The most wonderful time of the year

This year we have had lots of fun in the run up to Christmas with crafts and shows and school concerts.
Finlay's school, the one that he is so proud about when we drive by the little white church on Main Street, that he shouts "That's my school", but so far he has only attended with me and has not actually allowed me to leave him. The Waldorf school had a candle making workshop and for the week before we were collecting bags of nature on the way to school and back, we had bags of pine needles, pine cones, red berries, juniper berries and then had cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg to add. Heather chose the scented oil to mix with the soya wax and then we created our Christmas candles.

The plan for Finlay is to go to a Waldorf parent and tot class for the month of January and then after that he says that he will go on his own. It seems that Finlay is quite set on doing things in his own time and when he is ready, and only when he is ready will he do it full heartedly. This has applied to getting used to swimming, going to his own bed and toilet training. You may remember that we tried the toilet training in the summer of 2010 and he was successful for a month, until he decided that it wasn't for him at that time and was happy to sit in a dirty wet diaper. Encouragement and opportunity was available where he would run around naked and sometimes make it but mostly not make it, however when we returned from the UK  I let him run naked again and within the first week he was dry at home, using the big toilet, having a few accidents when we were out and about. But this only happened a few times and by the second week he was managing to stay dry during the day inside and out. By the end of the third week he decided that he didn't want a diaper at night and he has been completely dry since. He certainly has his own mind and each child has their own agenda and timing, the best thing is to offer opportunity and they will take it when they are ready and this is when they are more successful it seems

 Anyway...back to Christmas preparations, the kids also enjoyed making a gingerbread house, snow globes  and some Christmas baking.

We went to a pantomime at the high school and as we were walking across the road to make it on time we saw Santa Claus riding on a motor cycle. Finlay was beside himself and stood in a gasp waving to him as he rode by yelling" Merry Christmas". After we enjoyed a bit of slap stick comedy and a bit of " Oh No he didn't and "He's behind you" at the local pantomime, we then had to go on a hunt  around town for Mr Claus. We drove to the civic centre and Heather shouts"He must be there, there are big snow flakes and it has red decorations"...sure enough we walk into the building and see Santa sitting in a chair with a line up of children eagerly waiting to get their photo taken. Finlay runs past the line up shouting "SANTA!!!! I saw you riding your motor bike and dancing and smiling around him." It was just magical to see and then he beamed as we waited for our turn to have our photo taken.
When asked by Santa what he wanted him to bring for Finlay, Finlay replied that he wanted five bells. It feels so wonderful at this age with the true magic of Christmas still alive and real in childrens hearts and alot of the time you just want to bottle those moments and keep them forever. 

Heather had her Christmas concert the week before Christmas and the Banff Springs Hotel host the Kindergarten children for gingerbread  cookie decorating, hot chocolate and a look around at all the beautiful decorations, the main attraction is the huge shredded wheat castle which is displayed in the main hall. It is a very special time for them and they all get dressed up to the nines. The girls feel like princesses and the boys are dressed all dapper, but still have all the rouge and cheek about them. Heather enjoyed wearing her flower girl dress and looked like a proper wee princess.

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 This is a picture of the two classes doing French immersion.

At the end of the morning all the kindergarten children from the English program and the French program do a Christmas concert for all the proud parents.