It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I wish I lived near Brighton! I should love to go and see their Beach Hut Advent Calendar. What an incredibly creative idea.

I spent time this morning doing a window display for our local newsagents - Marie and Mark, the owners, have very kindly allowed us to set up a Nativity Scene. However I forgot the camera, so pictures will have to wait!

Steph phoned this morning- back safe from Malawi - along with her baggage - despite a four hour delay at the airport, and almost missing the connecting flight from Ethiopia.

I am so thankful she is home OK - and grateful to all those kind friends who have prayed for her safety and said encouraging words to me when I have been an unnecessarily anxious Mum.

I forgot the camera yesterday as well- it was "Decorations Day" at school. The theory is that they have just ONE DAY when they can go messily mad with glitter and paint, and produce lots of decorations. About 8 extremely helpful parents and grandparents came in to help with my class and we did 7 different Christmassy activities.

One thing was making snowflakes from folded and cut paper. The correct name for this technique is scherenschnitte, and there is even a fabulous blog dedicated to it!

The children each made their snowflake, then decorated it with glitter - causing a great deal of mess!

One little boy - who is usually incredibly quiet, (and has a relatively limited vocabulary, and finds most activities difficult) was really taking his time, and was still at the glue and glitter stage when another child sat down beside him to start the task. I explained about cutting, and drawing triangles and snipping them. I said "And then we unfold it - what happens then?" and the first child's face lit up "And then it's AMAZING!" he said, beaming at his little friend, and holding up his snowflake. He was truly thrilled to have created something so beautiful all by himself. It was definitely  'an awe and wonder' moment!

I had been a little negative about the day over breakfast - muttering about 'not real teaching' - but that one sentence gave me such a buzz.  I do so love teaching.

I am a bit pedantic about snowflakes though - I always insist that they have six points, and not four or eight.

I am hoping that we do not have any real snow for at least 48 hours - I am driving down south tomorrow to deliver the futon to Liz and Jon.

Tomorrow we will light the first candle on the Advent Crown at Church. Usually I put up our decorations at home on the first weekend in Advent, but this year I shall be just a few days late.

Christmas is coming, and I am already feeling a glow of anticipation...