Adventing

Apparently 7 days in a row is too much for me on the blogging front and then I need a month to recover, eh? Anyhow. Back now. I have a lot to say, actually, but for now I’ll amuse myself talking about our Advent Calendar.

We did a few of the same things we always do (Christmas movie watching FTW) and a few new things. There have been a few Christmas festival busts (I refused to even look for a parking space on Saturday when the line to get into one was wrapped around a shopping center 30 minutes after it opened) but there have been a couple of winners.

Family board game nights-

Even though this isn’t intrinsically Christmas-y, the kids have adored these nights. I’m going to try to keep it up every couple of weeks post-Christmas, but for the season I was able to fit two of these nights onto the calendar and they were a big hit. Just an hour of family time. Score.

One of the Christmas festivals we went to was kind of a dud bc there were a ton of people and not much to do, but the kids played in snow (after standing in line) and we adults thought it was lame but they had a good time.

Have a Christmas treat-

This is one of my filler activities when I know we won’t have much time. Have a treat! See also, have hot chocolate (although the little one doesn’t like hot anything so he gets ice cubes in his hot chocolate). We also gave up on “make Christmas cookies” this year, and inserted “have Christmas cookies” that day too. Win.

Ice skating –

This was NOT on our list, but we bailed on that festival above with the giant line to get in and went to the mall for Christmas shopping. We got no shopping done, but spur of the moment I let S ice skate for the first time and he loved it so very much that I think it will be on future calendars.

Color Reindeer masks –

I usually pick up a self-contained craft or two at Joann’s and hand them over. This was the first day on the calendar this year, and they were $1. Color cheap wood masks. Happiness abound.

Decorate a gingerbread tree - 

I nixed the gingerbread house this year and bought a mass produced gingerbread tree kit and it was excellent forethought. There's no balancing of parts so we could just decorate star pieces and then stack, decorate the outside and done! Fun and not at all frustrating. It isn't much to look at, but really what is? This will be our centerpiece for Christmas breakfast.

 The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights – 

This was not an advent activity but it was important for us for Christmassing. We are dropping our Disney passes this spring so this will be the last everything we do (also it's the last year for the Osborne lights!). We went Thanksgiving weekend but I’m hoping to fit it in at least one more time.

We still have a lot to do, and honestly I think this is the biggest week for us. I’m tired. But we have the annual Rockapella Christmas concert, which I’m jazzed about, and the Night in Bethlehem event with friends. Saturday we’re going to spend the day at Epcot and see the candlelight processional (and we have reservations to eat at Garden Grill, which the kids have asked for three years to eat at). Tonight we are making presents for teachers (phoning it in this year, I’m having the kids make cards).

So that’s our adventing. Anything we should add for next year?