Advent

This is the fourth year we've done our little advent calendar of activities.  We have really enjoyed it, and it has allowed us to do lots of fun holiday activities without overwhelming the kids on  just one or two days.  I try to include lots of little things, a few bigger things, many free things, some of the same things, and some new things.  

Here is our list for this year:

Put up Christmas decorations. 

Read How the Grinch Stole Christmas. 

Make mulled cider. 

Read the nativity story. 

Make hot chocolate.

Read "'Twas the Night Before Christmas."

Make warm vanilla. 

Watch Rudolph. 

Wrap Daddy's Christmas present. 

Make a paper chain. 

Sing Owen's favorite Christmas carol. 

Tell a story about Caedmon at Christmas. 

Sing Daddy's favorite Christmas carol. 

Tell a story about Mama at Christmas. 

Tell a story about Daddy at Christmas. 

Sing Mama's favorite Christmas carol. 

Tell a story about Owen at Christmas. 

Visit the Hillsboro Christmas lights. 

Read The Snowman.  

Decorate the Christmas tree. 

 Make a popcorn garland.

(We also made one of dried fruit while we were at it.)

 Make paper snowflakes to decorate windows.

(The boys got into decorating the windows with cut snowflakes and made ones with window markers too.)

 Visit Santa.  (We took a little trip to the big city.  At The Bass Pro Shop the boys enjoyed looking at  the fish in a tank and the grizzly bear which Caedmon noted was male.

We popped over to the Grand Ole Opry Hotel to hear some of the students from Abram's school give a choral concert.

Caedmon had a little nap while we waited in line for our turn to see Santa.

This was the first time either of them had gotten a picture with Santa.  There were a fair number of screaming babies, but mine were not among them.  This Santa was the real deal with his own beard and a real (taxidermied) reindeer.  I believe, yet again, that I might be living a Jeff Foxworthy joke.

Afterwards, we had a wonderful dinner at Bombasha Brazilain Steakhouse, a local Nashville establishment and a super treat.)  

Make orange pomanders.