Advent Activities 2012

Merry Christmas! I've now caught up! YAY! Here is our 2012 Christmas card (Names have been changed. The beauty of being a former graphics person is that I can alter our card for my blog! ;)).

Blessed indeed! This year we started a couple of new traditions for our family for the Advent Season. 

We got an "elf on the shelf". We welcomed him with a "breakfast for dinner". CJ named him Rocky. Rocky just moves to a different location everyday and reports back to Santa whether or not CJ (& E, ha ha!) is being naughty or nice. Maybe in future years he'll be mischievous or bring little gifts...we will see. It's just silly fun, and we know the true reason for the season and will focus on Christmas being Jesus' birthday!

We got an advent calendar and I put an "activity" in each door. Each morning, CJ opens the door for the day and we see what we are going to do! (And since he can't read yet, I drew a small picture on each paper so he could "guess" what we were doing and then I would read it to him). Everyday we did something Christmasy or something fun as a family. This was perfect for us because we can change it from year to year and do different things.

On Dec. 1st we went to KinderTots at the San Diego Zoo

On Dec. 2nd we started to decorate our Christmas Tree (it was getting late so we just did a few ornaments before it was CJ & E's bedtimes!)

On Dec. 3rd we made some Handprint Christmas Ornaments

On Dec. 4th & 5th we went to Disneyland

On Dec. 6th we Wrapped Presents

On Dec. 7th we Baked Cookies

On Dec. 8th we went to Sea World

On Dec. 9th we Finished Decorating our Tree, Sang Songs and Ate a Candy Cane

On Dec. 10th we Made Paper Snowflakes

On Dec. 11th we Baked Cookies (again!)

On Dec. 12th we went to Meet/Visit Santa

On Dec. 13th We mailed all of our Christmas presents to our family & friends

On Dec. 14th we had a picnic dinner, watched Polar Express & drank Hot Chocolate

On Dec. 15th we went to Daddy's work Holiday Party

On Dec. 16th we went to San Diego Zoo

On Dec. 17th we had a Gingerbreadmen Playdate with friends

On Dec. 18th we went to go look at Christmas Lights (and drank more hot chocolate)

On Dec. 19th we went to Safari Park

On Dec. 20th we watched Claymation Christmas & Charlie Brown Christmas & ate Popcorn

On Dec. 21st we read the Christmas Story about baby Jesus and did a craft. CJ wanted everyone in the manger as close to baby Jesus as possible and only the camels in the sand. HA! 

On Dec. 22nd we went to the Aquarium

Today, On Dec. 23rd we are planning on going to spend time with and having dinner with friends in San Diego

On Dec. 24th (Christmas Eve) the plans are to go to the Family Christmas Eve Service at 2pm, Christmas Eve dinner, Open One gift (family game), play game, then put out cookies and milk and read "God Gave Us Christmas" & "Twas the Night Before Christmas" and go to bed! 

On Dec. 25th it will FINALLY be Christmas! Happy Birthday Jesus! :)

JT and I were talking about how having small kids has made us SO excited for Christmas this year! We are so thankful for and blessed by CJ and E. We'll be missing our parents and siblings in SC, but enjoying our little family here in California. Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas!