Jj is for January

January is the beginning of a brand new year!

And that brand new year begins at midnight tonight! Ask Mom and Dad if they will let you stay up late tonight. At the stroke of midnight you can welcome in the new year by making alot of noise by banging on pots and pans . . . or by blowing noisemakers . . . or by yelling "Happy New Year" . . . or by listening outside for noises like fireworks going off. Oh yes, and don't forget to hang up your new calendar!

Happy New Year!

Love, Grandma

Cc is for Calendars

Calendars come in handy for counting the days until Christmas . . . for counting the days until birthdays . . . for counting the days until any special occasion or . . . for keeping track of the days that are just ordinary everydays. Grandpa and I love calendars so much we hang them in our bedroom . . . in our family room . . . on our refrigerator . . . and have them on our desks, too.

A brand new year is coming soon! It's time for new calendars for both us and you! And since a brand new year is coming soon, it's also time for new alphabet adventures. We have learned the alphabet forwards and backwards on this Alpha-Blog . . . we have made Christmastime alpha-books and . . . summertime alpha-bugs. So this year, I thought we would have some mini monthly alphabet adventures or calendar capers. And you can follow along on either your very own calendar or in your Alpha-books.

Check back Saturday for the first one!

Love, Grandma

XYZ

X . . . Y. . . Z

may your Christmas be merry!

. . . and may you have sweet Zzzzzzzz's tonight.

Merry Christmas Eve!

Love, Grandma

Ww is for Wreaths

W is for wreaths with pinecones and berry

Oh, dear! The wreath in this picture has neither pinecones nor holly berries. I hope you do a better job creating a wreath in your Merry Christmas books. Or maybe you would like to create an edible wreath treat!

Merry two days before Christmas!!

Love, Grandma

Vv is for Verses

V is for verses we say on Christmas Eve

I hope you read a few Bible verses on Christmas Eve about baby Jesus' birth . . . and maybe even act out the story! In the meantime, here is a cute Christmas verse:

A baby, a manger, a bright shining star

An angel, a shepherd, three kings from afar

A Savior, a promise from above

The story of Christmas, the story of love.

Merry three days before Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Uu is for Unwrap

U is for unwrapping each gift we receive

I'm sorry to say you will have to wait a few more days to do one of the funnest things of Christmas. In the meantime, how about singing "Up On the Housetop".

Merry four days before Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Tt is for Trees

T is for trees to decorate so gay

After you decorate your paper tree, try singing this little tune called "Old McDonald Had a Tree" . . .

Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell! And on that tree he had some lights . . . jingle, jingle bell! With a blink, blink here and a blink, blink there. Here a blink, there a blink, everywhere a blink, blink. Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell!

Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell! And on that tree he had some popcorn . . . jingle, jingle bell! With a pop, pop here and pop, pop there. Here a pop, there a pop, everywhere a pop, pop. Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell!

Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell! And on that tree he had some cookies . . . jingle, jingle bell! With a yum, yum here and a yum, yum there. Here a yum, there a yum, everywhere a yum, yum. Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell!

Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell! And on that tree he had a doll . . . jingle, jingle, bell! With a mama here, and a mama there. Here a mama, there a mama, everythere a mama, mama. Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell!

Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell! And on that tree he had a train . . . jingle, jingle bell! With a choo, choo here and a choo, choo there. Here a choo, there a choo, everywhere a choo, choo. Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell!

Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell! And on that tree he had a star . . . jingle, jingle bell! With a twinkle, twinkle here and a twinkle, twinkle there. Here a twinkle, there a twinkle, everywhere a twinkle, twinkle. Old McDonald had a tree . . . jingle, jingle bell!

Whew! Merry five days until Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Ss is for Santa

S is for Santa who hurries our way

Some of you might find an "S" surprise underneath your Christmas tree that will help you learn more about this jolly old man! I'm sorry to say that some of you do not have an "S" surprise undeneath your tree because it is still underneath my tree. So I will bring it to you very soon!

Merry six days before Christmas!

(Wow, Santa is coming soon!)

Love, Grandma

Rr is for Reindeer

R is for reindeer who stomp overhead

Sing "Rudolph-the-Red-Nosed Reindeer" while you're working on your coloring project today. Then you can make a "reindeer" treat out of a frosted chocolate cupcake. Cover the cupcake in chocolate sprinkles. Then create a "Rudolph-the-red-nosed reindeer" face by using a red gumdrop for the nose, tictac mints for eyes, pecan halves for ears, and pretzel twists for antlers. (Break pretzels in half to make curved and branching antlers). An easier "reindeer" can be made from a slice of bread! Spread peanut butter on the slice of bread. Cut the bread into triangles. Then stick raisin eyes, a marachino cherry cut in half for a nose and straight pretzel antlers on each triangle.

