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The First Christmas Stocking

First of all, it feels great to be back to school after having a week off!

For the month of December Dawson will be reading passages out of the Books of Luke and Isaiah and studying Handel's Messiah. We are starting his unit on Ancient Rome.

Brynne will continue with her 3 R's, reading about Colonial Williamsburg with the American Girl doll Felicity and will be doing some Christmas studies. We are joining Shannon at Welcome to our Wonderland in her Christmas Book and Activity a Day program.


Today we read The First Christmas Stocking written by Elizabeth Winthrop and illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline.


"Dream your dreams, my child, and knit them into the wool." A long time ago a girl named Claire learned to knit by her mother's side. As the mother knit mittens, scarves and all sorts of clothing for the wealthy people of the town, Claire set about knitting stockings to keep her toes warm. Claire, her mother and father, you see, were poor. They lived in a stone hut, with little wood to burn and meagre food to eat. So Claire knit stockings and--with Christmas approaching--heeded her mother's words to knit her Christmas dreams into the wool. Soon Claire became known as the stocking girl--with many orders for stockings to fill. One such order ensured her a handsome payment. Enough to fill her family's hut with light and food. But as she trudged through the snow to deliver the stockings on Christmas Eve, Claire was stirred to share her knitted dreams with someone truly in need.

What a sweet book and a great way to start our Christmas studies! While I was reading Brynne the book, she was "knitting" a paper stocking by lacing it with black yarn. Then she decorated it with cotton balls and foam Christmas stickers.


She did a great job and really enjoyed it! I know I am looking forward to these books and activities! 

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