Blogmas Day 5

When you have children, you realize how hands on they enjoy being. Part of our Christmas tradition is making a Christmas craft and/or coloring Christmas pictures. 

For Pickle’s first Christmas we let him paint on paper with red, white, and green paint. He has always loved painting, especially with his hands. He also loves painting himself. I try to let him paint as much as he wants. I remember him painting (at 6 months old) with his hands and being covered in red and green paint. 

The following years, I tried to implement new ways to do things. I think it teaches him how to be creative. I have his hand print that we did a Christmas craft with 2 years ago. I used a scrapbook paper background and did his hand print on it with red paint. Then we used green popsicle sticks to make a frame. 

As he has gotten older, he has enjoyed coloring pictures. Every year, for basically every holiday, we print off free coloring pages pertaining to that holiday. We sit down as a family and have a coloring session. I am 99% sure this tradition started with Christmas during my first time planning our advent activities. I always hang up the pictures in the house as part of our Christmas decorations. 

This year, since I am working, Chris and my schedules are opposite of each other. We don’t get to spend much time together on the days that I work. 

So this morning, I decided to do our traditional coloring activity, without Chris, with both of the kids. I taped Poppy’s paper to the table so she couldn’t rip it off. She is starting to figure out how to color by watching Pickle and us teaching her. Though, she mostly tried to eat the crayons. Here is how their pictures turned out.

I figure since Chris didn’t get to participate he can do his own project with them while I am at work. I figure maybe he will make some paper snowflakes. We have made paper snowflakes every year that we have been together. He definitely is better at it than I am (I suck at using scissors). 

Like I said in a previous post, Christmas is probably our most crafty time of the year. When you have kids, or if you just enjoy creating, it brings out the Christmas spirit and can create the traditions that last a lifetime. 

Until tomorrow, 

Jenn