Merry one week before Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Qq is for Quilts

Q is for quilts to cover us in bed

Quilts are cozy for nighttime sleeping in our beds. Quilts are also cozy for slumber parties underneath the Christmas tree while you watch Christmas movies. My favorite Christmas movie is "Miracle on 34th Street". What is your favorite Christmas movie?

Merry 8 "sleeps" before Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Pp is for Presents

P is for presents wrapped up very tight

I finally wrapped a few presents this week. And guess what? There might be something for you underneath my Christmas tree (except for Jack and Ryan, whose presents are underneath their own tree!)

Merry 9 days before Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Oo is for Ornaments

O is for ornaments, shiny and bright

I bought some brand new ornaments for my tree this year. You may have noticed some of them pictured on the blog this month. Can you guess why random letters of the alphabet will be hanging on my tree?

Merry 10 days before Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Nn is for Noel

N is for noel, the angels did sing

Sometimes we sing a song at church called "The First Noel". It is about the very first Christmas celebrated which was when baby Jesus was born. Besides decorating homes with Christmas trees and stockings and lights, many people set up a nativity scene, too. Have you noticed one at your house? Today might be a nice day to read a nativity story and learn who is who in your family's nativity scene.

Merry 11 days before Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Mm is for Manger

M is for the manger of Jesus our king

As you know from singing "Away in a Manger", there was no crib . . . no play 'n pack . . . no bunkbed . . . not even a sleeping bag for baby Jesus when he was born, so he slept in a manger. You can read a sweet story about baby Jesus called "If You're Warm, You're Getting Closer" and try the game suggested in it!

Merry 12 days before Christmas!

Love, Grandma

Ll is for Lights

L is for lights on a big Christmas tree

I love the lights at Christmas time--both inside and outside. Be sure to take at least one light ride this month and/or go see the lights at Temple Square. In the meantime, you can create some "lights" with your thumbprints and some paint!

Merry delightful day!

Love, Grandma

Kk is for Kisses

K is for kisses from you to me

There is a Christmas tradition of kissing under the mistletoe and a holiday song called "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" that has something to do with mistletoe. Another Christmas tradition is to send out cards or letters to family and friends. When they are "sealed with a kiss" that means you sent them your love. However, I doubt you boys care about either of those traditions, so the "kisses" I'm sending to you are the sweetest kind of all. Maybe you can use them to make one of these. . .

Merry "Kiss"mice.

Love, Grandma

Jj is for Joy

J is for the joy that the season brings

Just for fun look around your house for the three letters in this happy word. . .can you see "JOY" on a shelf or on the tree or on a Christmas card or on some music?! I'm sure you will find "JOY" inside your Merry Christmas ABC's booklet. And you might find some "joy" for your tummy if you make red and green jello jigglers.

Merry jolly fun day!

Love, Grandma

Ii is for Ice

I is for ice skates and icy, cold things

After you finish your coloring project of the day, doesn't a bowl of something icy, cold like ice cream sound good? Or maybe an ice cream snowman sounds even better?!

Happy icy, cold day!

Love, Grandma

Hh is for Holly

H is for holly to decorate the door

My theme song so far this month has been "Deck the halls with boughs of holly. Fa La La La Laaa La La La La". It seems like it takes me longer every year to decorate our house for the holidays. Do you think that means I have too many decorations? Or do I waste too much time creating Advent Alphabet Adventures for you?

Happy holly day!

Love, Grandma

Gg is for Gingerbread

G is for gingerbread cookies galore

If you are still feeling creative (or even hungry) after making and coloring gingerbread men for your book or tree try making gingerbread playdough or

gingerbread cookies!

Merry gingerbread making!
Love, Grandma

Ff is for Fireplace

F is for fireplace brightly ablaze

A fun tradition you might try with your family is to read a Christmas story every night at bedtime gathered around the fireplace. I know . . . I know. . . you don't have a fireplace. So maybe you could read by candlelight . . . or by flashlight . . . or by Christmas tree light instead.

If you don't have a fireplace, that means you don't have a chimney. Have you ever wondered how Santa gets into your house on Christmas Eve? You will find the answer in a book called "On Christmas Eve" by Peter Collington.

Merry bedtime reading!

Love, Grandma

Ee is for Elves

E is for elves who build toys for the big day

Some families read a book called "The Elf on the Shelf" and then hide an elf around their house during December. You can do the same thing with any sort of elf toy or other Christmas stuffed animal.

Merry elfing!

Love, Grandma

Dd is for Decorations

D is for decorations on homes and the street

Be a Christmas tree detective and look on your Christmas tree (or around the house) for an angel . . . a bear . . . a candy cane . . . something green . . . something red . . . a star . . . a stocking . . . twinkly lights . . . and a snowflake. Or take a winter walk through your neighborhood and count how many doors are decorated for the holidays.

Merry Christmas detecting.

Love, Grandma

Cc is for Candy Canes

C is for candy canes, yummy and sweet

candy cane mice might be nice to create after you're done coloring candy canes for your notebook or tree.

