Caroling Party

Good Monday morning!

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We had a very nice two days beginning with a Faulkner Family Christmas Movie Night on Friday. We watched Christmas With the Kranks (cute movie). Has anyone else noticed that Tim Allen has become the most recognized star in just about any Christmas movie you pick up today? (Well, just four movies... but four is a lot of Christmas movies to star in, don't you think?)

I also picked up Christmas Shoes starring Rob Lowe. Roxie and I are going to watch that one, because when I read the cover it had "chick flick" written all over it. If I'm wrong, we'll share it with the guys next week.

In the picture gallery today you will notice a hodge-podge of Faulkner Five activities... the Christmas parade, painting ceramics at Painted Bisquet, cutting down a tree at the Christmas Tree Farm, etc.

The Showcase Pic of the Week is just a picture I like of my four guys in the lake one day last summer when we went tubing. (WE LOVE TUBING!) I'm going to write a whole week's worth of posts about "How to Become a Tubing Family" in May. Just kidding. Basically, you buy a tube half price at the end of summer, blow it up the next summer, and hold on for dear life. Just wanted to add a little bit of summer to our cold, Alabama, winter week. That, and I wanted to make you think that we went tubing this past weekend!

The Painted Bisquet in Cullman was wonderful. It is in a warehouse-type setting with high ceilings, wood floors, brick walls and whimsy in every corner. The girls had a blast, and the ladies who worked with us were wonderful. It was a great way to spend two (or more) hours on a cold winter morning. It was surprising that even though they had a lot of Christmas ceramics to paint, the girls all chose things they could use all year round. If you live in the Birmingham to Decatur area, I would highly recommend spending some time with your child in this establishment. Fun!

We cut down our Christmas tree, so our decorating will be coming to an end this weekend! YES! I want to be able to enjoy the fruits of our labor and put all the messy boxes away. I'll add a picture a day of some of our favorite decorations. Nothing fancy, but just the old, familiar things the kids will remember when they have families of their own. It's amazing how unique and individual each person's memories are of their childhood Christmas decorations. I vividly remember a plastic sprig of mistletoe that hung in our living room doorway. I wonder what Austin, Josh and Roxie will remember in a few years. I bet it will be three different items.

Roxie and I tried a new tradition on Sunday. (This is a freebie!) I bought two tickets for a Tour of Christmas Homes in our town. There were four homes to go through, and they were all amazing. (You may or may not believe this, but not one of the houses on the tour had an inflatable. I KNOW! Unbelievable, isn't it?) Roxie absolutely loved each and every one, and it was something we both decided to do each year. It didn't take over an hour and a half. We dressed up a little, listened to Christmas music in the car between the homes and declared it a "keeper." This will be something we can do together even when she is an adult... and I'm an older adult!

Today's featured Faulkner decoration is my angel tree topper which my friend, Reida, gave me as a wedding present 20 years ago. I loved it so much, I started collecting angel ornaments, so the tree in our living room is decorated 90 percent with angels. The other 10 percent is gold ornaments and white lights. See, I'm not against white lights. I think they're very elegant. You'll have to tune in tomorrow to see what I'll feature next!

Caroling Party

I have hosted 14 annual caroling parties beginning when Austin was four years old. For the three or four years when all three of my children were able to attend, Austin would have four friends, Josh would have four friends and Roxie would have four friends for a total of 12 children and three different age groups. The last three or four years, it has been Roxie and five to six of her friends.

As the party has evolved over the years, it has become the following:

1. A holiday snack the kids make as soon as they come to the house (usually something from Family Fun Magazine).

One year we had Bagel Wreaths which is half of a bagel with white icing spread over it and M & Ms or Skittles decorating it to look like a miniature wreath.

One year we made Donut Hole Snowmen with white powdered sugar doughnut holes. We decorated their faces with icing and made tiny candy hats for them with upside down miniature Reese Cups. We then set them in a regular sized white powdered doughnut and that was our snack. (NOTE: We connected the three doughnut holes with toothpicks.) It's always something simple they can put together themselves, and then they eat before we get busy.

2. Plan a holiday game.

One year I bought felt nativity scene pieces from the dollar store. (I bought seven sets of the nativity scene.) I then made a picture on a piece of black cardstock using the pieces (six or seven pieces in all). I poured six sets of the felt pieces in a baby pool and then filled the pool with strips and strips of newspaper. I gave each child a piece of black paper and a glue stick. I held up the completed picture and told the kids to GO! They then had to find each piece of the nativity under all the newspaper strips and fix their own picture to match the one I was holding. They were not allowed to get in the pool. Only hands were allowed in the pool. It was hilarious watching them try to find all the pieces, and it was a very fun game.

For the younger crowd, we've played Pin the Baby Jesus on the Manger.

Of course, we've done a Christmas cobweb (see Pumpkin Party post for cobweb instructions), and I've attached candy canes at the end of the course. Again, most of these games come from Family Fun Magazine.

3. Gather around the Christmas tree and practice three or four carols.

After practice, we sit down and I read a Christmas story from our Holiday Book Basket. We then have prayer before we bundle up and begin our caroling.

4. Carol six or seven houses (usually elderly neighbors although we have caroled in the local nursing home several times).

I always call the neighbors to let them know we'll be coming, and to make sure they'll be home. It isn't unusual for them to have a small snack or prize for the kids after they sing. They love it (the kids and the neighbors).

5. Load the kids up in the big gold van to take them home slowly, and ride through neighborhoods listening to Christmas music and looking at Christmas decorations.

Depending on the age of your children, you can use the same formula, but have an age appropriate snack, game, book, and number of places to carol. Do not have so many children you lose control. You want them to be well-behaved at the neighbors' homes.

At the time when we were having the most children (12), I always made sure I had two or three other moms stay to help with crowd control. I also had three different games (age appropriate for each different age group) with a mom in charge of snacks, another one in charge of games and another in charge of reading the book. While one group was making and eating their snack in the kitchen, one group was playing their game in another part of the house, and one group was listening to a story in yet another part of the house. I would blow a whistle at the end of 10-12 minutes and the groups would go to the next activity. We came together as a large group to practice the carols, bundle up and head out the door for the actual caroling.

It is an action-packed afternoon, but well worth it. NOTE: I usually have the party on a Thursday after school from 3:15 to 5:00 or 5:30. We do a lot in the hour and 45 minutes we're together, but it is well worth the time and energy.

Tomorrow I have a great recipe for you to try, and again the only criteria is it is EASY.

I know you've been worried all weekend long about my Christmas Card Count, so here goes -- EIGHT! Again, not in the double digits, but experts know that this is the biggest Christmas card week of the year. I expect to have 20 or 30 by Wednesday's report... or maybe ten.

Also, my readership number is now at 91. I don't think as many people are reading blogs during this busy season. It's better than last week, so for that I am thankful.

Have a great Monday. Get a lot done, and spend some special Christmas time with the ones you love. Talk to you tomorrow.