Instead, I opted for a paper chain, a link a day, each link with an activity. We did really good the first 10 days, then we got a little off, but did most everything on our list.
Here's what made up our list (Not in order... I can not find my original list that I saved all month, funny how that works, so this is just the order I was able to remember them):
1. Make a paper chain
2. Go see Santa at Bass Pro Shop. Our first attempt didn't work out so well since Santa wasn't there. Whoops. We met Lucy and Elsa there and the girls still had plenty of fun with the other activities, looking at the fish and riding the elevator.
We went back with Jason later and he was there. Anyone else a little creeped out by some of these Santas?
3. Make and decorate paper Christmas trees (sparkly reindeer antlers compliments my neighbor that spoils Clara)
4. Sing Christmas songs 5. Talk about the symbols of Christmas 6. Read about the birth of the Savior in Luke 2 7. Train park in Scottsdale (didn't happen this year...) 8. Donate food to a food bank (the only real service thing and I didn't get it done, how embarrassing) 9. Sirrine's Train Display (didn't happen this year...) 10. Decorate gingerbread houses (Clara's party killed two birds with one stone...) 11. Make, decorate and eat sugar cookies. Clara made these and frosted them all by herself. She did really good cutting them out and made little hearts to stick on the plates we gave to our neighbor and our HT.
4. Sing Christmas songs 5. Talk about the symbols of Christmas 6. Read about the birth of the Savior in Luke 2 7. Train park in Scottsdale (didn't happen this year...) 8. Donate food to a food bank (the only real service thing and I didn't get it done, how embarrassing) 9. Sirrine's Train Display (didn't happen this year...) 10. Decorate gingerbread houses (Clara's party killed two birds with one stone...) 11. Make, decorate and eat sugar cookies. Clara made these and frosted them all by herself. She did really good cutting them out and made little hearts to stick on the plates we gave to our neighbor and our HT. 
12. Decorate tree & put up decorations 13. Make snowmen ornaments. Clara insisted she have a snowgirl. She doesn't like snowmen, apparently, so we cut out a dress and put a little bow on her snowgirl.
14. Make Christmas cards 15. Watch Joy to the World 16. Temple Lights
17. Drive around and look at Christmas lights 18. Write letter to Santa - I'm too lazy to scan Clara's letter in right now, but here's what it said, as recorded straight from Clara's mouth:Dear Santa,
I love you and I love your chin. I want you to give us snow. I was a little bit good. I want a music thing that plays music when I'm asleep and a Christmas tree and reindeer jammies. That's all.
Love,
Clara
Clara
When the Santa at Bass Pro asked if she had been a good girl she told him she was only a little bit good. He gave her an extra candy cane for being honest. Ha ha.
19. Eat a candy cane (I asked Clara for an idea for one of our activities and this was her suggestion) 20. Deliver cookies to neighbors (two, to be exact) 21. Watch a Christmas movie 22. Nice birthday dinner for Clara (in other words, lunch with cousins at McDonald's, oh the sacrifices I make for her) 23. Make snowflakes 24. Listen to my dad's story about Wally on Christmas Eve.
We had a lot of Christmas activities planned. Normally, I wouldn't be that ambitious in my last month of pregnancy, but I was determined to cram as much one-on-one time with Clara before the baby is born. Change is easier for me when I don't wish I'd done things differently before the change. I don't ever want to wish I had spent more time with her before Hazel was born.
5 comments:
Oh Anna, you're so amazing! Your level of commitment as a mother blows me away. Don't ever feel guilty for the SMALL percentage of things that you have to skip or put off. And I'm sorry it's been so long since I've commented, but Hazel is soooo adorable! I can't wait to meet her in person. I get to, don't I???
That is a great idea! Wish I'd thought of it. Looks like it made for a fun Christmas. Lily doesn't have Clara's moral fortitude. When we asked if she'd been good she adamantly insisted she hadn't done a single naughty thing all year. Hmmm.
Clara is adorable as ever.
Oh, and I love that greenish shelf in your great room.
How fun! So, I made an avent calendar... and never opened a single of the envelopes. But we had fun making it together. And I have another one that I bought last year, and literally all you do is put the numbers up every day... yeah, I hung it up, but there are NO numbers on the thing. Not a single one! I tell you all this so that you know that you aren't the only one. ha ha! Even worse, I made a paper chain to count down Melanie's birthday. We hung it up in her bedroom in October. Now it's just a cute bedroom decoration because we never cut any of the chains off. ha ha!
I think in the long run, it's that you had fun doing SOMETHING! And it looks like you guys had a LOT of fun!
Total side note, what kind of crocheted flowers are you thinking?
WOW ANNA--YOU WERE BUSY-BUT GREAT IDEAS - MAYBE I'LL COPY YOU NEXT YEAR, IF I'M THAT COOL:) LOVE THAT PIC OF YOU GUYS IN FRONT OF PURPLE LIGHTS- THX FOR COMING OVER LAST NIGHT- AFTER YOU LEFT I THOUGHT WE DIDNT TALK ENOUGH- NEXT TIME- NO MOVIE- JUST CHAT TIME:)
yeah, i didn't ever do my advent calendar either. maybe next year.
i think clara takes after her aunt angela in the ability to make crazy faces. that one of her in red, and then the one holding the christmas trees...hahaha.
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