Monhegan Christmas

Well, I can't believe it! It is officially Christmas time! We have already made it through four months of school and now it is almost like we are going to be starting a new school year with Wyatt leaving us and Jorgie and Arlo coming. So many changes, so many good memories, and one great holiday season!

The morning of the play is traditionally just a big celebration at school. We have our gift exchange, play games, and just rest and relax to prepare ourselves for the big production that evening. This year we had a holiday breakfast prepared by Angela and myself. We feasted on homemade waffles, muffins, bacon, juice, and coffee (for the teachers of course). It was DELICIOUS! I think breakfast will be a new holiday tradition at school.

The gang eating some yummy breakfast.

Maya LOVES the holidays.

After breakfast it was time for our gift exchange. I remember my first year on Monhegan I was surprised to learn that we all got gifts for one another. I thought it was kind of crazy for all the kids to buy presents for each other AND their teachers, but then I realized how our school really is a family and it seems only natural that we would want to celebrate Christmas with each other by exchanging gifts. The best part is that the gifts these kids give to one another and to their teachers are so thoughtful because we all know each other so well. This year was probably the best Christmas I have had on Monhegan. The teachers requested homemade gifts and man did we get some amazing presents! It was a perfect celebratory morning.

Look at all the loot under that tree!

Gabe delivering gifts.

Maya got a present from Schooner! (It was a box full of tennis balls! What more could she ask for!?)

Gabe gave me a homemade quilt made by his mom! I am going to be nice and warm this winter.

Dalton got some cool new shirts from Gabe.

Quinny got LEGOS! LOTS OF LEGOS!

Gabe opening his gift!

Wyatt was pretty darn funny opening his gifts! He was SO excited! (We are going to miss that little boy VERY much!)

Wyatt gave Donna a picture he drew of her and Schooner!

Dalton got the new Battleship!

Dalton made me a shirt with Maya on it!!!!

I think the boys were more excited to give their gifts than receive them.

Donna got a shirt from Quinn with a chicken on it.

It sure looks like Christmas.

And of course we had to have a wrapping paper fight!

The teachers gave the kids (and ourselves) Monhegan School sweatshirts.

This is the back that says, "Where dork is the new cool." A quote from Mr. Dalton Burroughs.

These boys deserved a great Christmas and I think they got it.

Candle Making

In preparation for the holidays, Donna brought in her candle making supplies so the boys would have something to give their loved ones for presents! We all quickly fell in love with candle making! There is something about hot wax that is just fascinating to people of ALL ages. I think the boys produced some spectacular candles that will make some Moms VERY happy this Christmas!

Our supplies.

Donna giving instructions.

The boys get to dig in.

We cut up little pieces of wax and put them in a hole we dug in sand.

THEN Donna poured hot wax in the hole with the broken pieces of wax and the hot wax took on the form of the hole we dug! HOW COOL IS THAT!? Plus, there were chunks of colored wax in the candle!

The hot wax is filling the hole.

The boys also got to make votive candles. They got to pick out a scent to add to the candles. The older guys put Wyatt in charge of picking a scent. I think he went with Jasmine.

Gabe mixed in the color and scent to the hot wax.

Next we poured the wax in the molds and waited for them to harden.

The finished products!

Our Charlie Brown Tree

Friday afternoon we went in search for the perfect Christmas tree for our school. It was a bit chilly out but that didn't stop us from bundling up and heading out into the great outdoors. We decided on searching Cathedral Woods for our tree and I think Charlie Brown would have been very proud of our choice!

Off to find our tree...

This one was too small.

This one was too tall.

This one was JUST right!

I'd like to think I taught him to be a tree hugger!

Eighth grader gets the honor of cutting our tree.

And our sixth grader has to haul it back to school!

Trimming off the dead branches.

Our Charlie Brown tree in all of it's glory!

December BINGO

Time to decorate some holiday cookies! Maya totally wants in.

Oh my goodness. YUMMY!

Our pretty little school.

It's BINGO time!

Even Maya was looking festive.

For the first time in BINGO history (and by that I mean in the last two years) we had a December BINGO. Usually December is just too crazy with the holidays and planning for the Christmas play to host BINGO as well, but this year we decided we could do it all.  In preparation, it was fun decorating and making holiday snacks. We strung lights and made Christmas cookies, which were to die for!

There was a great turn out and from the laughs and smiles I think everyone had a fantastic time. Some were more lucky than others of course. Robert Bracy won TWO rounds of BINGO and Pam Rollinger, during all her complaining that we were calling the same numbers, won a lovely winter "Welcome" banner! The shocker of the evening was that the long-time BINGO expert, Billy Boynton, did not will a single game! GASP! His response to the tragedy? "I guess I will need to practice more."

Who was the December champion, you ask? None other than our school board secretary and superb community member, Mr. Rich Shea. Good thing he has his lucky charm, little Miss Joesphine, to root him on!

Dalton checking Travis's numbers!

Happy little crowd.

Billy B. is looking determined.

D and Q passing out prizes.

Gabe and I having our traditional "Maya photo shoot" in the kitchen.

My turn with my little puppy.

Donna won the reindeer costume!

Pam won the "Welcome" sign. What a perfect prize!

And our December champion... RICH (and Joesphine) SHEA!