Tis the Season

This is the first Christmas where Holden is starting to understand the magic of the season.  We are having a really fun time watching him experience the holidays.   This year we started what I hope will become long term traditions in our house during the holidays.   We have checked off the obvious ones, decorated the inside and outside of our house.  We are the crazy people on the block with Christmas lights set to music. 

As always we decorated the tree and gave out this year's ornaments to the boys.   Holden helped pick out the tree and helped Dad put the angel on.  Holden has also made the astute observation that we have and angel on our tree and not a star (I hadn't noticed but I guess all of the commercial trees have stars on top).   Holden didn't really want to help put the ornaments on, but he had a blast looking at all of them as we unwrapped them.

 

The second tradition I borrowed from a blog friend, Laura.  Holden and I built his first gingerbread house.  Holden helped decorate it and we told him that the day after Christmas we can take it outside and smash it with our hammers.  He is definitely excited about the smashing part.  

Holden was hamming it up for the camera

We have also started the Advent Calender tradition.  I looked and looked for an Advent Calender before Thanksgiving and couldn't find one.  Low and behold, Black Friday there were Advent Calenders everywhere.  I never would have thought that the one Christmas item that is not in the stores before Thanksgiving would be an Advent Calender.  But I digress.   

We found a very cool book that does a story for everyday on the Advent Calender.  So, Holden opens his day, eats his chocolate and we read a story.  The thing I like the most about the book is the stories have a Christian theme about a little bear following the star to Bethlehem.  Since we have totally fallen down on the Church going (a story for another day), I have been looking for ways to teach Holden about our faith and the real meaning of Christmas (you know, Jesus' birthday and giving etc.)    Long story short, I really like the book because it a couple of paragraphs a day with a giving or loving message to them.

 

We started collecting a new Christmas Book every year.  It started with the Night before Christmas which Jeremy wants to read to Holden on Christmas Eve.  Then we got the Grinch and this year picked out a new book when we found the Advent Calender Book.  I'm going to keep this up at least until picture books are no longer favored in our house.  

 

One last thing we have done so far, that was met with very enthusiastic eyes.  Here you can get a video message from Santa.  Holden loved his and I have video of him watching his message but not at my fingertips to post. 

I still want to do the following with Holden before Christmas

• Visit Santa (probably this weekend)
• Bake cookies (we have a cookie party with Holden's BFF, Cameron in a few weeks)
• Christmas shop with Holden to start learning about the "giving"
• Make our JibJab electronic Christmas card

Lastly, a few more ideas that we will have to work on as Holden gets a little older and has a bit more patience

• Angel tree or similar giving/volunteering that we can do as a family
• Elf on a Shelf.  This phenomenon has me intrigued.  My only hesitation is will I be able to keep it up for 25 days every year.

Any other suggestions are welcome.  Merry Christmas Everyone!