Thanks for stopping by! I'm Magi, a scratch cooking, homeschooling mama, learning to raise good kids, good food, and good fun on our teeny-tiny little farm!
When I first started this blog it was mainly about how we were trying to lead a more self-reliant lifestyle. Chickens, gardening, and old-timey skills were always on the menu! We’re nowhere near doomsday preppers, but we do recognize that stuff happens and it’s […]
Can I confess something? I’ve been giving myself a lot of grace lately. After all, I have three kids (and all their activities), twelve chickens, two cats, a dog, a rabbit, four side hustles, AND I homeschool. When I put it that way, it’s easy […]
We schedule the entire month of December as our homeschool Christmas Break, but if we don’t have something planned, I find we get irritable and worn out. So instead of loafing for an entire month we take a casual approach to school, join our library’s winter reading program, read a few Christmas favorites and don’t worry too much if we miss a day here and there. This gives us plenty of time to craft, bake and visit neighbors without descending into total chaos.
Here are a few of the Christmas books I find myself recommending over and over!
The Glorious Impossible, by Madeline L’Engle tells the story of Christ as seen in Giotto’s frescoes from the Scrovengi Chapel. We used it in our homeschool one year because it just happened that we were studying Giotto right when Christmas rolled around. Easiest artist study ever! And we re-read each year as a way of keeping in the true spirit of Christmas.
Apple Tree Christmas, by Trinka Hakes Noble, tells the story of a young girl who has a hard time getting into the spirit of Christmas after losing something special to her. We loved this one so much that we checked it out from the library for the whole month of December a few years running. Finally, I started to feel bad about hoarding it and bought us our own copy.
How The Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Seuss. Do I really need to say more? We love the book, and the original movie too! Just try not to recite along when you’re watching the movie. The kids don’t appreciate it.
The Christmas Day Kitten, by James Herriot tells the heart-warming story of how a kitten finds a home with an old lady and three hounds. All of James Herriot’s stories give you a cozy feeling, and especially so when you’re snuggled up next to the fire with a cup of cocoa and your loved ones.
The Family Under The Bridge, by Natalie Savage Carlson is a story about a family who finds themselves homeless just as winter sets in. They meet an old man who shows them the ropes of life on the streets, and helps them find a new kind of home.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, by Barbara Robinson is the hilarious tale of the horrors that ensue when “the worst kids in the history of the world” decide they’d like to star in the town Christmas Pageant.
Even though my kids are all past the age of climbing up in my lap, or even needing me to read to them, they still ask me to read our favorites each Christmas season.
Feel free to drop a book suggestion or two of your own in the comments!
Happy Reading!
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I’ve become an older mom. Ugh. I didn’t see that coming!
I first realized I’d rounded the bend when I was reading a book by an even-older-than-me mom who reflected that she would love to sit and visit with young moms, but they seemed to find her reminiscence annoying. I was thinking I’d be thrilled to sit and visit with this particular seasoned mom and glean her wisdom when I realized that at nearly 40, I probably don’t exactly qualify as a young mom anymore!
How sad is that?
A few weeks later I ran across a discussion on a local moms Q&A forum and a younger mom suggested forming a separate group for moms under Twenty-Five because older moms can seem to be so judgmental toward young moms.
Having only just identified myself as an Older Mom, I was a bit defensive. Why wouldn’t you want me in your group?
I’m not that old!
And hey, I know some stuff.
I’ve got three kids under my belt!
But then again, I always hated when my mom or mother-in-law would take it upon herself to tell me how I was feeding my baby solids in the wrong order, or didn’t have her dressed warmly enough, or that in her day babies wore wool stockings up to their diapers.
Excuse me, Nosey Old Lady, you haven’t had a baby in thirty years. We have central heating, and I read ALL the books!
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