So, how are we using our Reading Through the Nativity List? Each book for the season has been pulled out from the Christmas storage and carefully wrapped in candy stripe paper (I bought rolls of this one year for a dollar, fun for kids and I don't feel guilty using expensive paper) and placed in a basket under the Christmas tree in my kitchen. There are about 25 books (I label on the back the ones that are specific to a saint day such as St. Herman so we can open those as appropriate). Each evening we gather for our prayers, Jesse Tree readings and hanging ornaments, then the kids pick a book to open and we read it together. The opened books stay in the other basket, ready to be re-read throughout the season. I have been doing this for 6 years now, and it is so much fun to see how excited they get when they find an old favorite under the wrapping paper. My oldest takes his time in his selection, sizing the book up, trying to open his personal favorites early in the fast. And since there are always nights when things go crazy, not having 40 books is not a problem, as we run lower on books, I will re-read a favorite one night rather than opening a new book. Monday, November 16, 2009
Advent Reading
So, how are we using our Reading Through the Nativity List? Each book for the season has been pulled out from the Christmas storage and carefully wrapped in candy stripe paper (I bought rolls of this one year for a dollar, fun for kids and I don't feel guilty using expensive paper) and placed in a basket under the Christmas tree in my kitchen. There are about 25 books (I label on the back the ones that are specific to a saint day such as St. Herman so we can open those as appropriate). Each evening we gather for our prayers, Jesse Tree readings and hanging ornaments, then the kids pick a book to open and we read it together. The opened books stay in the other basket, ready to be re-read throughout the season. I have been doing this for 6 years now, and it is so much fun to see how excited they get when they find an old favorite under the wrapping paper. My oldest takes his time in his selection, sizing the book up, trying to open his personal favorites early in the fast. And since there are always nights when things go crazy, not having 40 books is not a problem, as we run lower on books, I will re-read a favorite one night rather than opening a new book. 
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6 comments:
We have had so much fun these last few nights reading our books. I love this idea and even my little one enjoys snuggling up at the end off the day for our special reading time.
you have wonderful ideas ! thanks for sharing!
I love this idea!
What a lovely idea! I was toying around with how to incorporate the Tree of Jesse ornaments and readings on top of evening readings... this is perfect. Thank you for linking this in your current post, I hadn't seen it before.
http://flowersfortheteacher.posterous.com/
I realize that this post was a long time ago, but the link to the list of books no longer works. Would you happen to have that list that you could post? I'd love to know what books are included.
Audra - thank you for asking. I am sorry about the down link, it was to a joint project with another blogger who subsequently deleted her blog and the lists. I am working to create a new one, and will hopefully post it soon!
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