clothing) 
1820-1840 corset ( Koshka the Cat)
1790's wrap-front gown (American Duchess)
18th century petticoat (Koshka the Cat) 

For inspiration and admiration....
Poison ivy hooded cape (Stitchophrenia) 
A capelet for sister (Pretty Ditty) 
Corded petticoat (Koshka the Cat)
Boulevardier capelet (BHLDN) 
A Most Peculiar Mademoiselle 
Embroidered regency dress with pink spencer (Koshka the Cat) 
c. 1810 silk dress (Adventures of a Costumer) 

Rockin' around the half-decorated Christmas tree.

The girls sat and watched the lights twinkle on the half-decorated Christmas tree last night as the annual holiday music playlist crooned away in the background. When I took the photo above, they were matching straight down to the crossed position of their legs.

I missed being little- and Carla when she was little- watching their sweet tender sister moments under the tree. Eventually, Micah dozed off- the first to fall asleep by the light of the tree this year.

Once little Mills realized that Micah had fallen asleep, she hit up the sippy-cup and started her own after-hours party. When I inquired as to what exactly she was doing, Milla replied, "I do da potty-dance. See?" 

Unfortunately, the potty dance ended with a little quandry about how to turn her pants right side out. I felt very grateful to have been privvy to the world premiere of this holiday potty dance performance.

Master Max makes a bowtie.

As I mentioned in the context of cross-stitching with boys, we are venturing into the technicolor world of geometry. Rather than stick to the books and worksheets which can be intimidating and frustrating to some young folks, we've chosen to get acquainted with the shapes first. The premise: Origami and paperfolding can be used to teach math. The result:

Origami and paper boats can be found in every room of the castle.

By following instructions on how to create 3D shapes and figures, Max is secretly getting a geometric primer. Math On the Street has a sweet list of links to lesson plans and activities on how origami can be used to teach math concepts, including fractions, ratios, geometry, and others.

Maxer made it.

Some people are good at folding paper. And some people can never quite get the hang of it. Max falls into the former while yours truly settles scowling into the latter. Usually, he folds and I watch. Today, he folded and we both laughed.

Using the awesome illustrated printable paper bow tie tutorial from David Petty, Max's first attempt was a flop. But it wasn't David Petty's fault. And it wasn't Max's fault either. As he duly noted, the Romanian leu currency bill "doesn't fold".

Enter the good old-fashioned American dollar and some patience on Max's part- exit one super dollar bill bowtie to sport at holiday parties and get-togethers. 

Milla watched as Max posed with his new bowtie and then put the bowtie on his nose, exclaiming, "Birdie, see! Bird fly!". Just to think we may never have discovered this alternate conception of the dollar bowtie with Milla's keen observations.

DIY mod circle cards.

Cultivating a simple phase right now- just gave away three boxes of holiday decorations which suddenly overwhlemed our small house.

 

SUPPLIES

unlined notecard

blank envelope

colored pencils

watercolor paints

paintbrush and water

blank address labels

 

Use your colored pencils to draw a straight line of circles horizontally across an address label. Vary colors for fun. Did I mention how EASY this would be? Then whip out a card, afix the label to the center, and paint inside each circle with a different watercolor paint. Make a batch of twenty and give them as a gift to neighbors or friends. Or use them as gift cards. By all means, have fun with them.

DIY tape roll mini wreaths.

We've been going through the rolls of tape recently, and the kids have been using them as wheels in their imaginary play. I snuck a tape roll and played around with it this morning to see if it would give in to its natural calling as an upcycled wreath.

For this super-simple project, all you need is a tapeless tape roll (you can use any size- don't throw away the masking tape rolls, the packing tape rolls, or even toilet paper rolls which can be diced to make lots of little wreaths), a strip of scrap fabric, a bit of twine or string, and some fabric glue.

I cut the front from a torn button-down shirt and decided to keep the buttons as baubles. Then I just wrapped it around the tape dispenser, secured the end with the fabric glue, and added some twine to use as a hanger (though it seemed to bulky so I used an aluminum hanger instead.

There are so many directions and flavors in which you could take these mini-wreaths- and so many ways in which little hands could contribute. I'd love to see your wreath ornaments...

There's a poet in the room.

Earlier this year, Max submitted a poem to Highlights magazine. We were working on odes in our poetry journal and he thought it would be fun to see if it got published.

When a letter arrived a few weeks later thanking Max for his submission but explaining why it would not be published, Max was slightly dejected but surprisingly understanding. More understanding than his mother, who was raised to believe that being "the best" was the least one should do. We hung the rejection letter on the wall and shared a number of smirks and giggles over it.