Merry sweet day of December!

Love, Grandma

Bb is for Bells

B is for bells that jingle and ring

In addition to coloring bells for your book or tree, you can make a jingle bell bracelet by threading jingle bells onto a pipe cleaner and then twisting it around your wrist. Don't forget to sing "Jingle Bells" while you're busy creating!

Merry December Day!

Love, Grandma

Aa is for Angels

A is for angels with feathery wings

After you create and color an angel for your "Merry Christmas ABC's" book or your number notebook or your paper Christmas tree . . . you might like to check out the cute Christmas book called "Country Angel Christmas" by Tomie dePaola.

Merry first day of December!

Love, Grandma

Aa is for Answer

I guess the "word of the day" question was just too hard. But just in case you were wondering-- it is a real word . . . I did not make it up. I may or may not be an abecedarian . . . but all you boys who occasionally read this blog are definitely abecedarians. Therefore, you all get (or may already have) the best ever fabulous prize. It will come in handy tomorrow when another Advent Alphabet Adventure starts!

Let the countdown to Christmas begin!

Love, Grandma

Aa is for Abecedarian

Our word of the day for today is

abecedarian

What is it?

1. A word Grandma just made up because she couldn't think of anything better to blog about today?

2. A person learning the alphabet or anything of or relating to the alphabet?

3. A person so obsessed with the alphabet that they sew cross stitch samplers of it . . . and make posters of it . . . collect stickers, mugs and picture books of it . . . and even make up an entire crazy blog about it? (This answer could also be correct!)

Give me your best guess or a better answer than these choices and I will just have to give you the best fabulous prize ever!

Happy abecedarian day!

Love, Grandma

Bb is for Brody

Who is the boy behind this letter B poster?

Have you seen someone hiding behind the letter B poster before?

Could it be the same boy?

Could it be the boy who has one big brother and one little brother?

Could it be a boy who celebrated his 6th birthday in October?

Could it be a boy who is learning how to read in kindergarten?

Could it be a boy who loves pajamas so much he wears them as often as possible?

Could it be a boy who has already written his Christmas wish list?

Could it be a boy who mostly just wants more pajamas for Christmas?

Could you please tell me who you think this boy is as well as your favorite thing about him?

Happy "Oh Boy" day!

Love, Grandma

Cc is for Coltin

Can you guess which cousin is hiding behind the letter C?

Which cousin loves to play with cars . . .

wear "cars" and watch "Cars"?

Which cousin doesn't have any brothers or sisters,

but does have one very nice Daddy?

Which cousin sleeps in a big blue bed his Daddy slept in when he was a boy?

Which cousin knows how to read all the letters of the alphabet

and write his name even though he doesn't start kindergarten until next year?

Which cousin turns five years old on his next birthday?

Tell me who you think this cousin might be and . . .

draw his picture or glue a photo of him in your Alpha-Book

and you could possibly win a fabulous prize!

Happy Cousin-guessing!

Love, Grandma

Nn is for Nash

N is for new baby!

My 10th grandson who is also my 11th grandchild

was born on 10-11-11 at 11:54 p.m.

He weighed 7 lb. 10 oz. and was 19" long.

He is the new little brother to Jack and Ryan.

N is for Nash!
Welcome to the family!

Love, Grandma

Dd is for Dolls

Is this what you are thinking right now?

"Dd is for dolls . . . that's dumb.

Doesn't Grandma know

mostly boys who love balls, cars, legoes and super heroes read this blog?"

I will have you know that dolls are delightful. Not only that, but one of the most popular toys at my house, that you have all been known to play with, is the dollhouse . . . the place where a doll family lives. Some of you are or have been fans of Woody and Buzz which are kind of like boy dolls! And last, but not least playing with dolls is both fun and good practice. Once upon a time there were four little girls who played with dolls and now have become:

the mother of Zach, Brody and Luke

the mother of Eddy and Lindsay Lu

the mother of Wade and Owen

and the mother of Jack, Ryan and . . .
Can you guess who is the new darling baby DeWitt?
I dare you to play with a doll today!
Love, Grandma

Ee is for Eddy

Who is hiding behind the letter "E"?

Who is possibly the wiggliest person I have ever taken a picture of?

Who is a big brother to one little sister?

Who has a Dad and a dog he loves to wrestle with?

Who has a Mom who teaches preschool with him?

Who is so smart he knows what a rhombus is?

(Does Grandma even know how to spell that word?)

Who is so helpful he can pick ripe tomatoes from the garden and fill a bowl for dinner?

Who will be turning four years old the day after Christmas?

Guess who "Ee is for . . . " and tell me your favorite thing

about this mystery person hiding behind the letter "E".

You just may win a fabulous (possibly edible) prize!

Happy "eek-a-boo"

Love, Grandma