Our homeschooling winter break has officially started!    Though practicing skills with last minute shopping, crafting, baking, parties, and parts in a  Christmas play, the learning doesn’t stop.

Since studies won’t be mandatory, our thoughts can be focused on Christmas, fun, and playing Santa, (We decided when our oldest was young not to encourage a “belief” in Santa, but to encourage idea and play of Santa.  We each  draw a name and are responsible for filling  that family members stocking, wrapping a gift or two and eating the cookies left out.)

Without lessons, my kids will no doubt be asking for extra computer time.  I found these fun “Santa” sites for the kids to play on.

Track Santa on the map, play interactive games and more  http://www.noradsanta.org/

Join Raymond the Reindeer for a tour of the North Pole, short stories, and interactive games  http://www.northpole.com/

A wonderful selection of Christmas themed games…

Happy Monday and

betty jo

Are you extra busy this time of year?  We are!  Our calendar is filled with Christmas program rehearsals, a holiday workshop, caroling, and parties.  We’re decorating, crafting and baking.  And of course, there’s light displays to drive by, extra shopping, and gifts to wrap and deliver.  Oh yeah, there’s homeschool lessons, too.

Not only are we counting the days down until Christmas, we’re counting the days left in our semester.  I know some homeschooling families that take off the month of December, as nice as that sounds, it isn’t for us. We keep on learning through December, and we have about two more weeks of homeschooling before we’ll be ready for a break .   However, with the added busy-ness, regular lessons won’t give us the time we need to pursue the activities that make this time of year so special.

Below are  the online links to Advent and Christmas…