I can't believe we already have two candles burning on our Advent wreath. Oh, our Advent wreath. We got off to a rocky start this year after I lost the roll-your-own-beeswax-candles-kit that I had meticulously saved from last year and brought to our new house always making sure I knew right where it was so that it would be ready for Advent. I did know where it was too, until round about Thanksgiving when it completely disappeared. I kept searching the house just knowing that if I bought replacement candles I would inevitably find it but once we missed the first three days of Advent I couldn't wait any longer and headed off to the nearest Catholic bookstore.
I found the kit yesterday in a cabinet I had already searched twice. On the bright side, I guess we're all set for next year.
We've got our toy nativities and Christmas book basket set up and our *nice* nativity has its animals for now and is slowly being filled with hay each time the boys do a kind deed to make a soft bed for baby Jesus. Mary and Joseph are currently in our playroom making their way across our bookshelves for a Christmas Eve arrival. Their way is actually currently being blocked by several different dinosaurs that David set up in an effort to ascertain if I was the one making them move each night or if they really are doing it themselves. I'm not sure how the fact that there are dinosaurs in their way will prove anything one way or the other but I do love that he still believes in a bit of Christmas magic.
We've set aside our regular read alouds for Christmas stories. We've already finished The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and have moved on to the Nutcracker (the version illustrated by Maureece Sendek--so good!). We might do A Christmas Carol too if we have time. I also did something completely out of character and bought a Christmas craft kit at the Hobby Lobby which the big boys loved and worked on without complaint--well without much complaint anyway--doing anything without at least a little complaining would truly be a Christmas miracle in this house. It went so well I got some Christmas craft kits that my internet, to now real-life friend, Rosie put together which the boys did today and also loved. I might be a crafting kind of mom after all. Maybe.
In addition to Christmas crafts, I found out the boys love brownie batter and also Star Wars Lego Advent calendars. Who would have guessed?
And nothing says Advent like Darth Santa ;)
This week we'll string popcorn for the tree and then probably put the ornaments up on Saturday. And by we I mean of course that I'll string popcorn while the boys pretend to help so they can eat it--it is a Christmas tradition after all.