Day 6: Peppermint Bark!

24Days of Joy!

A Countdown to Christmas

 My kids LOVE to be in the kitchen. 

Each experience combines their two great passions, making a huge mess and eating. 

Today I indulged them with not one but two kinds of chocolate, candy canes that they got to pulverize with what Max calls "weapons" (and chefs call meat cleavers), and a project that they could do everything for because it didn't involve the oven.

 

 Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Day 5: Special Books

24 Days of Joy!

A Countdown to Christmas

Today I got out a few books I had tucked away last year when we packed up our Christmas things. My mom had bought each of the kids a really nice hardback book for Christmas last year, and I had the sinking suspicion that they would get ruined if I just shoved them on the bookshelf in the playroom to be leafed through all year. I tucked them together in the back of a closet and pulled them out today. The kids had completely forgotten about them and we had so much fun reading them together this afternoon.

After Charlie went down for his nap I came downstairs with the books. The kids looked at me expectantly, knowing that about this time in our day they are usually either told to finish up school work or told to go up for their daily quiet room time, depending on my mood :-). Instead, I pulled out the books and said, "Who wants to read?"

Pure, unadulterated joy, people. We piled onto the couch and read them all. We lingered over the fantastic pictures, imagining what we would choose if we were in that bakery, or what we would play with if that bedroom were ours. We didn't rush. We snuggled until all four of us admitted that we were getting sleepy.
It was sweet, special time with sweet, special kids.

Day 4: The Advent Calendar

24Days of Joy!

A Countdown to Christmas

Each night before Christmas we get our wooden Advent calendar off the buffet in the dining room and set it in front of the kids. There is something about a box with 24 little doors that is just unavoidably appealing to little kids. The rule in our house is that the door is not opened and the treasure is not consumed until family devotions are finished. If one does not behave during devotions, one does not partake in the treat that follows. And we mean business, let me tell you. It's only day four and we have already had two crying, treatless children tucked into bed. We're hoping that the worst is behind us :-).

After we have our devotional time and sing together, one of the kids gets to find the little numbered door for the day, open it, and share what's inside.

It's such a small way to honor such a monumental thing; each night I pray that the true joy of the Christmas season is slowly sinking in to each one of their hearts.

Day 3: Why Christmas?

24Days of Joy!

A Countdown to Christmas

This year for our Advent reading we are trying something different with our kids. Traditionally we've read through the second chapter of Luke, spending most of the time reminding the boys to sit still and listen. This year we're finally ready for something meatier. Our pastor's mom wrote a family devotional called "Why Christmas?" and we were blessed to receive a copy this year, so we've been reading it each night with the kids, and it has been wonderful. Daddy reads the scripture, and then I usually read the application. The kids answer some questions and we end each night singing one of the Christmas carols recommended in the book. I thought that part would be super corny, I'll be honest, but there has been something so sweet about sitting with the kids in their jammies each night, singing Silent Night or Joy to the World. Daddy is always off key, Max is usually rolling across the floor by then, Sam is making his animals do the singing, and Chloe is pouring her heart out with each verse... I hope the kids will look back on these nights before Christmas with as much fondness as I will.

Day 2: Joyfulness in Six Easy Steps

24 Days of Joy!

A Countdown to Christmas 

Step 1: Recruit helpers.

 

 

Step 2: Stir and mix.

 

 

Step 3: Roll.

 

Step 4: Cut out.

Step 5: Bake, cool, and decorate.

Step 6: Enjoy!

 

"The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,^[“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’” 

Mark 1:1-3

Day 1: The Polar Express

24 Days of Joy!

A Countdown to Christmas

 

To kick off our 24 days of joy, we took the kids to the Omnimax showing of The Polar Express. It was fun seeing the movie on the big-big-big screen, even if Chloe did get a wee bit motion sick.Snapping pictures of your kids in the middle of the Omnimax is highly frowned upon, so I only got one picture... I had as much fun watching their faces as I did watching the movie.

 

 

"The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn’t know that.) Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced."

Matthew 1:18-19

 

24 Days of Joy!

24         Days of Joy!

A Countdown to Christmas

Greg and I decided to try something new this year. Last year as Christmas wrapped up and we were taking down our tree, there were so many things I realized I hadn't done that I'd intended to. After a few weeks, we stopped doing our Advent reading every night with the kids, and there were books I had wanted to read to them that I forgot about, and half the cookies I wanted to bake with Chloe never were made. The busyness of the season just took over. This year, we thought we would try to be a little more intentional about the things that we wanted to do as a family. I made a list of 24 special things to do together - one for each of the 24 days before Christmas in the month of December. Greg and I talked about it and made our plans, and the kids are psyched! Some of the things planned are little local adventures, and some are just small things we'll do together at home. I'm looking forward to keeping a record of our fun on the blog. Join us as we count down to Christmas!