The 25 Days of Christmas Day 6

Getting the family together to have pictures taken for the Christmas card is difficult.  A toddler just does not understand the value of everyone looking at the camera and smiling at the same time.  Here were some of our attempts.

The 25 Days of Christmas Day 5

In an effort to focus our heart on Christ during this season we are doing short advent readings from The Story of the Nativity by Tracy Harrast.  So far it has been great!  Everyday's reading focuses on one thing in the Nativity scene.  Then you get a reusable sicker to stick on the background provided.  The readings are short and they include a suggestion on how to worship today that relates to the part of the Nativity story told on that day.  For example tonight we read about Joseph.  We read that an angel told him to marry Mary.  He obeyed God even when it was hard to do so.  Then it suggested that we pray, asking God to help us be obedient even when it is hard to do so.  The only complaint I have is that Little Britches likes to stick and unstick the stickers, so they are pretty much useless as stickers by the second day.  I am thinking of making magnets out of all the pieces and letting her play with them on the fridge.  We will see if I get that done.  I have quite the todo list!

The 25 Days of Christmas Day 4

Sometimes things are not always as you remember them.  Then it is hard to know if you changed or if it changed.  This is what happened to my husband last night as we went to Sights and Sounds of Christmas in San Marcos.  He had been before and really liked it.  He had fond memories of a wonderful display of lights and of people enjoying the simple joys of the season.  When we arrived at the event there were some lights displayed, but not as many as he remembered.  And there seemed to be people everywhere eating turkey legs, funnel cakes, and ice cream cones.  There were some dancers clogging on stage.  The youngest one was my mother's age.  I was trying to imagine my mom up there prancing around with the whole front of her shirt covered in sequins with fringe hanging off.  There were carnival rides, a model train set up, a sock skating rink, Frosty the Snowman playing on a big screen, kids waiting to talk to Santa, and a "Little Town of Bethlehem" with people in costume and doing thing that would have been done in Bethlehem around the time of Christ's birth.  It was funny because we quickly decided it was all a little overwhelming for us and Little Britches, especially because we were out at her bedtime.  She was being great but she kept putting her head down on her daddy's shoulder and saying night night.  We did decide to walk through the "Little Town of Bethlehem" part on our way out.  We watch some people making candles and someone making bread.  There were Roman soldiers around, which Little Britches call knights based on a picture from our computer of a school mascot.  We saw camels and donkeys and sheep.  There were lots of people everywhere, but we had trouble finding the nativity scene.  The place where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were was off in a corner.  When we found it there was no one there.  The crowds were more interested in the candle making, bread baking, and the swords of the soldiers, but they were either not interested or had moved on from the nativity.  It was kind of sad.  I pray that this season I do not become more interested in the bright and shiny things of the season than I am in the nativity, for it is because of Christ's birth I celebrate.  Here are a few pictures from the night taken on my phone because I forgot my camera.  boo!

The 25 Days of Christmas Day 3

Last Night I attended a Christmas gathering for women only, so that left Little Britches and her daddy at home.  When they are home together they have a great time.  This is what they did last night. 

Made cookies!  And let a 17 month old decorate them!

And eat them!

And love them!

And be so proud of her accomplishments!

And leave her one happy kiddo!

Advent Conspiracy Promo Video

The 25 Days of Christmas Day 2

This season is filled with many activities.  Lots of them are fun and meaningful.  I am constantly looking for ways to make each activity even more meaningful, not just for my family, but for others as well.  I got the chance to help plan our MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Leadership Team's Christmas Party.  In the past the team of about twelve women has done an ornament exchange.  That activity is not a bad activity at all, but I wanted to know if there was a better way to spend less than $5 a piece.  My mind immediately went to Living Water International.  I cannot get out of my heart and mind that I fill up my Nalgene as many times as I want during the day with nice, clean, sparkling water.  Yet, there are people, and not just a few, who don't have access to clean water.  I also cannot get out of my head that to fix the world's water problem would take less money than American's alone spend on Christmas.  Ouch!  So instead of spending five more dollars on an ornament we are not even sure another mom will like, we are going to each bring at least $2.  If each person in our group brings just $2, we will be able to provide clean water for 20 adults for 20 years!  Wow!  In 20 years I doubt I will even remember where the ornaments on my tree came from unless it is a sentimental ornament given by someone special or for a special reason. 

I am posting a video with more information

The 25 Days of Christmas

I have been one busy mama!  I want to take the time to celebrate Christmas with you!  So we will be celebrating together all month.  Christmas is an exciting time of year and there are so many ways to celebrate.  This year we are trying to pick and choose the ways we celebrate carefully.  We want our celebration to be meaningful and create some fun family traditions in the process.  We started out our Christmas celebration a little early this year.  On Saturday we went to the Chuy's Children Giving to Children Parade.  Before going my husband took Little Britches to the store to pick out some toys to take.  She (he) picked out 3 baby dolls just like the ones we have at home.  They are Little Britches' favorite toy!  We knew we had trouble when Little Britches could not hand the dolls over to the cashier for her to ring them up.  We tried to tell Little Britches that these babies were for little girls who don't have babies to love at home.  The logic was lost on a 17 month old, but we told her any way.

Once we found a spot on the parade route (15 blocks from our car), we enjoyed big balloon characters, marching bands, singers, dancers, and even Santa himself made an appearance.  Then the parade stopped and they lowered the barrier tape so that all the kids to walk out onto the parade route and give their toys to the toy collectors.  It was the moment of truth.  Little Britches did not do too bad.  There was not an all out fit about handing the babies over, but it was certainly not done cheerfully.  But then again, I don't know that I hand things over cheerfully when I am not sure that I am going to get something better.  The parade was a lesson to all of us in letting go.  Letting go of the things we need to let go of so that others may have it if they need it or so that we can receive what is even better than we were hanging on to.  (Like the large play kitchen waiting to be brought out of the garage and into the house on Christmas morning.)  All in all we enjoyed the parade and will most likely make it an annual event as long as we can find closer parking next time.

These dancer put on quite a show!  And for some reason all week I have wanted to go to Hula Hut for dinner. :)

Giving the babies to the toy collector 

 Playing with her own babies and giving something quite a look

Grover, in big balloon form!