25 days of Christmas... part 1

     Our Countdown Calendar Surprises have been a HUGE hit!  Of course the kids look forward to what we get to do each day but I also have been having a lot of fun planning special things to do!  I look forward to their excitement!
     I have often hesitated to embark on this sort of thing for fear of failure...  "what if I forget or just don't have time?"  or "that craft will make such a mess...  I'm just not willing to try it."  But I have been learning not to fear failure, just to do my best.  (like I tell Ella when she struggles with handwriting.  If only I took all the advice I give my children...  by God's grace, one day at a time.)  So, I'm so glad we started such a fun journey to Christmas!  And it really hasn't been hard to keep up with!
Surprise! -sarcasm.
     This is what we have done for the first 8 days...
1. Get a Christmas Tree and Watch a Christmas Movie.  ~We actually did this on Nov 28th but since I decided to start this on Dec. 1 I counted that as our first Christmas festivity.

3 little Bares on the hunt for the perfect Christmas Tree!  -  Ella's pretty happy about this adventure!  Love her!

Lucas is on the run, Daddy is coming with the tree!!  -  Our Tree!  Ta-Da!

2. Decorate Tree!  ~It was so much fun to see the kids get excited about their ornaments from years past!  And I totally forgot to take pictures!  I'm still getting into the habit.

3. Christmas Shop for Brother/Sister.  ~We took the kids to toys R us and let Ella and Lucas each pick a toy for the other.  Lucas did so much better at making a choice than he did last year!  It was a successful trip!

4. Cut out paper snowflakes.  ~Not the best project for a 5 year old and not at all for a 3 year old.  I helped  Ella and we ended up with some lovely snowflakes and she had lots of fun putting them anywhere she wanted around the house.  (allowing this kind of freedom to the kids is not easy for me.  I usually want to tell her just where to put it...  Again, I'm learning!!  And it makes me smile when I see each snowflake in a funny place)

On the hand rail for the stairs - on the bathroom mirror - on back door handle.

5. Make Christmas gifts.  ~We had a couple of special craft projects we did this year for Christmas presents.  Unfortunately I can't post pictures or share details or else it would spoil the surprise.  After Christmas I'll try to remember to share those ideas.

6. Go to the Library and borrow Christmas books.  ~We haven't taken the time to go to the Library in a very long time.  It must become more of a regular thing!  I wasn't too pleased with the selection of Christmas books.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised but we brought home all that we could find and have been enjoying them!

7. Make a fort and do School in it.  ~This is a favorite so far!  I loved making forts out of sheets and blankets when I was a kid! And it sure was fun even now!

Fort supplies:   String,  Tall sticks or broom,  clothes pins and hair ties,  and LOTS of sheets and blankets.

The finished fort.  It covered the whole school room!  -  Playing /"sleeping" inside!  Lots of fun!  and a great place to read the library books we just got.

8. Christmas Shopping (today)  ~We spent the whole day out finishing Christmas shopping.  The fun part for the kids was getting the choose some gifts for friends at the dollar store.  They also picked some things for all the guys that work with Daddy.  

And Tomorrow:

9. Christmas Movie at the Theater.   ~We plan to go to Arthur Christmas.  The kids always get excited about going to the theater and all that it involves.  popcorn, drinks, sometimes candy...  we'll see.  It should be fun as long as Kinslie will sit still for some of it!  We'll let you know how it goes and how the movie was.

That's all for now...  More surprises to come!

New Christmas Traditions

This year I have begun two new (to us) Christmas traditions... so far.

First, I'll share a few of my favorite traditions that we have from years past.
On Christmas Eve, after the candle light service at church, the kids get to open two presents. This NEVER happened in my house growing up!  All gifts must be saved for after breakfast on Christmas Day.  It made the anticipation almost unbearable but I loved it!  One of the kids gifts is always an ornament that is a memory from the year.  (this is one Brian had as a child)  The other is pajamas to wear that night.  (I just love new jammies!)
On Christmas Day we must have Cinnamon Rolls (for me) and Oreo Cookie Pie "OCP" (for Brian.  Yes, for breakfast)  The kids choice of breakfast changes from year to year but I think they are growing to love the OCP more every time we have it.  Sorry Daddy! -less for you.    Sticking to my childhood tradition we build excitement by waiting till after breakfast to open stockings first then we move to the tree for the rest of the gifts.  My favorite tradition from my childhood was being blindfolded to come out of the bedroom to the breakfast table. (so we couldn't see the tree and gifts.  Just more anticipation.  Can you even handle it?  I loved it!)  My Sweet Brian even blindfolded me the first year we were married!  Love him!  And we have done it with the kids if the are old enough and willing.  I'm not sure it will stick for us but it's fun for now!

On to the new traditions...

1. The Elf on the Shelf!  

Brian grew up with this tradition before there was a book and everything in the stores.  Last year his mom, Nana, gave each of the kids one of the elves that she has had for these 20-or-so years.  How special!  So each night they find a new place to hide around the house and the kids get to find their own in the morning.  They love this!

2. Countdown Calendar and Surprises!
We have had a countdown calendar for a couple of years but I've never found a good way to use it.  It has little boxes but I didn't know what to put in it.  I didn't like the idea of candy but couldn't think of anything else.  This year I came across a post suggesting a surprise for each day.  Something like, make a Christmas craft, cut out paper snowflakes, borrow Christmas books from the library or go look at Christmas lights.  Love it!  (thought it takes some planning on my part.)  I found some great ideas here and mixed them in with ideas of my own.  Another thing for the kids to look forward to each morning!

Hooray for Christmas FUN!!

By the way...  I just got this nifty little tool from Michaels...  I'm loving it for Christmas projects!  (like to write the surprise for each day on)

Welcome Christmas

Even though I have been listening to Christmas music since the beginning of November, now that it is December Christmas feels very close!  The house and the tree are decorated, shopping is almost done, Christmas cards have started to arrive and it's about time to start baking!  Oh, and I can't wait to do the gift wrapping!
Here are some of the things that make our home feel worm and festive, ready to celebrate the birth of our Lord!

The Tree!

It has to be in the corner this year.  We rearranged our living room a few months ago and this is the only place for it without moving every piece of furniture.  It's actually kind of nice to have it less accessible to Kinslie.  We will just pull the chair on the right away for Christmas day.

The kids really had fun getting out ornaments from the past few years!  I love how sweet and sentimental Lucas gets about this kid of thing.  He's such a sweetheart.

Oh my lovely stockings from Pottery Barn.  I have been waiting for these for years.  Last year Brian let me get one for Ella and Lucas and this year before I had even given it a lot of thought he took me to the store in the mall and said we could pick Kinslie's!  (They are still waiting to have names sewn on them.  I hope to get that done before Christmas arrives.)  Maybe next year we can get the matching ones for Brian and I.

It the small touches are special.  Some Christmas cheer on the window sill over the kitchen sink.  And one of my favorite Antique store finds...  I think it is a couple of buckets from an old grin elevator.  Each season I ad something new to dress it up. 

My Favorite...  The Nativity scene!  In a perfect place, on my favorite piece of furniture, my blue china hutch.   (it's a dumpster find from about 6 years ago!  SCORE!  I'll have to post a picture of the full piece sometime.)

As a child I remember how special it was unwrapping each piece of the Nativity.  It was a pearly blue, ceramic set that my Grandma had made.  And my most favorite part of decorating!  Sweet memories!  I love that we are creating that kind of memories for my own kids now!

I hope your home is feeling Merry and Bright!  Happy Christmas Season!