Christmas Gifts!!

Christmas is a big deal around here.  We love all the celebration, music, crafts, food, and worship.  We also love gifts!!  Over the last few years, Mr. Math Tutor and I have worked to help our kids learn to give and receive gifts without focusing on the materialistic side of things.  I think they've learned this well.

My three main gifts from my family were all handmade - and amazing!!

 

Mr. Math Tutor made me this wooden nativity set by scroll-sawing at an angle.  The figures are then pushed outward about 1/4 of an inch.  It's really cool!

Wild Man (with some help from his dad) made me this wooden puzzle.  I got it put together about an hour after I got it, but it seems that was a fluke.  I figured it out again last night, and now I think I understand it.

Ga'hoole Girl made me this dragon out of Sculpey, then painted it in two colors of blue, and then accented it with silver.  I named her Saphira, since she looks like the Saphira from the Eragon books.

Of course, there were other gifts.  Wild Man and Ga'hoole Girl both got Nintendo DS with accessories and one game each from Santa.  Grams and Grandpa also gave them a Mario game to share.  Ga'hoole Girl got the rest of the Ga'hoole books from Grams and Grandpa.  Going with the owl theme, Mr. Math Tutor and I game Ga'hoole Girl a pretty glass owl.  Wild Man has a serious Lego thing going - Mr. Math Tutor and I as well as Grams and Grandpa gave him Legos.  Mr. Math Tutor and I also gave him a book about building with Legos.  The kids also got several books.

I got lots of books - which, of course, makes me happy!  We are all thrilled because I got The Tales of Beedle the Bard!  My dad gave me some old  theology books, including Dr. Watts' A Distinctive Translation of Genesis - how many other women get excited by theology books?  My parents also gave me a mortar and pestle (which was on my Amazon wish list).  I had SilPat on my wish list, as well, so my mom sent me two SilPat that she doesn't use.

Mr. Math Tutor received a gift card to Woodcraft from my parents which he will enjoy immensely!  The kids and I did a "theme" set of gifts for him.  I gave him a video rocker, which he wanted after seeing some at the library.  The kids gave him a GameCube game (Paper Mario) and a wireless controller.  They also had made a blanket with fleece that has pictures of cats and coffee so he won't get cold while playing his video game.

So, how was your Christmas?  Is your living room as messy as ours is still?!  I love your comments!