Edited: Today I was sitting at the dining room table with my mother in law having lunch and she looked up and saw the advent calendar on the shelf in the dining room. I moved it from Rhetts room because she is staying in there. We had just returned from Trader Joes and she said, "look that calendar is like the green monkey at TJ's you never know where it might turn up"........and then I thought what a great idea. So new edited advent calendar tradition: every night after Rhett goes to bed I'm going to hide the calendar somewhere different in the house and each day he has to look for it and when he finds it he can open that days square. Emmie's will stay in her room for her to open after Rhett finds his. Rhett is really excited about our new game and I'm excited about another way to celebrate this great season.
Last week I bought an Advent Calendar from Trader Joes for each of my kiddos. It's very simple with a box to punch out for each day of the month leading up to Christmas and a chocolate behind each square. It also has a Christmas picture on the back to color. My kids have them in their room and look forward each day to opening it. I was hoping to combine that with a bible verse reading but I have not been able to organize the right ones and make it simple enough for a four year old to understand. Right now he just thinks we do this each day in anticipation of the big birthday party for Jesus we are having on Christmas. My plan is to have some kind of devotional time occasionally when they open their square. What a great deal for $1.19 each.
After buying the calendar I started thinking about what our Christmas traditions are. We have a few that we have been doing for the past few years and I have a few that I'm starting this year. With Rhett old enough now to understand the holiday more I find myself trying to be much more intentional about teaching him why we celebrate Christmas as opposed to just the day we open presents and truly make it a special time of the year. Here are a few things that make up the Kaya's Christmas:
1. We attend Christmas Eve services at church.
2. Christmas Eve the kids get to open one present and it's always a new pair of jammies to wear. This year I'm thinking about starting a tradition where they get to open two presents, one jammies and the second a new book.
2. Christmas morning Rod reads the Christmas Story from one of the gospels and then we each present our gift to Jesus before we open any other gifts. Last year Rhett was too young to participate but this year he is already thinking about what he wants to give Jesus.
3. It's not official yet but I'm thinking about starting a new tradition of making cinnamon rolls to give out to neighbors and to have for Christmas morning.
4. Christmas morning after breakfast and opening gifts Rod and Rhett (Emmie when she gets older) go out to give gifts to random people that have to work on Christmas day at places like 7/11, Starbucks etc. Rod has been doing this for years and just started taking Rhett with him last year.
5. One tradition I would like to start is to have Santa bring three gifts for each child in honor of the three gifts the wiseman brought baby Jesus. I think this might also be a good way to keep the gift buying under control as they get older. It's already too late this year but maybe next year. This would not include stocking gifts or gifts from grandparents. Not sure yet but thinking about it. I think this might be harder for me than for the kids.
6. Christmas day we have a birthday cake for Jesus and sing to him. This is one of the most pratical ways for kids to comprehend what Christmas is all about. What child does not understand what birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday is all about.
7. Lastly we have a nativity scene displayed in the home. I have a few of them but my favorite is the one I bought at Vons several years ago. It's fairly child friendly and I have it displayed where the kids can reach up to it. Ever since I put it out last week Rhett has played with it in some form everyday. Whether Rhett is lining up the wiseman or Emmie is putting Joseph in her purse I love that they are interacting with it. Especially for Rhett I think this serves as a subliminal reminder of the Christmas story for him.
So far those are ours. What are yours?
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4 comments:
I loved this post Tara. It gave me some fun ideas for the girls. Heather does that 3 gift thing and I have always thought it was a great idea. I love the giving the gift to Jesus. What kind of gifts do you give Him?
That's a great idea, Tara. I too do the minimal gifts. One from Santa, one from us. They get way too much stuff from the grandparents. We have cake and sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. Also, on Christmas morning my parents and brother come over and we open stocking and presents, taking turns. It's funny getting older how our stack shrinks yearly. After that we go visit our other 4 places. I'm trying to change that tradition.
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I agree!
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