Monday, December 6, 2010

Our Advent Calendars

wow...time flies by when you work, take care of kids, a home...and all the other misc stuff that goes on in my crazy life. Well Thanksgiving went well....I ate at Cracker Barrel....wasnt really up for the whole eat as a family thing with Keith and his family.....never really felt like I was family even when we were together...so the air is a bit chillier now....! Anyway...all went well...got to pick up some presents at awesome prices. I went to bed early and headed out to the black friday sales...so that was a treat...I have been in a few years. I would have loooved to have sat at my computer and NOT fight the mass of people or the thunderstorms that ponded down on me the whole day,.....but it all turned out ok.

December has begun....and the kids have been helping me decorate the house. We have the tree up....decorated...by them....and I have up most of the other decorations. They want some outside decorations...but I am not sure if I will get around to it. I am going to try to at least put up a wreath and maybe some garland...but thats a big ' IF '!! We have been doing an advent calendar for the last few years....just moving the stick to count down the days...but this year...I have started 2 more...one for them...and one for me.

The one for them....acts as a little mini present for the day....I placed different items in bags...labled them ....and each day the kids take turns opening the bags to get the suprise. It's been great....except I have found that they all seem to want the same item....I made sure to put 3 seperate ones in the bag....but they seem to want the same one....so a mental note for next year is to make all the items identical...LOL !! The items are nothing big....so far its been christmas socks, suckers, christmas pencils and erasers....and a few others are games, coloring books, christmas silly bands....and things like that. I only bought items that contained multiples in the pack so it was cost efficient too. I could have just stuck with candy...like most advent calendars...but with Halloween...and Christmas parties coming up.... I chose to limit the candy.

The one for me....is more of a reflection advent calendar. I have written down 25 action words to define for each day leading up to christmas. Each word is written on a piece of paper...then put into a jar...each day I draw one out. I have decided that I will make a reflection scrapbook or binder that I will bring out each year....and each year start a new book. I have listed the definition either through the bible or a dictionary.....and then my own thoughts or feelings of the word...and its reflection on my life. It's so easy to get caught up in the chaos of the holidays...the shopping...buying...traveling that I decided to take time each day to reflect.....to enjoy the moments and the time I have with my family!

So thats about it for us....the boys have a parade this weekend that they will be in for cub scouts, then they have class parties on the 17th...and are out for the holidays...this year has just flown by....it will soon be 2011!!

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