The holiday season, fun as it is, is always super hectic. Between social gatherings, making and shopping for presents, and decorating the house, it seems like not much time is left for anything else.
So, when Finn was little, we started a tradition of having a family-time advent calender through the month of December. This is our way to make sure that we are finding time each day to be together as a family, doing something special. That's what the holidays are supposed to be about, right? Being with family and the ones you love? It just often gets overshadowed by presents and commercialism...
Anyways, these "owl" activities, as we call them (as our advent calender is made from felt owls), are a time for us to connect and to make memories and traditions for years to come. When I think back to Christmases of my youth, I do fondly remember certain gifts, and I sure did love opening presents. But, more than specific presents, I think of the activities we did: gatherings with family, Christmas caroling, decorating the tree, baking cookies, going to see The Nutcracker. trips into the city (of Chicago) to see the lights and store windows, hot cocoa in front of the tree, reading The Night Before Christmas, ice skating, and all of the other activities we did.
So, that is what I hope to share with my children as well. Some of our activities for this year are: writing letters to Santa, making a gingerbread house, donating toys to a local toy drive, making paper snowflakes, and seeing the light display at the Zoo. This year, we are a bit less organized than normal, and so Todd and I are deciding each day's activity the night before. It leaves us more flexibility, but it is also a bit more hectic.
How do you spend time as a family during the holidays?
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Lovely! We do the same, our advent activities are planned around family, today was an afternoon with daddy for my little man, just the two of them. And they had a great time.
ReplyDeleteWe also make sure to not have too many commitments. It means saying no to some things, but in the end our quiet time at home together always feels so much better.
Well put, we too often focus on 'stuff' during the holidays! Did you make those owls? So cute!
ReplyDeleteYou started a lovely tradition and I believe the two children will carry on the same one. My kids love doing certain traditions they've known since they were small. We have lovely memories from them.
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing idea!!! I love it!
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