As I said, we have been busy. Since Halloween, we have gotten our Christmas shopping done, went to the zoo, and had some time with friends and family!
Yes- I did say that we are done Christmas shopping. A couple month ago, I was talking to my friend Andrea. We agreed that we would each watch the others kids while the parents went shopping. Making it easy to get everything done with out the kids, and giving both parents a chance to pick things out- rather than one person doing it all. Well, after we looked at our schedules, we realized that we basically had 2 weekends before Christmas where we both had nothing going on. So, we picked days. On November 4th, they watched our kids while we went out to get our gifts. We were able to hit just one mall, and walmart, and call it done!
Then came the task of hiding the stuff for over a month! (yes, almost 2). Well, after a couple close calls with them almost seeing stuff, I decided last weekend that I had to wrap- even if it was just their stuff. With only a couple free hours, I set to work and got the kids, and Brett's gifts wrapped. We still have some things that we are making that have to get done before those gifts can get wrapped- but we are making good progress!
The kids are getting excited, we have been watching www.reindeercam.com, and they love it! Today was the first day that Santa fed the Reindeer! It is making them (and me) even more excited! We have been talking A LOT about what Christmas is about, and that it is not about what we get! Of course, this is brought on by the MILLIONS of commercials and fliers that they see! I know they are young, and it is excited to get gifts, we have no problem with this, but want them to know that Christmas is about Family and Friends, giving and having fun!
A couple months ago, we got my dad's old Fridge and stove. They are white, and while we love them, and how they look, I was also excited to do something. Last year, I saw a picture of someones white fridge that they made into a snowman. I had a black fridge, so I couldn't do it. While- this year, I can- and did! I love it.
The fridge has french doors, and I really thought I should do a snow woman on the other side. But, changed my mind when I found our family fun countdown to Christmas idea.
I found Christmas scrapbooking stickers at the dollar store. I also saw sheets of magnet that had sparkles on them. So, I quickly bought them, came home and set to work to make our advent calendar. Last year, I used paper pieces with numbers on them. It was fine, but I wanted something we could keep using year after year, and that looked a bit nicer.
I was even more excited when I spread them out and realized that it could make a tree shape! Our advent calendar of family fun starts on November 25 and goes to December 25th! This year I did break down and buy the chocolate ones too- because, well, I like all things Christmas, and those are included! (when I was little, my mom would buy one, and my brother and I would have to take turns eating the chocolate!).
The way ours works, is that each magnet has a date on it- from November 25 down to Christmas day. Each magnet we take off, we look at the calendar to see what we are doing that day. (I was going to write the activities on the magnet, but like I said, I want to keep it- and things could change yearly!). Under the magnets we have a holiday calendar- which has our activities and the other things we are doing- like parties etc.
Some of our activities are zoo lights, visit santa, decorate, hot chocolate night, grinch night, polar express night, drive to see lights, make cookies, make treats, make a cd, gingerbread house. Stuff like that, that includes everyone in our fun! (I will post about these things as they happen!)
And of course- what you and all of us are waiting for- George will be making his return next Sunday morning!
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