Thursday, December 9

Day Eight

This year, I have decided that the girls were old enough to participate in the 25 Days of Christmas. That means, every day we do something together, as a family. The hope is that the focus of Christmas is a little less "Santa and presents" and a little more "love one another".

It's a lot of work! Life unravelled for me before I made all 25 envelopes. So I have eight envelopes hanging from a ribbon on my light fixture, and 17 clothes pins that are just hanging there. Empty. Mocking me. And I haven't put the activity in the envelope the night before because I have been too terrified to commit to any one activity. I feel badly because Bethie has been sooooo excited.




Before we had even started the activity on Day Two, I had 15 fits and cancelled the whole damn thing.

After I cooled down, the festivities continued.

It has been a challenge because we've pretty much been house-bound because Katie has been so sick. We did leave the house for two activities. Although Katie and I still had a good time, we endured a whole lot of Hell, too.

Here are the activities we've done thus far:
  1. Watch a Christmas movie
  2. Have a Christmassy dessert
  3. Paint ornaments for the tree
  4. Go to The Nutcracker ballet
  5. Decorate the Christmas tree/Get a little present
  6. Listen to Christmas music while having a candlelit bath
  7. Make snowflakes out of wrapping paper
  8. Play in the snow and have hot chocolate afterwards
I have no idea what we're doing tonight. I have run out of stay at home activities. I wonder if they'll like "Early To Bed Because Santa Is Checking His List Tonight!"?

3 comments:

Double the Giggles said...

What a fun idea! How about making a countdown to Christmas chain out of construction paper, choosing a toy that doens't get used much anymore and donating it to less fortunate children, use pipecleaners and googly eyes to make reindeer out of candycanes, writing a letter to Santa, calling grandparents to sing a Christmas song of the girls choosing, etc... Any of these ideas sound tempting?

Bibliomama said...

Yes, yes they do. We're doing a modified version, because having to do something every single day just sounded like the very craziness I had pledged to avoid this year -- and with the crap you've been dealing with, that goes double. Every couple of days I put an activity suggestion in their advent calendar hats. We've baked cookies, decorated cookies, listened to christmas music, written letters to santa and put up star lights. Is Katie any better?

Gwen said...

Double the Giggles: For Day 9, we called the grandparents and sang a Christmas song. It was a hit! Thank you for the suggestion!

Bibliomama: Next year, I don't think I am going 25 days, I learned that the HARD way. Katie has turned a corner and is feeling much better! After missing 3 weeks of school, I think she'll be going back on Monday!