Thursday, December 8, 2011
First Class
Well, yesterday I had the genius idea to have the kids help me with our Christmas cards.
Let me ask you...do you think that is a smart idea with a 2.5 and 5 year old?
Yeah, you're right, it wasn't. A combination of me being a little...particular shall we say, and the kids' perception of stamps as stickers meant that the activity mostly consisted of me harping at them. Advent FAIL.
We ultimately settled on an assembly line that worked; Brighton placed the stamp with some help from me (this went a lot more smoothly after I suggested she use her left hand which she is much more dexterous with) and Pacey was pretty happy to stack up the stamped envelopes.
My sister gets here tomorrow and the activities should get a little more festive for the duration of their visit. I think I will save the rest of the card-related chores for post-bedtime from now on!!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
'Twas the Night Before Wednesday
I've always loved the idea of collecting 25 Christmas books for kids and wrapping them individually each year so that the kids can open one to read each night in December. However, I haven't quite gotten my act together to collect the books yet so we just have a basket of the ones we do have sitting out in the living room. The kids have actually sat down at least once a day to look through the books, so I think when I finally do get my act together they will love it.
Anyway, today's activity was to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. My mom gave Pacey a beautiful copy for Christmas in 2008. We all snuggled up together in one of the armchairs and I took some silly pictures of us. Lest it sound too idyllic, while I was trying to get an adorable picture of the two kids with the book, the below happened:
...and shortly thereafter, Brighton fell over the side of the chair, took out half a dozen ornaments and smacked her head.
The kids loved the story though, and it was just one of those moments that you wait for as a parent, to get to share a little of the magic you remember (sniffing their freshly washed hair was pretty nice too).
Anyway, today's activity was to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. My mom gave Pacey a beautiful copy for Christmas in 2008. We all snuggled up together in one of the armchairs and I took some silly pictures of us. Lest it sound too idyllic, while I was trying to get an adorable picture of the two kids with the book, the below happened:
...and shortly thereafter, Brighton fell over the side of the chair, took out half a dozen ornaments and smacked her head.
The kids loved the story though, and it was just one of those moments that you wait for as a parent, to get to share a little of the magic you remember (sniffing their freshly washed hair was pretty nice too).
 |
| Not quite recovered from her tumble |
 |
| These kids give a mean kiss sandwich...Lucky Mama |
Monday, December 5, 2011
Mish Mash
We did a few different little activities today to celebrate our Christmas countdown:
- I went to the post office (ALONE) and did my part to support the postal service by spending a ridiculous amount on postage
- We baked (as in baked pre-made cookie dough) cookies and had them for a special snack on my new holiday plates
- I showed the kids how to make paper snowflakes. They are definitely not proficient enough with scissors yet to attempt them themselves, but they were sufficiently impressed with the ones I turned out.
- The kids are now watching Merry Christmas Curious George while I make dinner and post this.
- I went to the post office (ALONE) and did my part to support the postal service by spending a ridiculous amount on postage
- We baked (as in baked pre-made cookie dough) cookies and had them for a special snack on my new holiday plates
- I showed the kids how to make paper snowflakes. They are definitely not proficient enough with scissors yet to attempt them themselves, but they were sufficiently impressed with the ones I turned out.
- The kids are now watching Merry Christmas Curious George while I make dinner and post this.
 |
| This is from yesterday - just had to share the magic of a two-year-old choosing her own outfit |
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Day 4: Objective Achieved
I'm pretty happy with the way the tree turned out:
You will notice our mantel is devoid of stockings at this point. We don't have any hooks to hang them on so I bought some metal stocking hangers last year. Twice now, one of the kids has pulled on the stocking and brought one of the (sharp, heavy) hangers down and narrowly missed beaning themselves with it. I decided that was as many risks as I was willing to take and may or may not have thrown the stockings into the three-season porch last night in a huff. Solution hopefully to come...
