Advent Activity Dec. 21, 22, and 23

Our Advent Activity for Dec. 21 was travel through Santa's Woods to see the light show.  The owners had put together several animated light displays.  I was so impressed with the number of different models and the timing they had to have for one display.

Our Advent Activity for Dec. 22 was ice skating. It was the first time either kid had been on the ice, and it had been since I was a tween that I was on.  Annaliese had double-blade skates, so she was able to walk across the ice with no problems.  That didn't stop her from whining and throwing a tantrum every time Darrin and I didn't help her.  She saw us giving Ian help and wanted some for herself; that, and she wanted to go fast. Oh, and she was very opinionated about the direction she wanted to go, too. We'd skate three strides and then she'd say, "No, not this way, go that way!" which was always opposite the way the other skaters were skating.  While she should have had the easiest time skating, she spent most of her time complaining. Ian said this was his favorite activity of all of advent. We figured out he actually did a better job just holding his arms straight out and getting no help from us.  We tried helping him to begin with, so that he could see how you actually glide on the ice instead of step, but his legs would become jelly-like every time we helped him.  

This video is about 2 minutes after we stepped on the ice. Yes, I lost my balance at the end while trying to show Ian how to skate backwards. No, I didn't fall on my bum.  This was the high point for Annaliese. The only time she'd skate by herself again was stomping off the ice while throwing a tantrum. Ian, however, wants to go skating again. I think it might become some boy bonding time in our family.

Our Advent Activity for Dec. 23 was open new pajamas. We do this every year the night before Santa comes so that in the morning, we can get a picture by the tree in our new pj's.  Ian was super stoked with his Darth Vader ones, and Annaliese loved her princess pj's (which were an XS in girls, not toddlers!).  

Advent Activity Dec. 19 & 20

 On December 19th, the snow started falling about 3 pm, so we ended up with two activities for that day: play in the snow and eat Christmas spaghetti. 
The kids and I were home from school about 4:20, and we played outside for an hour, throwing snowballs at each other, shoveling the drive, attempting to sled (didn't work too well), and building a snowman with Darrin.  Then we warmed up with some Christmas spaghetti (green food coloring added to the pasta water) and homemade chicken parmesan meatballs. 

On December 20th, we had a snow day! Our activity was make as many homemade goodies as we had the stamina for. While the kids were busy playing first thing, I made some homemade truffle hot chocolate to pass out to my coworkers and friends. Then the kids came to the kitchen and we made some spoons for mix-ins.  After lunch, we made some cut-out sugar cookies (a new recipe that's now my favorite) and after Darrin came home and we frosted them.  For dessert after dinner that night, we had to have some of the homemade hot chocolate stirring it with one of our spoons along with a sugar cookie. 

The spoons I made for my gifts. White chocolate chocolate chip, peanut butter chocolate chip, chocolate marshmallow, and chocolate mint.

Advent Activity Dec. 17 & 18

Advent activity for Dec. 17 was watching a video from Santa via Portable North Pole. This was the first year we did a video for Annaliese, so we played hers first.  When Santa started off the video with , "Why hello, Annaliese!" she drew back from the counter in shock, her mouth falling open. She then immediately got freaked out and covered her eyes with her arm (her damsel in distress pose as we like to call it). After a few seconds, though, she peeked out and watched the rest of her video going back and forth between eyes uncovered and covered.  Ian asked as soon as I picked him up from school when he was going to see it because he really wanted to know if he made the good list or the naughty list this year. Turns out he was on the good-but-needs-improvement list (though really, we are so blessed as they really are both good kids). After they both watched their videos, they had to watch them both again.

Link for Ian's video            
Link for Annaliese's video   

A few seconds into her video...

Advent activity for Dec. 18 was snowman pancakes for dinner. I love the nights when I can incorporate our activity into our meal- there are some nights when there's just not enough time to do something else in addition to dinner... or there's just not enough energy to do something additional.  We had turkey bacon for a scarf, blueberries and banana slices for decorating, and yogurt for hair or snow (I meant to buy redi whip but forgot).  They had lots of fun decorating them. Annaliese ate all her adornments before I got a picture taken, so she had to decorate it all again. They do love fruit, that's for sure. 

Advent Dec. 15 & 16

Advent activity for Dec. 15 was celebrate birthdays. It was my birthday that day, so I opened presents of new sheets and kitchen utensils (both things I asked for, so Darrin did well). We also went out for lunch at Ruby Tuesdays, where I had coconut shrimp and Caribbean chicken and a red velvet cupcake for dessert. Between opening presents at breakfast and going out for lunch, I made 48 cupcakes (I made 24 the night before) and after lunch I made three types of frosting before heading over to Marlena's house. She threw Noah a surprise 30th birthday party that night, and I helped prep some food, rearrange the house, set out the beer (it was a beer sampling party) and finish the cupcakes.  It was a great way to spend my 32nd birthday, because I got to spend it with family and friends.

The beer sampling table. Hidden behind are two non-alcoholic beer varieties and two root beer varieties.

The spread of food. The cupcakes I made are (from l-r) root beer, chocolate vanilla porter, and orange blue moon.

Noah entertaining the kids at his party by reading Chowder.

Advent activity for Dec. 16 was deliver our Salvation Army Adopt-a-Famly gifts. One of the things I want to accomplish through some of the activities both this year and in the years to come is the idea that Christmas isn't just about getting presents, but that it's also about giving of yourself. This year was our first year adopting a family. We adopted a single mom with a seven-year-old boy and a baby girl due any day.  I included Ian in shopping for the boy and both he and Annaliese helped me wrap the presents just a few hours before we delivered them. They were fighting over who got to put the tape on the presents, so we had to alternate whose turn it was. The silly things they argue about...

The gift for the mother is required to be a gift certificate to a grocery store.

Helping me wrap the presents.

All wrapped up and ready to go.

Advent Dec. 13 & 14

Advent activity for Dec. 13 was watch The Grinch, and then read it for bedtime. It was another one of those nights when I wasn't home, so Darrin had to run the activity solo. It's kinda hard to get lots of pictures when you're involved in everything, so there aren't lots of pictures. It was a busy day to begin with; Annaliese had a party at her school and then she got her haircut for the first time. 

Darrin sportin' his Grinch pjs while watching it.

Advent activity for Dec. 14 was drive around to see the lights.
The neighborhood closest to us had some great lights, though it's hard to capture them in a still photo as you're driving by. Next time I'll get some videos to try and pull still from. 

Advent Dec. 11 & 12

Advent Activity for Dec. 11th was Christmas tree pizza. I had a deacon's meeting at church that night, where they were providing dinner, and I knew Darrin could handle pizza with the kids. They did a great job. It was weird having crust from a pack instead of my homemade crust. Crazy to think that's what we used to use all the time for our crust.

Advent Activity for Dec. 12th was reindeer food, a quick replacement for what I had originally planned, which was making ornaments. Turns out Target didn't have what I needed, and we had the items for reindeer food on hand at home.  Just mix a bit of oatmeal with red and green sugar sprinkles. Some recipes call for actual glitter, but I read that it's not good for the animals that may come along and eat it, or the ground, so sugar it is.

For those of you wondering where the December Daily pages are, please see this post.