December 1st--let the countdowns begin

December is here, and so we are now eagerly waking up in the morning anxious to mark another day off--waiting for the arrival of Christmas! OK--only the four youngest kids eagerly wake up, the rest of us struggle to open our eyes while the festivities take place.

There are 4 kids, wishing for "their" turn, and there just happens to be 4 morning activities and one evening book.

Unwrapping a Christmas book began this past Sunday, on the first day of Advent.
It is our time to prepare our hearts for the coming of the Christ Child on Christmas.

I planned this activity as an evening activity, but it is apparent that we will be reading our daily book while we are still wearing our pj's until Christmas! For the evening read-aloud we are reading Destination: Bethlehem. This book has 24 chapters, making it ideal to read everyday until Christmas Eve.

"Two boys, Isaac and Jediah, travel through ancient Palestine. As their journey unfolds, the boys find themselves at the heart of the Nativity Story and gradually realize the birth of the Messiah is at hand." Amazon

Amy made the annual Santa Claus with a cotton ball beard countdown activity.

We have made this every year since my 22 year old was a baby, and the tradition continues.

Everyone morning just glue a cottonball onto the beard and when
the beard is full--it is Christmas!!

Someone tears a link off the Christmas countdown chain every morning.

The biggest excitement is the opening of the annual Lego Advent Calendar. (whatever you do--don't pay this Amazon price--mark it down for next year and in September you can get it for $14.99)

Each day you open a new Lego toy--including Santa Claus and a snowman.

Yep--we have busy mornings in December, with all the activities we have to get through (before schoolwork starts) luckily everyone has an activity to do,(this cuts down on the wailing and lamenting ) we just alternate jobs every morning so everyone is happy!