On the Eleventh Day of Christmas...
A freebie and a sneak peek
Sometimes you do the traditions yourself. Sometimes you let others do them for you. Some of our favorite traditions are ones that my mom started and has continued year after year since my kids were little.
Each December (or January or July) She puts on a Christmas Tea for all the ladies in the family. It is a high tea with tiered plates and three courses. Every year has its own theme, and we gather together to dress up, drink tea, and hang out.
While the ladies do their thing, the men go out to the movies and get lunch together.
As my girls have grown, they have learned to help with all parts of the tea service, making scones and tiny apple tarts, setting the table, and putting together this elaborate fairy garden that my mom puts on the table for the little girls to enjoy.
The other thing my mom does every year is put cash away in envelopes for my kids to spend on Christmas presents for each other and their family. At first, it was just bits of money that was spent at the dollar store. But as they have gotten older, they do small chores for my mom, earning money for their work, and that money goes into their little envelope. Then my mom takes each kid out and spends the day with them, going from store to store, letting them pick out gifts for everyone they love. After they are all finished shopping, she helps them wrap all their gifts, and they love being able to have special things to give on Christmas morning. I am not a shopper, but my kids all love this special time with their Grandparents, so it warms my heart to watch it happen every year.
These traditions started when my oldest was tiny and now she is in high school. Every year, I am reminded that time is short, but memories are long.
: ) Cara
Coming Up in CPQ
The element that will make the biggest difference in your homeschool (and lives, as these things will stick with us past homeschooling our children) is understanding Charlotte Mason’s educational principles.
Common Place Quarterly strives to provide our readers with an understanding of the principles through ideas in every issue but beginning in Year 6 each quarterly will have a Principle Focus: an expert from the volumes about a principle, a QR code to scan to read further, and some reflection questions to help guide you.
Eleventh Day of Christmas Freebie
