Let the Festivities Begin!

After we ate our leftover turkey dinner last night, we decided it was time to set up the Christmas decorations:) How much fun we had! Ike was thrilled to see all the boxes and help Daddy bring in decorations from the attic. I can't describe his joy! As soon as the tree was standing, Ike plugged it in and turned off all the other lights. He hung ornaments in his trademark clusters (my personal favorite), unloaded the Christmas globe, and went through every door of the Advent calendar to see if there was candy leftover from last year:)

I have to say, the Advent calendar is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. I had no idea what it was until my Aunt Kathy gave us one when Ike was a little over two. He remembered it the next year and looked through all the doors:) If you don't have an Advent calendar, I suggest you get one, make one, or buy one! It sure does build up the anticipation of Christmas!

My Isaac is a particularly curious little man so I have to print out little activities on paper and put them in the doors. If I have it stocked with candy, he tends to hang out around the house and wait for a moment when I'm not looking! Our activities are simple. Sometimes there's no activity, but just a treat. One day our activity will be a Christmas craft, an act of kindness, baking cookies (with lots of shapes and sprinkles), building and decorating the gingerbread house, watching a Christmas movie, etc. We like to do the big things while Daddy is home so I usually don't choose the activity until the day of the event:) Daddy doesn't like to be excluded so we plan around his crazy schedule. We also have a book filled with Christmas stories we read every night before bed. It's just the Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas, but Ike doesn't mind there not being any pictures. He just LOVES the stories!

Kate is absorbing all the Christmas joy -- she has a "tinkerbell" reaction to the Christmas tree. Her big eyes beg to be taken over to the tree so she can touch it. She just squeals with such delight and kicks with all her might. I can tell she's going to be an excellent Christmas celebrator!

I hope everyone else has just as much fun celebrating the most miraculous birth of all! Let the festivities begin!

(If you have any ideas to add to my Advent calendar activities or have any traditions that you do at your home, please leave a note! I LOVE new ideas!)