Every December I make a Countdown to Christmas Chain for my kids and write something fun to do on each link. (An idea I stole from Chelsea years ago and have been passing off as my own ever since.) Also every year, I stay up late on November 30th trying to think of 24 awesome activities. I really should keep a list of these things, so this post is mainly for my own purposes so I can get some rest next November 30th.
Week One!
December 1st: Go see Santa at the mall.
Harrison was the only one "brave" enough to get within three feet of Santa. After their little meeting, Harrison said, "I told Santa I wanted a Wii and, to my relief, he said, 'What else?'" Yes, that was a close one.
December 2nd: Drink hot cocoa with candy canes.
Chloe liked this, but Harrison was surprised to learn that hot cocoa is hot. He spit his first sip out and cried a little.
December 3rd: Go to the Creches and Carols exhibit at church.
Every year our church puts on an amazing exhibit of creches. They also have musical acts, a room where kids can make ornaments, and a photo booth where you can recreate the manger scene complete with Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the Angel of the Lord, a Shepherd, and some kid refusing to dress like a lamb. This is one of our favorite activities of the season. See if there's one in your neighborhood!
December 4th: Eat breakfast at church.
Our church has an annual pancake breakfast the first Saturday in December. We eat together, assemble humanitarian kits, sing Christmas songs, and then Santa comes and brings each kid a ridiculously large bag of candy. Harrison said he knew the Santa at the party wasn't the real Santa. "The real Santa is at the mall and looks like Albus Dumbledore."
December 5:
Watch the Christmas Devotional
I don't have a picture for this. Every year the prophet of our church and his counselors speak at a devotional that also includes the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing Christmas carols. It's broadcast from Salt Lake City and we gather around the computer and drink hot cocoa while we listen to talks reminding us where our hearts should be this holiday season (and always).
December 6: Go to the dollar store and buy gifts for each other.
This is one of our favorite traditions. We have the kids draw names for a sibling and a parent and then we go to the dollar store and split up and the kids look for the perfect gifts for the people they chose. These are always the first presents opened Christmas morning.
December 7: Go to the library and find Christmas books.
I caught Harrison sneaking a peak at
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I suppose there are worse things. Good thing I had my camera phone handy. We read all the Christmas books we found for storytime. We all had visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads that night.
8 Wisecracks:
I love this idea!
I'm doing this next year. Not this year. I guess I still have the 12 days of Christmas if I hurry. I love the nuances of Harrison's facial expressions. Bored. Sarcastic Bored. Suffering Fools. All classics.
I am so copying you next year - - - in fact, I may copy you this year. We'll see how late I want to stay up tonight. :)
I've considered doing a chain for the 12 days of Christmas, so I appreciate your posting what you've done so I can have some ideas. Call me naive, but what's a creche?
Wait--are you telling me your ward doesn't use the pretentious word for "nativity set" that nobody else except Mormons use?
great idea! I am going to have to hurry and do this one as well.......and then I will tell everyone that I came up with the idea. ha ha! ;)
Your santa looks MUCH better than our santa at the mall. Our santa looks kind of drunk. For real!! You will have to see pictures.......when I get brave enough to take the kids to our yearly mall trip.
We are totally stealing your dollar store tradition. That is awesome!
PS: You do really fun things with your kids. I aspire to be you!
loooove all of it!
Hope Harrison gives hot chocolate a second chance! lol. Too cute. P.S. Parker has the same star wars shirt. lol. :)
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