Advent Coming

In preparation for Advent, we will be setting up our Christmas tree and using it as our Jesse Tree.  Since the ornaments will stay on the tree, we made new ones using bakeable dough.  The girls formed them with surprisingly little help from me, then painted them by themselves with absolutely no supervision.  I only made a single suggestion - that Little Girl possibly add some yellow and orange to the sun, which was bright red.  Little Girl liked the idea and added swirls of sparkly yellow paint and swirls of matte orange paint to her sun.  

Oh, and the reason it's surprising how little help they had from me while molding the ornaments is because I am a total control freak when we do art.  So I had my guardian angel help me stand back and watch.  I really gave little assistance, and only after asking first.

The ornaments are beautiful, and the only thing left to do is to tie ribbons on each one.  I've even written the Scripture verses on the back of each one.  (Um...I just realized I left on numbers.  So I don't know the order.  I guess I have two things left to do, eh?)

Every night from December 1 through Christmas Eve after "Midnight" Mass, we'll read a verse from Scripture that teaches us about the coming of the Savior, then place the ornament on our tree.  We won't decorate the tree with anything else until Gaudette Sunday, when we'll go crazy decorating that weekend.  

I've got pictures of the painted ornaments, and I'll post them throughout Advent.  I'll try (really, really try) to do daily Advent posts, but it really depends on if I have time to set them up, you know?  I'm working retail, kiddies, and starting Friday - Black Friday - my Advent style will be a bit cramped.  If I can set it up in late-night hours, you'll be in luck.  I'd love to do the readings with the pictures of each ornament, but please don't be too sad if I can't set it up this year.  (I might beg Travel Man to help me with it.  I'll cry, maybe.)  If you want the readings I used last year, you can see my "Advent" category (click below or on my sidebar at the blog).

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