Thanksgiving play

The house smells like pumpkin spice (thanks to our moms!) and the first batch of pumpkin is cooked and ready for baking pumpkin pies (for Moms group on Monday). The boys have been getting their Thanksgiving education from the Peanuts "The Mayflower Voyagers" cartoon...I know, I am such a bad mom...but it's SO cute and well done! We have read one book on the subject (one I found at a used English bookshop that JUST opened in our area!). And, so with all the festivities I decided that this would be the year we would have some "dress up" fun. So, PJ and I set to work to make a pilgrim hat and an Indian headdress (or something like it, anyway!).

The idea for the pilgrim hat came from none other than Family Fun, of course! You are supposed to use black construction paper but of course getting stuff like that here is not easy, so I used white and had PJ color it. =)

I'm also gearing up for Christmas, trying to get gifts made early this year and also trying to think of things to make instead of buying gifts. I have some great ideas bobbing around in my head for the kiddos...but for adults I am having some trouble. Any ideas? Remember, I live in a country where craft supplies are not the easiest to find (they're here you just have to know which shop to find each supply in!).

For some time I've wanted to simplify Christmas gift giving...especially within our little family of five but each year I don't plan well and then at last it's the last minute and I'm scrambling to Lotus (a store similar to Walmart but not at all the same!) to try to find something to give the kids. This year, my desire has been compounded by our nightly readings of "The Little House on the Prairie" series in which the girls Laura and Mary are so thankful for just a piece of candy and a tin cup for Christmas! So, I have some fun ideas for the kiddos and looking forward to getting started...after Thanksgiving on the big projects and maybe today on the smaller ones!