Each advent I try to do something different with Link. One year we did a new Christmas activity each day and kept a journal, last year we opened a new Christmas book each day and read it. This year I wanted Link to do something with just me since he seems to be becoming more of a daddy's boy. I've also always wanted to do crafts with Link but he doesn't like getting messy. So what I came up with is making Christmas ornaments each day.
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| Day 1: Pipe cleaner trees with bell ornaments and a star |
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| Day 2: Tape Resist Painted Candy Canes |
A bag is left on the table each night with supplies and Link gets a note asking him to help make ornaments to give away and decorate the tree. The first note was a little Santa heavy and I found myself changing the words as I read it to him. I am not big into teaching that Santa is God-like and can see everything or sneaks into our house at night or things like that. I prefer St. Nick as Santa and we treat him like St. Valentine and St. Patrick. A legendary figure that people write about and dress up as. Santa never brings Link presents, but St. Nick leaves items in his shoe or maybe stocking this year. So far the ornaments have been a success. I am also recycling books from last year and putting them in the bag to read when we are finished.
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| Dad read the first book- Pop Up 12 Days of Christmas |
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| Link's choice for a perfect tree. |
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| TIMBER! |
Also on the 1st of December we bought our families first real Christmas tree. There is a local tree seller just down the road. All trees only $30 no matter what size. We were not sure how to do it, but the people there were super helpful. I loved looking until we had to decide on actual tree. I had Bryce almost cut down three trees and backed out. Finally I just threw my hands up and said "Bryce, I probably won't like whatever we get when we get home anyway, so just get whatever." He decided on a soft white pine. And guess what? I LOVE it. It is the perfect height and is just beautiful. When we got it home Link and I decorated the tree. He was very excited to put on the star. Every year we pick a theme to go with Christmas. We have done Hawaiaan, Rudolph, The Grinch, Forest, and Charlie Brown. I usually also have a substantial amount of decorations bought from throughout the year as well. Well, not this year. So as I went through the ornaments and thought of the advent activity I decided on a "Homemade" Theme. Every ornament on our tree this year is either handmade or has some special touch from us.
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| Star on Top |
The other thing that we are working on this month is being helpful. Link often says no when we ask for help, so we started giving him tickets when he is helpful. He puts the tickets in a jar and when he fills the jar he will get a new Lego character. Now he hears the word"'helpful" and jumps right on top of things. He helped me wrap presents and put them under the tree. The last present was already taped in a box so he didn't know what was inside when he wrapped it When he went to write who it was too I told him it was for him. In a round-a-bout way of asking to open it he looked over at the tree and said "I'm sorry, but there is no more room under the tree." Unfortunately I found some room.
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