.Our Christmas Traditions.

There is a lot of excitement in our house this week - with end of year parties, school finishing, family coming to stay and Christmas just around the corner. Christmas definitley gets a lot more fun as your children get older. We have been doing lots of fun things every day to make the holiday season even more exciting than it already is, I especially love the special traditions, both old and new, that we carry out each year.

This year, I could sit back and observe as the kids pretty much assembled and decorated the tree themselves! Oscar is tall enough to reach the top now so the decorations are spread out evenly and it was very important to find that "special spot" for our new decorations this year.

A few months ago I pulled out all of our Christmas books and started buying a few more to add to the collection until I had 24. Each night, before bed, the children take in turns choosing a book from under the tree and unwrapping it and that is what we read as our bedtime story. I'm making sure that we finish with a book that it more spiritual and reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas, so have labeled one book "do not open until Christmas Eve." I'm loving this new tradition and the kids get especially excited when they open a new book that we haven't read before.

 The first book we opened was the Elf on the Shelf kit. We named our Elf "Elfy" (of course!) and there have been many nights when I'm lying in bed, just about to drift off to sleep and I remember that he hasn't been moved yet so have to get up and find a new spot for him! Tommy is especially cute every morning when he runs out to find Elfy, then comes and reports his new location to us.

Because we were away for Christmas last year, it feels like forever ago since we last used the advent stockings. I've tried really hard to make sure that the activity that is pulled out each day is achievable and not too much effort after a busy day. We've found that the kids are really happy to do anything, they enjoy the tradition more than everything. I'll list our activities below if you are looking for new ones. Also, it's easier if I don't choose the activity until the night before when I can be sure that is what I feel like doing the next day!

Top of the kids list of Christmas traditions is our "knock and run" Family Night. We cooked up a storm of treats on Sunday afternoon and delivered them last night to our friends and neighbours. Oscar was in stealth mode and was super fast at running, Lil liked to hide, then peek her head out and give the recipient a little wave and Tommy kept running away with the treats after knocking! We almost always get caught, but that's half the fun!

The Christmas wreath I made a few years ago is still going strong. I'm sure I'll have to make another one when we build a new house to match the colour scheme - perhaps I'll have to sell this one with the house?!

Decorating Grandma and Poppy's house one Sunday evening.

So, with just seven days to go, we are soaking up every little bit of Christmas atmosphere that we can because it will all be over with too soon and then we will have to wait a whole year to do it again!

ADVENT ACTIVITY IDEAS:
Watch a Christmas movie about baby Jesus
Write in Christmas cards for friends
Take family photos for Christmas card
Hang candy canes on the tree
Go out for an icecream to celebrate the last day of school
Go to the town Christmas party
Play Christmas bingo
Knock and run
Buy a present to put under the Kmart giving tree
Family games night
Christmas cooking
Pancakes for dinner
Write postcards for cousins
Make gingerbread houses
Make Christmas lolly houses
Make sand snowmen at the beach
Watch a Christmas movie with popcorn
Parcel for missionaries
Sleepover in the loungeroom
Get an icecream at the shop after dinner
Make Christmas cookies
Go to the park for a picnic dinner
Strawberry picking
Take treats to the aged care home
Make a basket of Christmas goodies for a neighbour
Leave out snacks for Santa and the reindeer
Make rainbow playdough