Contemplative KIDS Christmas IV- Cradled in Arms

Last week I interviewed each of my kids to find out what they would cradle in their arms, if they had to choose. As they held their favorite things in their arms, they thought about the first Shuffle the Deck question from SoulPerBlog's Contemplative Christmas- Cradled in Arms and described their favorite cuddly thing to me.

What follows in red is their own response to the question, "What does being cradled in arms have to do with the Nativity?


Anna:


- This is my cow softie. I like it. It is so cozy. It is so I can suck my thumb. I like how it feels when it comes out of the dryer. It feels warm and cozy. It feels silky on one side and fuzzy on the other side. The silky side is where I suck my thumb.
I like to have my softie when I am tired and when I am sad. Also when I'm happy and when I get up, and I like it so much because I cuddle with it and I like it sooo soooooo much.
- I also like to snuggle with Daddy because it's so great and so cozy. Daddy feels warm and cozy.

Mary cradled Baby Jesus on her lap so he could be warm and cozy. If she didn't hold him he would have to by laying on his hay and he would cry, "Mommy, Mommy! Come and carry me!"
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Ellie:

- Pip, my stuffed panda and Fuzzy, my stuffed elephant
- They are soft and cuddly. They are light, especially when they’re out of my hand and flying through the air.
- I like to play with them a lot and make Fuzzy wiggle his tail. I make Pip go, “Please, please, please!” when he is begging for something with his face turned up.
- I got Fuzzy for Christmas. I bought Pip with my own money because I thought he was the cutest Webkinz I could ever find. I love them because they’re both really, really cute. They are brother and sister. We play babysitting with them. I play capture with them and tie them up in bandanas. They don’t have a breathing pattern because they are stuffed animals. They’re not alive, but I make them talk and do things.
- Since I got them, Pip has gotten dirtier and they’ve both gotten some rips on them. I fixed Fuzzy’s, but Pip still needs to be sewn up.

Hi! this is Ellie here. I want to tell you what I think about cradled in arms and what it has to do with Christmas. well this is what I think:
1. Mary would have cradled Jesus in her arms.
2.she felt love.
3.she thought:it's SSSSOOOO! cold. I wish I could go insi...oh! now I remember there is no room in the inn.

Rebekah:

- Lady, my stuffed golden retriever
- She feels like a pound or so. The texture is sorta rough because she is not smooth. It’s not, like, really slick.
- I’ve had her for six years and chewed on her nose, so it is white where the paint came off. It’s supposed to be black.
- She didn’t come with a collar so we made one for her out of a hair ribbon. It makes her look sorta like a clown.
- I like to snuggle with her probably because I’ve had her so long. She is one my my favorite stuffed animals. I even carry her by her tail. She gives me somebody to talk to. I talk to her when I get in trouble and tell her how I feel. I always feel as if she’s listening.
- One of the reasons I like her so much is because my Grandma gave her to me.

I feel that how Jesus cradles us in his arms is because he loves us and is used to how we act. So, because he loves us and cares about us, he cradled us in his arms. It's simply because he loves us.

Contemplative KIDS Christmas III- Singing

Even though there is only one person actually singing, making this music video required harmony. After each take, we reviewed the footage, discussed what could be done better, edited out, drawn to the forefront, enunciated.
This was our third take.

Creative vision shared. Moving toward the same goal. Purposeful action. Agreement.



I wonder what the Trinity discussed at the dawn of Creation. I wonder how they agreed on a course of action immediately after the Fall. I wonder how the angelic throngs shouted and cheered to witness The Plan set in motion. I wonder how the Three-In-One could have withstood being separated at the cross. I wonder what the end of this universal drama will feel like.
I know it will be complete harmony.
And it'll be perfect on the first take.

Contemplative KIDS Christmas I- Barn Smells

Hi! This is Ellie & Rebekah.

We want to tell about a little thing we did.
We, our family did a little thing together,
starting with some cookies....

Okay, we've got to tell you....
We were pretending that the cookies were manure!!!!
And then we played with the PLAY MOBILE nativity set.
We pretended that it was the very 1st Christmas.

I bet the cattle likes the food!!!!

Ellie says:"What about the donkey????!!!
Doesn't he like it too???!!!"
We hope you like our blog!!
Good-bye!!!
"Boo-hoo-hoo!"
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Hi! This is Rebekah!
I want to tell you about another part of our project.
My mom & I went to a stable to document all the smells there.
What it smells like to me is homey & comfterble.
Like hay & horses, & like leather.

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Jesus was born in a stable and a stable is like a barn. Stables smell bad. They have lots of animals and their droppings. I think that Jesus was really, really humble to go and be born in a stable with all the droppings. It represents that he wanted to come as a humble child.
If he had been born in a hospital or a house, people would think he was more honorable. But he wanted to come and be humble for us because if you are born in a stable people wouldn't think of you as very mighty. - Ellie

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By Anna,
who really likes to hear the keyboard clicking away

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No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
(featured at the nether-ends of our nativity animals above, but if you find that gratuitous you can just put them on a festive plate)

2 cups sugar
¼ cup cocoa
1 stick butter
½ cup milk
½ cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oatmeal

Bring sugar, cocoa, peanut butter and milk to rolling boil. Take it off the heat and add the 3 other ingredients. Stir well. Drop by spoonfuls on waxed paper to harden.