Dreaming of Christmas break

I'm super jealous of all those that are already out for Christmas break. I still have 3 days next week. Friday I felt like I was fighting a losing battle. The kids just got more and more wild as the day went on. We spent the morning doing some crafts. I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend's stepmom coming and help. We decorated gingerbread cookies, decorated the foam gingerbread men I found at Target, with assorted dried beans, made Christmas cards and ornaments for their parents. It was a busy busy morning. Luckily I had some extra hands helping me. The best part of the day was where our Elf set up shop. Rainbow had set up a tent and was drinking hot chocolate and reading a Christmas book. (It was my wonderful boyfriend's idea and he came in and set it up.) The kids were so excited and they did so good not touching the tent. One of my teaching neighbors came in to check out our elf and the kids freaked out because they were afraid she would touch him. This has to be one of my new favorite Christmas activities. I can't wait to have kids and do it with them. I have to go to an inservice day on Monday about phonics and fluency instruction. I'm not thrilled about leaving my kids the week of break but I am required to go. I feel for my sub on Monday.
I am spending today doing some Christmas gift crafting. I've been working on ornaments mod podged with scrap book paper, paper clip book marks with bows, binder clips for organization, jewelry, a way to display my Christmas cards, and a sign for my boyfriend's father. I'm covered in mod podge and my house is a wreck. Eventually, I need to wrap everything and clean up but I needed blogging break. Here are some pictures of our crafts yesterday and some of my crafts from today.

This is the Christmas card holder I made. Just ribbon and scrapbook paper and clothes pins.

Our elf after climbing the rope to the flagpole.

Rainbow camping.

Bookmarks

Scrapbook paper, mod podge and ornaments

Present for one of my teaching friends