The 24 Days of Christmas

We are starting to make some wonderful Christmas traditions in our little family.  As I previously mentioned... I found a cool idea online for an advent calendar that includes a Christmas related activity for every day leading up to Christmas.  I loved the idea of making Christmas a month long celebration and a chance to shift the emphasis to a season of joy and giving rather than a single day.  It turned out to be a great success.  Every morning at breakfast we would discover what the day had in store for us.  On busy days the activities were simple such as dancing to Christmas tunes, putting up the Christmas village or watching a Christmas movie under the tree.  On our days without school/work they were more elaborate such as making our gingerbread house, putting up the tree, writing letters to Santa, buying toys for those in need and making Christmas cookie ornaments.  Another tradition we are establishing is writing down what we are thankful for each morning during advent.  It's fun to hear what the boys have to share.  Ian's thoughts can range from concrete items such as his Legos to very complex ideas such as laughter.  Brendan was consistent, nearly every day he said he was thankful for his snuggley blanket, the hot tub and the sit-n-spin swing.  It was adorable because he was clearly very proud of himself for knowing the "answer" when I asked him what he was thankful for on that particular day.  We also celebrated Advent with lighting the traditional candle each week while Stephen played songs from Weston Priory on his guitar.  It's a tradition we have kept as a couple since we first met and it is fun to continue to share it with the boys.  They both enjoy taking turns in lighting and blowing out the candles.