Family Creativity!

This week of advent my theme is "family love and joy". My role in the family is still Art Teacher Grandma, and advent is one of my favorite times to share the joy of making things. Yesterday we made a gingerbread house; we made piñata last week and today we will decorate it. And I continue to finish up gifts.

Agenda:

1. Read a novena

2. Read "The Creativity Book"

3. Make a gingerbread house

4. Preschool and Advent plans

5. Do the smallest thing

1. Read a novena:

This is the third day of the Christmas Novena, a Catholic ritual of a prayer recited or sung during the nine days leading up to Christmas Day. I am reading this Creation Novena from the Indian Catholic Matters site:

Day 3: A Prayer for the Plants 

Creator God, we give thanks for every kind of plant that bears seed and every kind of fruit tree on earth that bears fruit. We thank You for all that plants provide and offer us, and for all the ways they connect us with all life on Earth. Thank You for the sustenance—physical, emotional, and spiritual—that we draw from the plants. We give thanks for the grain, fruit, and vegetables we eat, and for the shrubs and flowers that fill our homes and parks. We give thanks for the oxygen they produce and the stability they bring to our world. And we give special thanks for the wheat and grapes that, through the work of human hands, become our offering of bread and wine, which you lovingly return to us as the body and blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ.

As we see the unimaginably rapid destruction of rainforests, grasslands, and aquatic habitats, we ask that You give us courage to speak for the voiceless and to change our lifestyles. Help us encourage our neighbors and policy-makers to care for Your creation.

We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

2. Read "The Rhythm of Family":
I checked out this pretty book by Amanda and Stephen Soule (2011) a few months ago and haven't really started it yet. The subtitle is "Discovering a Sense of Wonder through the Seasons." 

I'm reading December today. It starts with a section on "The Work of Home", which talks about the shift in energy outside from active to quiet. "With that shift in energy comes the presence of an inward energy in our home. For the months ahead, the inside walls of our home will be our primary setting day in and day out. Making that home and, and making it just righter us, is a role I treasure dearly."

This mama speaks my mind. She talks about the overwhelm that can set in, in the winter, with so much creativity, cooking, baking, and cleaning up. She says the secret to finding contentment while creating a nurturing home is to slow down and be mindful of valuing the work; have a comfortable daily rhythm; and release expectations. 

3. Make a gingerbread house:

2024 house

Gingerbread shaping is a tradition in many parts of the world, but the people of Bergen, Norway, build an entire city of gingerbread houses each year before Christmas!

I used to make gingerbread houses with my art classes, four houses at a time. This year I'm making one house only, with my pre-school grandsons.

Supplies: Parchment paper, large pastry board, rolling pin, card stock for house patterns, pizza cutter, small board for a base, foil, frosting bags, candy, marshmallows, ice cream cones.

Ingredients:

• 1/2-c. shortening
• 1/2-c. sugar
• 1/2-c. molasses
• 1/2-tsp. salt
• 1/2-tsp. baking powder
• 1/2-tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2-tsp. ginger
• 2 1/2-c. flour
• 2 Tbsp. water

For royal icing-

• 2 pasteurized egg whites (or 4 tsp. meringue powder + 4 Tbsp. water)
• 1 lb. powdered sugar 

Makes 1 small house- 

1. Cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add molasses, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger. Blend well, then gradually add flour, alternating with water. Refrigerate overnight (or spread the dough out on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes).

2. Make the patterns: You need 3 pieces-  a side (4 x 6-1/2 inches), an end (4 x 4-1/4, with a 1-3/4 inch peak), and a roof (3-1/4 x 3-1/4 inches).

3. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Divide the dough in half for each set of 3 pieces.

4. Set out a sheet of parchment paper on your pastry board and pat the dough, then roll to 1/4” thick. Use a pizza cutter and knife to cut around pattern for 1 side piece, 1 roof, and 1 end piece. Remove excess dough, cut around the parchment and place onto a pan.

You might also want a pattern for the window- not too large, and a door. Cut these out with a knife.

5. Repeat with other 3 pieces.

6. Crush some hard candies such as Jolly Ranchers or butterscotch in a plastic baggie, with a hammer.

7. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove to fill the windows with crushed candies- this melts to create a stained glass effect. Put the pans back in to melt, and cook the houses until crisp, for 3-5 minutes. When baking is finished, spread out and leave to cool.

2025 House

8. Meanwhile, cover the base board with foil, and make royal icing: Beat together egg whites with powdered sugar. Put some into a pastry bag. 

9. Decorate all the walls flat first, by piping on the frosting and adding candies.

10. Spread royal icing onto the foil-covered board. Glue two walls together on the board, and let dry, then add 2 more walls. Let that set for awhile before adding the roof.

11. Extras: Marshmallow snowman, ice cream cone trees, jelly bean stone wall, Stegosaurus and Batmobile.

4. Preschool and Advent plans:

I will also continue my Advent School on Tuesday through Friday; Today I will choose next themes, brainstorm projects, and define the nature and skills goals; on the weekend I will gather books and supplies (and take time to stash away the last projects and supplies); and I will do all the prep and making samples on Monday.

Next week is The Guiding Light of God Week: Ideas-

• Make candles for solstice
• Talk about Inner voices (God) when we light the candles
• Add the baby Jesus to the creche

5. Do the smallest thing:

Doing the smallest thing is a great way to make courageous creative work less frightening; also finding the "minimum effective dose", the amount of work that keeps me challenged and joyful, and if I keep at it will get me to the finish line on time.

Today I will list specific goals for each day's creative projects; also itemize the supplies and preparation steps.