A while back the girls & I had a regular weekly Tea Time Somehow our lovely ritual was forgotten in the dash of outings, playtimes & laundry. But i have been pondering our days & have decided to reinstate this special time.
We bought beautiful new sketchbooks & discussed what we were expecting in preparation of the big day : D
I have set aside an afternoon each week for us to have a lovely Afternoon Tea followed by our drawing lesson. Five year old Rose will join us for Tea, then can draw with us or not, as she pleases.
Elianna is now of the age were by she can bake unattended (except for popping the goods into the oven) so she has been getting her copywork done bright & early on Tea Time day, then she can use that time to bake so the goodies are ready for the afternoon.
I am so delighted that we have our ritual again. It is great fun & brightens our day no end. And our drawing will improve to boot : D
Yesterday I baked Elianna's birthday cake & today I iced it. Filled with buttercream,
his name is Walter. He is rather appropriate for this weather
This afternoon promises to be as busy in a lovely, happy, productive way. We have party food to prepare & presents to wrap. The girls have Christmas cards to be working on. (I shall be giving these lovely cards a post of their own, in the next week, hopefully) & I have lots of Christmas knitting to be getting on with.
I will leave you with some ideas of how we celebrate birthdays in our home - & our favourite birthday recipes too!
Birthday’s
The essence of our celebration; you are an important member of our family, we love you & our lives would not be the same without you!
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. Psalm 139:14
Birthday to-do’s & good things to eat.
Find balloons tied to your bed when you wake Be greeted by kisses, the same number as your age No chores today! Birthday gifts & always a book Find a balloon on your chair at breakfast time A prayer of thanks for you A special birthday muffin for breakfast, with a number candle Your height measured & marked Birthday party tea Homemade birthday cake with candles...we sing happy birthday, you make a wish! Number (of your age) sugar cookies You get to wear your very own birthday crown A letter for you written in your journal
Read: Happy Birthday to You! by Dr Seuss
Classic Birthday Cake (makes one tier) 4oz self raising flour 4 oz caster sugar 1 tsp baking powder 2 large eggs 4oz soft butter 2-3 drops pure vanilla essence
Pre-heat oven to GM 3 grease & line cake tin sift flour & baking powder into a roomy mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients & whisk till thoroughly combined. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of tap-warm water. Whisk again. Add the mixture to the tin, level off & bake on the centre shelf for about 30 minutes. When cooked remove to a cooling rack. The cake can be sliced in half, layered with jam & buttercream or stacked.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (Fills & frosts a 8/9” cake.) 3 cups icing sugar 2 tsp vanilla 3 oz softened butter 3 oz chocolate, melted & cooled 3-4 tblsp milk
Mix sugar & butter in a medium bowl on a low speed. Stir in vanilla & chocolate. Gradually beat in enough milk to make frosting spreadable.
Sugar Cookies 2 cups plain flour 6 oz softened butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 large egg 1 tsp pure vanilla extract Pre-heat oven to GM 3
Cream the butter & sugar. Add the egg & vanilla, beating well until mixed. Add flour on very low speed: do not over mix. Gather dough into a ball & wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for an hour. Allow dough to sit for 10 mins before rolling. Roll on a floured counter to 1/4” thick. Cut with cookie cutters & place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 mins. Can be frozen.
We always see two Robins together, every time we walk this way. They are quite friendly & come quite close. Today, there was only one....
Elianna modeling the mittens she has knit for herself. I am a proud mummy!
After our morning walk we went off to church. Home for lunch & then on to the 'Stir up' part of Sunday!
Making wishes....
Our first hint of Christmas has arrived!
The girls are now tucked up in bed, the Christmas cake is still baking - what a glorious smell!!! I am off to enjoy a little tipple of Damson gin & get a little knitting done (are the two compatible????) How was your stir up Sunday?
Oh, I do love this time of year! Preparing for Christmas - I think I love advent as much as Christmas Day itself. Sunday will be 'Stir Up Sunday' - the traditional day to bake Christmas cakes & puddings.
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own city Nazareth. And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him. Luke 2:25-40
Candlemas takes it’s name from the blessing of the candles on this day for use in the church throughout the coming year. It is also a celebration within the church of the presentation of Jesus in the temple.