Lo and behold, while reading the most recent issue of Highlights, a subscription gifted by our dear Grandma Vicki, Max discovered a poem called "Ode to My Swing" authored by none other than himself. He whooped with glee. I had to hide my puffy-chested pride and focus on congratulating him without over-emphasizing a "win". But I am so very proud of him- and can share it here.

MAX: "Mom, does this mean I am a published poet now?"

ALINA: "Yes, I think so."

DIY gift card packets made by little hands.

Making handmade "thank you" cards is one of my favorite ways to combine the multiple creative talents of the munchkins into handmade gifts for family and friends.

Everything begins with a blank piece of paper, some crayons, and the minds and hands of small folk.

SUPPLIES

double-sided tape
watercolored crayon resist drawing by munchkins
scissors
handmade cards for the gifting 

Cut the drawing into longways strips 1/4" wider than the size of your double-sided tape.

Assemble a stack of four or five handmade cards and pick up a strip. Add a piece of tape to one end of the strip.

Then lay the other end over the cards and attach the taped end on top. You are done!

There's something about seeing a nice stack of handmade holiday gifts that makes our dreary wintry rain less gray.

 

Cross-stitching with boys.

Recently, I discovered that the world retains many sexist boundaries which discriminate against men. Being a woman in a college town makes it hard to avoid the sexism encountered by females- but men and boys run into their own unfair brick walls. Because somewhere somene decided that cross-stitching is a female sport. 

Even my mom, who became a female physician at a time when women only dared become nurses, almost rolled her eyes when I told her that Max was learning how to cross-stitch. "That's not something boys do, Alina," she declared. Max's face turned a little red as he replied, "Actually, it IS something boys do because I'm a boy and I'm doing it."

Since Max has trouble dealing with frustration and tends to get lost in worlds of his own making which he hasn't yet learned how to share with others, he often complains about a sense of misplaced malaise. I can't fix the world for him (I've certainly tried), but I can show him ways to cope with the things he can't control. I can help him use his hands to create things which outlast his anger or annoyance. I can open the door to the secrets of crafting and creating- how it soothes the ruffled soul. 

I also thought that our early explorations of geometry would dovetail nicely with a little cross-stitchery. Here's how:

• Creating design requires finding mean and median of squares
• Addition and subtraction skills required to calculate symmetrical designs
• Spatial awareness of a plane
• How squares make up other geometric shapes
• Familiarity and comfort with geometry and design

The other benefit is the patience and perserverance to set a goal and complete it- to find something you can do right when it feels like everything else you do goes wrong. We all need that "something". It seems that Max loves cross-stitching ("it's like the pixels in the old video games") enough to crave it every evening and in the mornings as well. He is working on stitching designs for Christmas gifts- I will add them to ornaments or bookmarks or even frame the larger ones.

YOU WILL NEED

several strands of embroidery floss
large needle (we used a tapestry needle)
embroidery hoop
the free Anchor 1st Kit PDF download
graph paper
pencil and erase
colored pencils 

After Max drew a few hearts on graph paper and counted the squares, noting the distance between them vertically, he seemed ready to start stitching. I explained that he was going to work on a "sampler" with counted cross stitch, meaning that he would count the stitches on the graph and transfer that pattern to the fabric.

The steps from here are an indivual process- I outlined it in the free printable A Not-Big Person's Guide to Cross-Stitching below.

A Not-Big Person's Guide to Cross Stitching (PDF)

You can also print a lovely freebie from Yarn Tree that promises to teach cross-stitching in less than five minutes. I found the graph and pattern to be helpful in reinforcing Max's burgeoning stitching skills. Other spaces with cross-stitchspiration for not-big stitchers include DLTK, Mochi Mochi Land, Vermillion Stitchery, and The Caron Collection. Now I'm off to see what to stitch from Max's cross-stitch creations. 

DIY herbes de Provence gift.

Spending my 7th grade year at a school in Nancy, France opened the doors of world to me at an age when I needed badly to understand that there was more than hairspray and perms to life. One of my favorite tastes- apart from pamplemousse sorbet- left by those heady young days is the taste of "herbes de Provence". 

When I returned to France after graduating high school, the reason was a backpacking trip across Europe with very little cash and lots of ingenuity. Tucked inside my backpack was a tupperwarer container and a jar of herbes de Provence to season anything I made (including tomatoes, cheese, bread, and other fresh market finds). It never let me down. So why not give the gift of southern France to family and friends this year?

