Bea and Jules, all together:

Bea and Jules have had a busy month! 

Thank you for following their advent journey, and for cheering them (and me!) along the way. 

Long live the dreamers, 

the scissor-wielders, 

the glitter-lovers, 

outdoor gatherers, sweets-bringers, 
light-finders, 

the merry makers! 

Cheers to you all!

Bea and Jules, Day 25!

Happy Advent!

Happy Christmas!

-

from Jules and Charlie

and Bea -

and me. 

Bea and Jules, Day 24:

Bea and Jules have been bringing home a little bit of Christmas every day. 

But will it work? 

Bea put light jars at every window so her mom could see them on her way home. She hung up all the stick elves.  And there was the music concert. And clove oranges! And cookies!

But what if it’s not enough?

But it turns out, it is.

“YOU are the present, Bea! Every time I come home, it’s Christmas. All your making - every thing you touch, all the merry magic - that just adds twinkle. But I already have my Christmas right here.”

Books!

 

The Legend of the Poinsettia - Tomie dePaola

The Wish Tree - Kyo McClear, Chris Turnham

Bear's First Christmas - Robert Kinerk, Jim La Marche

How Six Found Christmas - Trina Schart Hyman

Christmas Tapestry - Patricia Polacco

Who is Coming to Our House? - Joseph Slate, Ashley Wolff

The Little Drummer Boy - Ezra Jack Keats

The Nativity - ill. by Julie Vivas

Bea and Jules - Day 23

Candles!

Jules gets to sit and be quiet for a long time. 

So she makes a poem.

Bea and Jules, Day 22:

Sugar plums.

Jules read stacks of Christmas books to Charlie.
Now Charlie wants to ride a North Pole train,
find polar bears and magic jingle bells.
And he wants to dream about dancing sugar plums. But who knows what sugar plums are?
Jules tells him they are a new kind of cereal.
Now "Sugar Plum Cereal" is on Charlie's Christmas list.

What books would you recommend to Charlie for dreams about dancing sugar plums? 

  

The Night Before Christmas - Clement C. Moore, Richard Jesse Watson
The Nutcracker - E.T.A. Hoffman, Maurice Sendak
The Polar Express - Chris Van Allsburg

Santa Calls - William Joyce

The Three Snow Bears - Jan Brett

The Mitten - Jim Aylseworth, Barbara McClintock

The Snowman - Raymond Briggs

Bea and Jules, Day 19:

Jules has the best, best news!

Gran is starting to feel better! 

Gran says that after last night's music, 

she almost feels as spry as a snap pea and fit as a fiddle.
Almost!

Today she is sharing pie secrets,
and Jules is all ears.

How is that for a little bit of Christmas magic?

Bea and Jules, Day 12

DAY 12: Secrets. 

Jules and Bea are Secret Angels this year.

They swapped names. 

Guess who they have? 

Yep. 

They send secret notes every day. 

“Have a good day!
- From, your Secret Angel”

Also they send things like…

Glitter. (Thanks, Jules.) 

A pretty leaf. 

A rock from the parking lot.

A bottle cap. 

A singing train.  (Sorry, Charlie!!)
More glitter!

Books!

    

The Jolly Christmas Postman - Janey & Allan Ahlberg

The Dove's Letter - Keith Baker

A Letter to Amy - Ezra Jack Keats

Fanny & Annabelle - Holly Hobbie

Bea and Jules, Day 9

Day 9: Snow!

Snow!

Bea and Jules finally got their wish!

Jules is outside, celebrating in it.  

Bea is curled up by the window, watching.

What are you celebrating today?

What's your favorite thing to do when it snows? 

Bea and Jules - Day 8

Bea still really wants it to snow.  

Jules, too!

They gather up glue and clean jars

and a few dollhouse toys. 

Bea glues toys inside each jar.

She makes Jules wait while they dry. 

  

Jules grabs the glitter!

Shake, shake, shake!

Now, close the lid.... Shake again

Snow globe!

Bea and Jules, Day 7 - Night Tree

Day 7: Night Tree.

Well! 

Jules may have planned for the animals to wake up and talk on Christmas 
Eve, but the animals didn’t know they were supposed to wait.  

Maybe they already had something to talk about.

          “Psst! Spread the word! Feast at the Night Tree!”

The treats Jules and Charlie made are already gone. 

Nibbled up. 

Vanished.

            “At least they had a party!” Jules sighs.  

That’s okay. There is still plenty to do to bring Christmas to everyone else. 

Books ! 

THE FRIENDLY BEASTS - Tomie DePaola
THE NIGHT TREE - Eve Bunting
OWL MOON - Jane Yolen, John Schoenherr

Bea and Jules, Day 6

Day 6: 

Gifts for the birds. And beasts.

According to legend, animals have the power to speak to humans for one mysterious hour every Christmas Eve. 

Jules wants to be ready! 

She and Charlie make treats for the birds and all the other animals - peanut butter-birdseed-pinecones, birdseed cakes, and strings threaded with berries - and hang them up on an outside tree.

Now, she and Charlie have to wait until Christmas Eve to find out! 

Will the animals come?

What will they say?