“At the beginning of February, when the infant light of spring is greeted thankfully by the hoary winter earth, it seems fitting we should celebrate a candle Festival to remember that moment when the Light of the World was received into the Temple, when the old yielded to the new.” “All Year Round”
Verse for Candlemas:
“If Candlemas Day be fair and bright Winter will take another flight. If Candlemas Day be cloud and rain Winter is gone and will not come again.”
Ways in which to celebrate:
One would be to think of goals & things you would like to see happen in this New Year together, in this time of new beginnings, as the earth becomes spring again & do something to celebrate that.
Of course the major activity is usually candle making in some form - rolling candles, candle dipping or making earth candles outside in the ground & lighting them.
If the ground permits, tilling a plot for march planting. The ground is covered in snow here, but we shall be cosied up, looking through our seed catalogues & making plans....
Dinner in candlelight - We shall light our birthday ring as well as all our home made candles.
Bake fresh bread & enjoy Vegetable soup or chowder & baked custards as your Candlemas meal.
We can also offer simply made stories & poems about our friends the bees & work with beeswax & honey in some way during the festival.
Most of my inspiration for this festival comes from “All Year Round” however I found this lovely Candlemas song from Our Little Nature Nest
What a lovely song! we shall certainly be singing this, as well as using the beautiful watercolour as inspiration for our own wet on wet on painting day.
Candlemas is a wonderful way to talk about my own relationship with the Lord with my girls - How Christ has promised to be our light in the darkness, that He lights my way & that He is the light - I am fully reliant upon Him. And for that I am fully thankful.
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.
Three kings come riding to follow a star, over mountain & valley & crag. They travel along to a country far, three gifts they have in their bag: Gold for a king as merry we sing, And incense to burn in the fire, And myrrh for his parting in sorrow we sigh, And the little child bids them come nigh.
The beginning of winter in the Northern Hemisphere The winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night of the year. The sun appears at its lowest point in the sky, therefore it crosses the sky in the quickest time which makes this the shortest day of the year. Its noontime elevation appears to be the same for several days before and after the solstice, hence the origin of the word solstice; which comes from Latin solstitium, from sol, "sun" and -stitium, "a stoppage." Following the winter solstice, the days begin to grow longer and the nights shorter. Sunshine makes the seasons You can see the reason for these changes using a globe for the earth & a torch for the sun. Put a sticker on the place where you live on the globe. Turn the globe so that the north pole is tilted away from the torch. Turn the globe all the way around & you will see that the sticker is in the light only a short time.The northern half of the earth has short days & long nights. Sunlight does not fall on the north pole. The north pole has its long winter night. It is winter & it is cold. Keep the globe tilted in the same direction & go partway around the torch. Now the light falls on both polls. It is springtime in the north. Days are getting longer. Without changing the direction of the globe, move until you are halfway around the torch from where you started. Soon the North Pole will be tilted toward the light. It is summer. As you spin the globe, the sticker is in the light longer than it is in the dark. The northern half of the earth has long days & short nights. The North Pole has its long summer day. It is summer & it is warm. Keep moving around the torch. Remember, keep the axis of the globe pointing in the same direction. You’ll see that once again light falls on both the North pole & the South Pole of the globe. It is autumn in the north. The days are getting shorter & cooler too. Keep moving until you come back to winter.
A song to sing: Down with darkness, up with light, Up with sunshine, down with night, Each of us is one small light. But together we shine bright.
Go away darkest, blackest night. Go away, give way to light.
A spiral Walk
In the woodlands or garden, lay out a path, spiraling inwards. Moss & greenery can edge the path & a tall candle in the centre of the spiral. Beautiful stones & rocks can be set in the greenery & stars of gold card line the pathway.
The celebration can begin with a reading of John 8:12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
Carol singing follows. During the singing, each child approaches the entrance of the spiral path to receive a white candle (or tealight) in a shiny red apple, which they carry toward the centre of the spiral. (Little ones shepherded by a parent or older child) From the centre candle, they take light for their own candle & then proceede outwards, very carefuly until they find a gold star on which to place their own apple & candle. When all the children have walked the path, serve solstice fairy cakes(see below), star sugar cookies & warm pear juice, or mulled apple jiuce. They may keep their apple candle to relight & re-kindle the memories of a special walk.
Solstice Fairy Cakes:
We ice half a batch of fairy cakes with white chocolate & half with milk chocolate: white representing the (returning) light and milk symbolizing the (retreating) dark.
