Merry Christmas!

I'm working today, on Christmas day, for the first time since I was 17 years old. Back then it was 1989, I was a young pup in love, about to leave home & washing dishes at an Irving Big Stop Restaurant.

Times have changed. I really didn't want to leave the fam to come downtown to work today. I feel like I'm hungover. Joel said he'd get up early. We sent him back to bed at 4 am. They did well to wait until 6 am.

We had a great advent time together this season. We decided to look forward to the celebrated birth of Jesus by way of a daily family activity.

We were in a pinch for time, so Leslie picked up an advent calendar from Starbucks. I put together a list of family activities that Leslie & the kids each chose 5 things to do & I chose the reamaining 4. Our 24 activities from the list are as follows (beginning on December 1 & wrapping up last night on Christmas Eve):

1. Color a Christmas picture
2. Make sugar cookies
3. Walk the dog together
4. Have a bubble bath (individually of course)
5. Make a gingerbread house
6. Paint wooden ornaments for the Christmas tree
7. Go bowling
8. Make hot chocolate with all the fixins'
9. Have a chocolate fondue night
10. Put candy canes on the Christmas tree
11. Volunteer at the Toy Warehouse (The Salvation Army)
12. Campout around the Christmas tree
13. Fancy dress up for dinner
14. Dollar store gift exchange (each person given $5 to spend on the other four family members, then we go home & exchange gifts)
15. Make it snow in the house by making snowflakes and hanging them from the ceiling
16. Paint each other's fingernails & toenails in Christmas colors
17. Go out for ice cream
18. Make a Christmas ornament
19. Make a hideout and hangout with flashlights
20. Have a picnic at Elbow Falls
21. Give each other crazy hairstyles
22. Tell a round robin story
23. Put together a Christmas or winter scene puzzle
24. Read "Twas The Night Before Christmas" & put out egg nog & cookies

We truly had a blast together!

We did everything on the list with the exception of three things that were put on hold because of the weather. On the day of our snow storm we had to postpone going bowling; our dog didn't get walked & our picnic at Elbow Falls were both put on hold because of the negative temperature lately.

Next year I hope to put each of the activities in a decorated matchbox, each individually wrapped like a small gift (that is, if we can find the small matchboxes - otherwise, I better get crackin' on consuming Altoids!).