YOU WILL NEED

a glass bottle with lid
blank mailing address labels 
a pen
various herbs for the herb mix recipe (see below)
a mixing bowl, preferably ceramic
a wooden spoon 

To make a mix of Herbes de Provence, combine the following herbs in a porcelain or ceramic bowl and stir with a wooden spoon. Don't skimp on the fennel seed- many recipes do, and it misses the flavor of France entirely.

2 tablespoons thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons rosemary
1 1/2 tablespoons marjoram
1 tablespoon savory
1 tablespoon chervil
1/2 tablespoon lavender
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed 

If you are unfamiliar with these herbs, maybe watch the related episode of "What's This Food?" online which should help you select the right ones and get a little historical context for the legacy of the herbes.

Once you've made your mix, use your pen to create a label for the glass bottle. The more personal, the better. I included information about how to use it- namely, on salads and vegetables, my favorite choices. You can also include a few recipes for chicken, fish, or roasted vegetables using herbes de Provence.

Thwarted.

According to our advent activity chain, today was going to include a parade and those costumes we've been assembling over the past week.

Except for that virus which Milla carried and shared with her sister Micah- the virus that makes little ones feel like "shrimp are in my nose".

No parade for us through the streets of downtown Tuscaloosa. I think the mom is almost more disappointed than the munchkins this time.

Thinking of my man and flowers that fall.

Meanwhile, in the front yard.

“As I have read the Gospels over the years, the belief has grown in me that Christ did not come to found an organized religion but came instead to found an unorganized one. He seems to have come to carry religion out of the temples into the fields and sheep pastures, onto the roadsides and the banks of the rivers, into the houses of sinners and publicans, into the town and the wilderness, toward the membership of all that is here......"
                                Wendell Berry 

DIY rose petal dryer bags.

My sister brought organic dried roses for me from Boulder, Colorado- and I haven't felt much like drinking rosehip tea lately. On the other hand, having a baby with sensitive skin makes dryer sheets and fabric softener a no-go at the castle. So I decided to make rose petal dryer bags to make the laundry come up roses. Simple and oh so sweet.

SUPPLIES

dried roses and petals
wooden spoons (or a hammer)
muslin fabric scraps
reddish thread

Rosebuds tumbled onto the table top. The dried roses were still intact, so I took out a few wooden spoons and asked the kids to "gently crush" the roses into smaller pieces but not into a powder. I've found that the more descriptive my instructions, the more satisfaction the kids seem to get out of the task.

There's something marvelous about the integrity of a dried rosebud- the way you can see it's individual figure and shape in the drying. Max did not want to "crush" them, so he studied them as the girls took to the tough task of crushing and whopping.

As the kids crushed the rosebuds, I found a few scraps of muslin fabric and cut them to the size of 3" by 3" squares. Then I put them together wrong sides facing each other and basted them using my sewing machine. I left a spoon-size opening for flipping and stuffing. I was also very careful to backstitch and secure my ends.

Then I flipped the little 3"x 3" baggies right sides out by pulling them through the opening. The kids used a kitchen spoon to fill the baggies halfway with rose petal crushings.

Finally I rolled in the opening and used an ornamental stitch to close and line the entire dryer bag- because there's a difference between laundry that smells like roses and laundry covered in tiny pieces of roses.

The almost- final result.... The I-still-need-to-cut-loose-threads-and-clean result... Each one can be thrown in the dryer about ten times for a strong rose scent. After that, they make great baby doll and dollhouse pillows. If you'd like a few of your own readymade, visit my etsy page and make a custom order request. I'd love to fill your day with roses.

A visit to the Christmas tree farm.

Mrs. Gandy told Patrick this would be the last year of the Gandy Tree Farm. Five years ago, she and the mister decided that they would retire from the holiday tree growing business.

So we picked a tree from the last fir crop to ever grow on our favorite tree farm with extra care and a little reservation. Many trees were already tagged with a yellow ribbon, waiting to be picked up by their new owners.

 The kids wandered and scampered through the rows of perfectly-shaped trees- "This one is perfect!" was the refrain. Meanwhile, Mr. Gandy watched and waited for us to settle on a friend to take home. 

I think we disappointed him because we lingered so long that he drove away on his tractor. Max and Micah felt it was critical to see "all" the trees before we made a final choice.

And so we marveled over the Carolina firs- the loops and ribbons of green, the whorls and circles, the secret hiding places for little birds and creatures.

After the tree had been cut, Max tailed the Gandy-men to a section of the farm where the tree would be "prepped" for our 30-minute drive home. I felt sure nothing could go askance with our avid Max hot on the tree trail.