Advent ~ 4th Sunday before December 25 (the Sunday between November 27 and December 3 inclusive.)
Our Advent Traditions ~
Advent Morning devotions : We use the Jesse tree devotions here. However, I personally do not think all of the devotions are age appropriate for my children, so some of them I change or miss out altogether. The decorations I sewed or needle felted & some my girls made.
Our Advent Calendar ~ This year we will be using this calendar.
Our Advent Wreath ~ The advent wreath is full of symbolism, which makes rich learning for children & adults alike. The growing light heralds the growing anticipation of the birth of Jesus Christ who is 'The light of the world' John 8:12. The circle demonstrates that God & His love has no beginning & no end. The evergreen, everlasting life. The colour of the candles has its own significance. Three purple (the colour of royalty - used as it is the season of the coming of our King) and one rose (the joy candle.)The fifth candle is a white candle~ the Christ candle and is placed in the centre of the wreath and lit on Christmas day to celebrate the miracle of Jesus birth.
Play Christmas music
Begin our Christmas Journals We began these on Stir Up Sunday. You can see my girls journals in this post. They decorated the outside with old Christmas cards & recorded Stir Up Sunday. They will add drawings of advent happenings, photos & other memorabilia. Makes a lovely keepsake for them. My own Christmas journal is one I started when Elianna was a baby. I love to look back over each year's happenings & my thoughts. My Christmas devotional reading This year I will be reading A Child in Winter: Advent, Epiphany, Christmas with Caryll Houselander
Be Christmas Angels: Each person has a secret partner, for whom they do secret acts of kindness, throughout Advent. Straw for the baby Jesus. For each kind deed throughout advent, you may add a piece of straw to the baby Jesus’ crib
‘Happy Advent’ cake ~ CHOCOLATE BUNDT CAKE This dark chocolate Bundt cake is a chocolate-lover's dream. This is a delicious and intensely chocolate cake, especially if you use a high-quality or Dutch-process cocoa. INGREDIENTS: • 8 ounces butter (2 sticks) • 1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa, such as Valrhona or high-quality, such as Scharffen Berger* • 3/4 cup water • 2 cups granulated sugar • 1 cup sour cream • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract • 2 large eggs • 2 cups all-purpose flour, stir before measuring • 1 teaspoon baking soda • 1/2 teaspoon salt
Grease and flour a 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to GM 4 Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the water and remove from heat. To the warm cocoa mixture, add the sugar, sour cream, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and eggs; whisk until smooth. In another bowl combine the flour, soda, and salt. Add all at once to the first mixture, whisking until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch and has slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake with a knife and invert onto a large plate. Serves 10 to 12. *If you're using a standard baking cocoa (not Dutch-process or high-quality) add 1/2 teaspoon more of baking soda to the dry ingredients.
Begin our Nativity scene. Animals, Mary & Joseph, shepherds & finally, on The Epiphany, the Wise Men. We use a porcelain set that I purchased for my first Christmas as a married lady with a home of her own : )
Bring out our play Nativity set.This is the set the girls play with. It is just wonderful! Beautifully made & great for play.
Make Christmas cards Make Christmas gifts More about these two in a future post.
Bake cookies *Lots* of cookies : )
Bundle up in P.J’s & snowsuits, jump in the car with a flask of hot chocolate & go for a drive to see all the christmas lights This is usually on Elianna's birthday, but will be a different date this year, due to an extra special birthday ; )
Buy & decorate our christmas tree Oh! i love this traditon!
Go for a woodland walk to collect holly,pine cones, boughs, etc to decorate our home.
Snuggle up under the quilt to watch Polar Express with cookies, hot chocolate & a roaring fire.
WHITE HOT CHOCOLATE • 4 cups whole milk • 4 cups half-and-half • 1 pound white chocolate, chopped • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract • 8 to 10 vanilla beans In a saucepan on medium heat, heat the milk and half-and-half to just below the simmering point. Remove the pan from the heat and add the white chocolate. When the chocolate is melted, add the vanilla and whisk vigorously. Reheat very gently and serve with a vanilla bean stirrer in each cup. (Serves 8-10. From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook)
Have a ‘Cocoa story time’ ~ Have an afternoon of Christmas stories, cookies & cocoa
On the Solstice, decorate our garden with goodies for the birds
Attend the Carol service at church
I will be writing a post soon about our school time during advent.
