An eternal flame, quietly burning,

What does a homeschool Christmas party look like?
Eli is pictured above decorating cookies, happy as a lark, as always.
We had vegan, mainly raw pot-luck, and exchanged handmade gifts.
The kids exchanged things like sock puppets (see below), hand dyed juggling silks, apple sauce and cinnamon ornaments, and imaginative "generators" while the moms got "bath snow" and handmade jewelry. We then participated as families in an advent spiral.

The boys built in trees...

Even though we are nowhere near 100% Waldorf (more on that later), I did enjoy this quiet, reflective ceremony. The kids walked with an apple candle holder to the center of the spiral and lit their candle from the one burning in the center (hand-made by yours truly :)) . They then placed the lit candles on a stone along the spiral on the way out. I walked with both of my boys. I suggested they think about God, our blessings, what they are thankful for, and the reason we celebrate Christmas. They were probably focused on the fire that they were wielding, but I was thankful for the time outdoors, fresh air, and quiet contemplativeness of the usually wild ones.