P.S. Chris confirms the tree does not look like anyone vomited on it.
 |
| Complete with the world's ugliest Santa Claus (also a treasured Harris Family heirloom) |
 |
| Huff likes the tree |
 |
 |
| Wearing her princess dress, B found every angel and fairy in our ornament collection and proclaimed, "It's ME!" |
You will notice our mantel is devoid of stockings at this point. We don't have any hooks to hang them on so I bought some metal stocking hangers last year. Twice now, one of the kids has pulled on the stocking and brought one of the (sharp, heavy) hangers down and narrowly missed beaning themselves with it. I decided that was as many risks as I was willing to take and may or may not have thrown the stockings into the three-season porch last night in a huff. Solution hopefully to come...
 |
| Hazard! Watch for falling objects! |
Pine in the A$$
Day 3's activity was obtaining our Christmas tree. Last year we did the Christmas tree farm thing: bundled up, rode the tractor out to the fields, selected a tree and listened to Chris curse as he cut it down with an entirely not-sharp-enough saw. It was...well, it was an experience and I'm glad we did it once. Mostly so we don't have to do it again.
This year we went back to our old stand-by, Home Depot. The reason I didn't actually post this yesterday is because I was far too crabby when we got home from the adventure. I always think that getting the tree will be a Fun! Family! Activity! when in reality it's sort of boring, definitely cold and requires two people with often-different aesthetic preferences to agree on one specimen.
Chris was (rightfully) picky about which tree we were going to be displaying and so had the poor Home Depot lady ripping open tree after carefully wrapped tree. She was mostly good-humored about it and I did my best to put off exasperation with the process as long as possible while trying to corral the over-excited kids. I discovered far too late that the snow pile I thought they were playing with was actually a pile of partially-dissolved ice melt. By the time I realized it, it was all over the kids' boots/shoes and subsequently all over me as I tried to wrestle them back into the cart. Oh, and some in Pacey's mouth too which greatly displeased him, understandably.
Anyway, I think we did alright in the end. We got a 9-footer (we have high ceilings in our living room) and I'm looking at it realizing I'm actually going to need a ladder to decorate it - obviously today's activity. Chris has requested that I take charge of decorating this year so that it "doesn't look like someone vomited on it." Stay tuned to see if I achieve that...
This year we went back to our old stand-by, Home Depot. The reason I didn't actually post this yesterday is because I was far too crabby when we got home from the adventure. I always think that getting the tree will be a Fun! Family! Activity! when in reality it's sort of boring, definitely cold and requires two people with often-different aesthetic preferences to agree on one specimen.
Chris was (rightfully) picky about which tree we were going to be displaying and so had the poor Home Depot lady ripping open tree after carefully wrapped tree. She was mostly good-humored about it and I did my best to put off exasperation with the process as long as possible while trying to corral the over-excited kids. I discovered far too late that the snow pile I thought they were playing with was actually a pile of partially-dissolved ice melt. By the time I realized it, it was all over the kids' boots/shoes and subsequently all over me as I tried to wrestle them back into the cart. Oh, and some in Pacey's mouth too which greatly displeased him, understandably.
 |
| Awesome moment as the first tree unfurled and Brighton chirped in delight, "It's a CHRISTMAS TREE!!" |
 |
| Looking for Santa |
Anyway, I think we did alright in the end. We got a 9-footer (we have high ceilings in our living room) and I'm looking at it realizing I'm actually going to need a ladder to decorate it - obviously today's activity. Chris has requested that I take charge of decorating this year so that it "doesn't look like someone vomited on it." Stay tuned to see if I achieve that...
Friday, December 2, 2011
Memories That Last Forever (read the post, you'll see I don't mean that in a schmaltzy way)
Before I write about today's activity, can anyone spot the mistake I made in hanging the Advent calendar (besides the fact it's hanging wonky...need a couple pins to fix that)?
