So fun to read what everyone is playing with--thanks for starting this thread again this year! I'm starting to get excited about Christmas--almost time to break out the cookie cutters!
We always get the kids three things: something to read, something to wear, something to play with, and this year, for a change, I am most excited about the "to wear" component! (I am not a clothes person, nor are the lads...)
You may know that the next winter Olympics are in Canada, and that one of the "official garments" of the Games are Cowichan sweaters. There has been a huge controversy here because the organisers are selling knockoff versions from offshore, rather than authentic, Cowichan-made sweaters (the Cowichan are a First Nation from Vancouver Island in British Columbia); nobody was happy about the cultural appropriation, nor about the sending-away of needed work from a historically economically disadvantaged community. My kids got interested in reading about the protests in the newspaper, and I tucked this away in the back of my mind, did a little Googling, and found a wonderful Cowichan knitter to custom-make them all sweaters in traditional designs for Christmas. They've arrived in the mail now, and they're lovely.
With a couple of nice books each, a little homemade chocolate, some new PJs made by mum, a goldfish bowl for Groucho, a board game for Harpo, and a music box for Chico, we're set fair for a happy Christmas morning, which I wish for all of you as well!
I love this time of the year! We've seen the annual big-truck light parade already, and are looking forward to Tuba Christmas, gingerbread house making, and some carolling--hope your holidays are full of fun!
peace
minnie
My kids, bless them, saw my PLAN International catalogue, and asked if I would please spend some of our Christmas money on sending a sewing machine to a mother in Africa, "so she can make clothes for her kids, too." Will do.
