Lionden Landing

I have been drowning in fairies, all kinds and all sizes. This weekend was Froggy's birthday party.  Her theme was "a flower fairy tea party"  So in the weeks leading up to it we had to make and do all kinds of fairy things.     I made fairy dresses and wings for both she and I.  Froggy designed the dresses herself. I had other ideas which did not sell at all as she was set on her design. We made pipe cleaner fairies which hid in the meadow for our "fairy hunt". We made fairy pins out of polymer clay, one for each guest, to go in their goodie bags. As the guests arrived, they received wings and were invited to make their own wands in order to fully embrace their fairy nature. After the fairy hunt, the fairy guests played musical flowers.  Fairies ofcourse want only the best flowers so must flit from one to another trying to decide. Then they returned to the fairy castle for refreshments consisting of fairy fizz(punch), toadstools (strawberries), fai...

Hanukkah started on Wednesday and all week we have been either preparing or celebrating.  Hanukkah is not a major holiday.  I try very hard not to make it a "Jewish Christmas".  With Hanukkah being earlier it is easier. Still when people ask about Hanukkah it is easier to answer "our winter holiday" than go into a full explanation. Froggy loves all the holidays and joyously bounds into whatever is presented to her. With the cold nasty weather we have had this week, lots more crafts were in order so the holiday made a great focus.  We made a tissue paper menorah, sparkly window clings (my personal favorite) thanks to Almost Unschoolers, and some cookie cutouts to take to the Hebrew School party.  In amongst the crafting, we read some fantastic books.  Froggy's favorite is her PJ Library book, The Chanukkah Guest. She opened it in the car and instantly fell in love.  She picked it as the story time book for the Tot Shabbat I lead at our shul....