Our tree was placed in a small shaking machine which shook all the loose branches and firs from it. It looked like a loofah sponge for trees- or rather, it had the same rejuvenating effect. Then we moved on to the next station where the tree was placed in a bag.

Milla watched as if hypnotized, turning only once to whisper "tree....". As usual, I found myself trying to imagine her thoughts as she beheld more human practices and conventions. 

Finally, our handsome tree was lined up along a painted ruler plank and measured. It stands at 7.5 feet- for forty-one dollars, the price seems too small or perhaps we feel too fortunate.

As the gentleman loaded the tree atop our space ship, the kids and I played in the grass. Micah tried a few cartwheels, and I took the opportunity to impress the munchkins with a few cartwheels of my own. Is it bad that it still makes me happy to hear, "Wow Mom, you really CAN do cartwheels...."?

Milla "flew" on my feet against the backdrop of a beautiful blue wind-tossed sky. She didn't feel the Micahish need to "go higher, faster". Instead, she played eagle and just savored the soaring.

Life doesn't offer us moments like this whenever we press "play". Instead, we must learn to collect them with a sense of awe and appreciation when we happen upon them. Moments like wildflowers grown haphazard and between the cracks- never in the spaces we have planned for our "garden". 

If a big blue sky is your background, what will you do with it? Assume that it doesn't stop for your schedule. Assume that the elephant circus in the clouds passes by in the moment you stop to play on your iPhone. Assume that reverence is the proper position for life and love- and every single animal in the clouds is worth seeing, every tiny star is worth counting, every wildflower is an opportunity to learn something new from a creature abiding by different rules than you.

How to make Alina's advent activity chain with kids.

Three kids means one chocolate candy inside the advent calendar becomes a daily hassle. And painting has been all the rage around the castle these days. So here's what we did and how we did it.

The "why" is always more convoluted, though this time it includes something like wanting an advent calendar tradition- a new one that must be carefully handmade every year as a cooperative acitivity rather than one which we take out of old boxes. Add to that the inspiration of a traditional advent chain in which you snip off each box as the day passes (oh the joy of watching the chain get shorter!) and it was clear something new was in the air.

SUPPLIES
watercolor paints
old newspapers
a clothing iron
printout of "alina's advent chain" (see below) 
cotton thread and needle or sewing machine
long piece of twine or ribbon 
shape stencils (if you prefer) 

Alina's Advent Chain (PDF)

First the kids painted some old newspapers we had lying around the house. Free style painting always looks good when hits are at the wheel. We set them aside to dry.

Then I printed out the advent chain printable and snuck away to a secret corner to cut out the numbers and activities. I like to give the gift of surprise concerning our activities for the day- and the kids tend to look forward to it more that way. 

Next I made a few notes for myself in my planner about what activity would take place on what day- some activities require a bit of prep work. 

To finish the advent chain pieces, we borrowed some neat tips from Michele on how to iron painted newsprint. The kids enjoyed crumpling and "scrunching" their painted newsprint and then I took out the iron and ironed the crumpled paper flat. Occupational hazard: newsprint and watercolor dust still on my fingertips.

Scissors appeared and the kids cut squares and rectangles from the ironed, painted newsprint. I cut a sample size for them as a model. No sense in being surprised that they can't guess the right size if I don't show them.

As I scurried back to the sewing room with the rectangles and dates and activities, I left out some newsprint and watercolor for the kids so they could paint some more wrapping paper. Meanwhile, I threaded my machine with white thread on top and red thread in the bobbin to add a little zest.

To close the packets, I folded over the rectangles with the fold at the top and placed a number inside the right folded area. I sewed around the loose edges, binding them together, pausing to insert a tightly-folded activity into each packet before sealing it shut (and backstitching to secure it).

I went through this process for all 31 days (we are doing 31 days because the holidays really continue up until the new year).

Then I got a piece of twine and placed each date in reverse order starting with 31 at the top and 1 at the bottom. Once I knew where I wanted them, I used a marker to make little notches in the exact location on the twine. 

Finally, I went back to the sewing machine and attached the packets to the twine using the notches as a guide. Since a super-long chain was prey to pulling little Milla hands, I ended up sewing two uneven chains which sit side by side (with the help of a little washi tape) along the old ikea bookshelf that has travelled through four different apartments and seven states with me. 

I love the colors, the tiny details, the way in which our calendar this year isn't another overwhelming space of red and green gooeyness. The kids are already wondering what is in each day and have spent time picking their "favorite color day". Who knows- perhaps our advent chain will emerge as an opportunity for perfecting our counting and number recognition?