Here are a couple of clues:
1) The little pouches are filled with chocolate Santas
2) Pacey has grown about 4 inches since this time last year
Guessed it yet? Here's the final clue: Pacey went downstairs this morning while I was helping Brighton get dressed. When we made our way down, he was clutching an unwrapped chocolate Santa in each little fist. I think I need to hang it about eight inches higher than it currently is :)
So anyway, today's activity was to jazz up our tree skirt a little. I am verrrrry much hoping that one of these years soon a certain mother figure will make me a tree skirt (hi Mom!) but until then I just bought a fairly plain green one. I decided I would embellish it a little by tracing the kids' hands on it each year. Perhaps when they are grown one of them will want it until their grandmother figure (hi again Mom) makes them a nice one ;)
This activity started out fine - I obviously wasn't going to trace in the glitter glue so I used a black Sharpie. All went well until Brighton freaked when I told her the marker wouldn't wash off right away. She insisted on attempting it, meanwhile liberally smearing the white sink with black permanent marker.
I'm off to see a man about some bleach spray.
Here are a couple of clues:
1) The little pouches are filled with chocolate Santas
2) Pacey has grown about 4 inches since this time last year
Guessed it yet? Here's the final clue: Pacey went downstairs this morning while I was helping Brighton get dressed. When we made our way down, he was clutching an unwrapped chocolate Santa in each little fist. I think I need to hang it about eight inches higher than it currently is :)
So anyway, today's activity was to jazz up our tree skirt a little. I am verrrrry much hoping that one of these years soon a certain mother figure will make me a tree skirt (hi Mom!) but until then I just bought a fairly plain green one. I decided I would embellish it a little by tracing the kids' hands on it each year. Perhaps when they are grown one of them will want it until their grandmother figure (hi again Mom) makes them a nice one ;)
This activity started out fine - I obviously wasn't going to trace in the glitter glue so I used a black Sharpie. All went well until Brighton freaked when I told her the marker wouldn't wash off right away. She insisted on attempting it, meanwhile liberally smearing the white sink with black permanent marker.
I'm off to see a man about some bleach spray.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Ok, so I am going to attempt to post every day in December (mmm, well at least until Christmas). I've been making a list of things that I'd like to do - or need to do - in the run up to Christmas and so I am going to commit to doing and posting about one thing each day that we do to recognize and enjoy the season. It won't always be something big or shiny, but it will be something unique to this time of year, things that I hope the kids are storing away into their collections of Christmas memories.
Today will be getting out the boxes of Christmas decorations, books, etc. I love opening up these boxes each year. It's the same stuff I put away last year, but somehow it's exciting each time nonetheless. Specifically, I will be opening them up in search of our Advent calendar, a lovely quilted wall-hanging with pockets to hold a little treat for each day. Pacey really got into this last year and I expect both kids will love it this year. Before next year I would like to put a little bit of thought into how we will explain the significance of the holiday season. Although we are not teaching our children the Christmas story from a religious perspective, I would like for them to have an appreciation for the holidays that goes beyond treats and gifts. I like the concept of Advent and can see an Advent wreath/candles having a place in our holiday traditions. Some believe that the four candles leading up to Christmas represent hope, joy, love and peace and these are absolutely values that have a place in our home and would prompt good discussions with the kids. Lots to think about.
What are you doing to mark the first day of December?
Today will be getting out the boxes of Christmas decorations, books, etc. I love opening up these boxes each year. It's the same stuff I put away last year, but somehow it's exciting each time nonetheless. Specifically, I will be opening them up in search of our Advent calendar, a lovely quilted wall-hanging with pockets to hold a little treat for each day. Pacey really got into this last year and I expect both kids will love it this year. Before next year I would like to put a little bit of thought into how we will explain the significance of the holiday season. Although we are not teaching our children the Christmas story from a religious perspective, I would like for them to have an appreciation for the holidays that goes beyond treats and gifts. I like the concept of Advent and can see an Advent wreath/candles having a place in our holiday traditions. Some believe that the four candles leading up to Christmas represent hope, joy, love and peace and these are absolutely values that have a place in our home and would prompt good discussions with the kids. Lots to think about.
What are you doing to mark the first day of December?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)