It's on it's way!

Christmas? The big move? Both probably but on this occasion it's the story sack. Having spent a week at a school it will now tour families in the church allowing them a few days to explore the Christmas story -starting with us!

Teaching her class!

 

Life from the back of the pack: Sorting school!

One of the key things we need to sort out for the move is schooling for the girls. In an ideal world this would simply mean sending them to the village school 10 min walk from home and so after we had told them about the move, we took them to look round the school.

So far so good only Rebecca didn't have a place, so we considered the possibility of home schooling her and waiting lists and prayed ....... then Sophie's place was also filled and official confirmation arrived to say that only Annie would have a place here but all three could have places in the nearby church school.
So we were faced with several choices, do we appeal and risk having the children in separate schools, do I homeschool both children in hope of a place becoming available or do we accept the places offered.
As I spent time thinking it through and praying lots! I found God giving me if not an answer at least a way forward in the form of a question - Is the village school best for the girls or best for us as adults? And a statement - Don't underestimate your girls.
As I thought it through I saw that actually the village school was best for me but that didn't mean it was the best for the girls. What I knew was best for the girls was being at a school being part of a school community.
So yesterday evening over a glass if milk in a cafe we broke the news to the girls and told them we would need to visit a new school - and you know only one person knows my kids better than me - God knew, He knew they would handle this, He knew they would take it in their stride and they did!

So today we went to visit Barton Church of England School a tiny four class school about 10 mins drive from our new home. It is a lovely school but more than that it has a good SEN provision which is great as we consider the best way forward for Rebecca, the joint class will allow Rebecca to work more to her own pace. The conclusion God knew , He had already made provision for the girls we just needed to catch up!

Crafting for Christmas : Cards

When Annie played Mary in her play group nativity last year I knew that I just had to use this image in my cards this year. I played around with various effects but decided on a sepia finish which worked well with a pack of Christmas papers I had picked up from a craft fair.

With approx 200 cards to make I kept the basic designs simple to make the most of the papers.

So now to get them all written and posted!!

Life from the back of the pack: Bertie Bear comes to stay.

Sometimes little decisions make life just that bit more complicated - like the decision to only use half the boot for our trip to Devon this half term. Using half the boot means none of the children need to be in kicking distance of each other - a good thing on what will end up a 6 hour trip leaving on a Friday evening at the start of half term.
So feeling reasonably pleased with my packing having fitted in everything I arrive at school to hear that Annie has done so well this week that she gets to take Bertie Bear home for the holidays!

I tried to be pleased and excited - no really I did but Bertie has a suitcase!

So back to the car to try to fit in school bags and coat not accounted for in the packing, Sophie's lost and now found extra jumper and wellies plus Bertie and his bag!!
So somehow we got everyone and their belongings in the car and I was proud of her honest! And Bertie got to come to Devon.

On the tea stop we catch up with Bertie's adventures so far!

And Bertie got his own babycinno
I was surprised at how quickly Bertie has become part of the family and yes I anticipate tears when he returns to school next week!
So here are some of our highlights!

Bertie getting ready for bed!

Time for bed Bertie!

Bertie joined in the bowling!

He tried hard - but Nanny won! Keith was not impressed!!

Trying out the drums at church

We had a great time at the beach

We explored the sand dunes .....

....and got more than a little wet!

We headed home Thursday to allow the girls to attend a light party -a great alternative to Halloween.

Bertie wasn't allowed to pick pumpkins on Saturday -far too muddy for a little teddy!

But he did manage to sneak in lunch at Mac Donald's and a trip to the farm before it was time to go back to school for a well earned rest!

 

Ready for school in his new school uniform!

 

Life from the back of the pack : Precious moments

Every now and again in the bustle of family life amidst the madness and mayhem there is occasionally a few moments when it hits you just how amazing family life is and I am reminded how much I love my husband and children.
One of these moment was at the top of a sand dune in Exmouth - having got up I was in no rush to get down so found myself on my own watching the children playing on the shoreline. It was as Keith joined them I was reminded of the song " I'm on the top of the world" and maybe that's a bit cheesy but hey!
I am not sure the photos quite capture it but here is my precious moment!

I'm at the top of the world looking down on creation and the only explanation I can find

Is the love that I've found ever since you've been around

Has just put me on the top of the world.

Life from the back of the pack : Superhero!

The girls attended a light party tonight, as superhero's so let me introduce......

Super space girl

Princess superhero

And Princess Erica space ranger .......

Villains, criminals and all future boyfriends ....

You have been warned!!

Crafting for Christmas: Nativity Story Sacks

Having heard about a travelling nativity at a children's work course earlier in the year I thought it would be great fun, but having got to the middle of October without doing anything about it I had pretty much shelved the idea.

Let's face it with getting ready for Christmas, helping out in a satellite warehouse for operation Christmas child, and planning a Christmas fair for school while getting ready to move house I really don't need another project.

But at the beginning of the week something changed, I am not really sure when or why but come Tuesday I had pretty much decided to give it a go - but would accept that it couldn't be hand made -at least not all of it!

So what is a travelling nativity? Essentially it's a nativity crib that is passed from house to house in advent giving children the opportunity to learn the real meaning of Christmas - in essence it's a story sack!

The key thing for me was that it should not be precious, something to put on a shelf out of harms way but that it should be something to play with, to interact with, acting out the story in play. This great set from playmobil is actually a reasonable price especially compared to the cost of some nativity sets. The kings are sold separately and haven't arrived yet but complete the scene nicely.

 

I included two versions of the story, one in the form of a book, they will be encouraged to open the advent windows during their visit and read the story together.

The other is in the form of cards with the relevant verses on the back from a great website 3dinosaurs.com

(Many of the resources I have used have come from this site definitely worth visiting.)

The cards can be used on the ring to tell the story but older children could use them to tell the story, or to put the story In order.

I have included some additional resources:

Pairs Game

Flash cards

Simple jigsaw

Colouring sheet (aware that some children may not have resources at home I included all that they would need to complete the worksheets.)

For the younger children I included a drawing template encouraging them to think about what they might give Jesus. For the older children this included a writting excercise.

Advent candle

Finally it would be great for each child to have their own nativity, so I included a card version to cut out and colour.

The Sunday school coordinator mentioned that it woul be nice if each family could add to the decoration on the bag, there didn't seem to be an easy way for them to do this so I came up with the idea of them decorating a tag and adding it to the bag, the tags could be a prayer, a verse, a quote from the children or simply something they have enjoyed.

So with the bag sorted it now needs to become mobile, this is a first so not sure just how well it will work but the idea is that people will sign up to take part, we will then put together a schedule each family will have the bag for a few days they will then arrange to visit the next family and hand over the bag.

So we will see - I will report back in the new year when Christmas will have come and gone, the shoeboxes will have been checked, the fair will have passed , the girls will have left school (having delivered the requested three trays of homemade cupcakes ) and we will have moved house!!