And yet there was more Christmas!

Is 25 days too many for Christmas? I would submit to you that most of the time, no. But right this very second, yes. Yes it is. Yet we persevere.

17. I could not remember this far back, but thankfully my camera remembered for me (and now I shared the biggest reason for taking pictures. To supplement my spectacularly terrible short term memory). We made ornaments for grandparents and teacher gifts. I got the ornament idea from Heather, but she had a kit from Hobby Lobby. I got some silvery ornaments from Michaels and used already-owned finger paints and sharpie to decorate. I love them. We also filled a mason jar with hot chocolate packets and Christmas candies and a Starbucks gift card for Spencer’s teacher. Henry’s daycare lady will get a Chili’s gift card because I know it’s a place she goes, and one of the ornaments.

18: Night at Bethlehem. Every year my neighbors’ church does this giant ‘do where there is a bazaar a la old time Bethlehem and a reenactment of the birth of Jesus, and I think it’s Spencer’s favorite. Last year we went and partway through the No Room at the Inn song, he stood up and yelled hey! I’ve read this book! Good times. We were on a short schedule this year because I had an early flight but we still got some goodness in before heading home. The kids got their candle, dreidels and chocolate chip cookies so they were set.

19: Watch a Christmas movie! This was our last official “watch a Christmas movie” and we watched Christmas With the Kranks. In retrospect, probably a little too old for them but they stuck it out until about 15 minutes until the end when they had enough.

20: Make a gingerbread house! Spencer had been awaiting this very day for 20 days, and he was not disappointed. He had a great time. Daddy took over the making and decorating, so Mommy wasn’t overly annoyed too. Good times.

21. Baking! The last of the baking. At the time, I didn’t know it was going to be the last of the baking because technically I have more to make but that stuff’s going in the freezer until some random time I decide I feel like making Oreo truffles. Right now is not that time. I did make chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip, forgotten kisses, gingerbread cookies (although I used Trader Joe’s dark gingerbread mix for this and I have to say, A+), and toffee! My toffee came through this time! With only one major finger burn! Paired with the previously made peppermint fudge and chocolate dipped marshmallows, I am done, man. I wanted to make Oreo truffles (regular and mint) and sugared nuts, and I have all the makings for all of those but dude. I’m tired.

(Henry enjoyed learning why baking day is such a good advent day for him)

22. WE FORGOT TO DO IT. Ha! Honestly, it was a Monday so I can already tell you it’s “read a Christmas book,” which we can easily fit in tonight if we want. This morning Spencer was again reading the 12 days of Christmas as loud as he could, so maybe that ship has sailed.

Tonight we have “make place cards for Christmas breakfast” which will be very easy. I have pretty cardboard-style gift tags, and we are going to write names on the back and tie them to napkin rings. You might do things fancier at your house, but I think this matches our stamina level. Christmas Eve is always “drive around in PJs with hot chocolate looking at Christmas lights until the little ones fall asleep.” It might say exactly that on the placard.

I have some wrapping to finish but otherwise I think we are in good shape to sail into the holiday with minimal exhaustion. After going through what we could eat on Christmas Eve, I’ve decided we are going out for dinner (Thai? Probably?) which means I can set my breakfast table midday instead of the middle of the night. I’m also making most of Christmas breakfast on Christmas Eve, so in the morning I can just stuff everything in the oven for warming. I’ve gotten over my anxiety about the children being disappointed about Christmas at this point. I know they’ll like things. I know they’ll be disappointed there are no handheld video games under the tree, but I do hope they get over it. S asked for a non-tech item Sunday morning and it was bought by Santa by noon. We are done. Done. I’m done.

Merry Christmas!