Preparing for Nativity with little ones

Though we are in the middle of a move with 3 littles ones underfoot, and not even half way packed yet, I am still trying to remember to prepare for Nativity as much as possible. The kids and I have been hard at work learning one Christmas carol (in Russian), one Christmas poem (in Russian), and one Russian song about a Christmas tree. If these three are learned well enough and far enough before Christmas, I'd like to introduce them to another carol. In the meantime, I am definitely also going to start teaching them the Nativity troparion in the Russian melody (which they will hear much less of because we are in the Serbian Church!) They will pick up the Serbian melody from church services and from our daily evening prayers (during which we sing Serbian melodies). I'm excited because they are getting really good at the carol and song!

My plan is that we will have a little Christmas performance in our house via Skype with my family on Christmas...and then again when my parents come to visit the day after Christmas!

My sister is arriving for a 10-day visit later on this week, and we'll be starting some Christmas crafts and cookie baking with her, once I have an extra pair of hands :) I have been so exhausted lately, and not ambitious enough to embark on any cooking or baking with my little ones! Looking back, last year I was in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy and somehow managed to bake with them....this year, things sure are different!