First we tried our annual dog picture in front of the tree with antlers.
Callie didn’t seem too amused. So we took them off.
And she smiled like a good dog (but my lighting was way off because I broke my external flash). (Check out Instagram for a better photo.)
The boys seem to be really in to the Christmas traditions and Advent activities this year. Tonight’s activity was to go on a Christmas Light Scavenger hunt. Before we were halfway done, LittleBrother declared this the “best Advent activity ever.” I found myself agreeing. It definitely felt like a step up from simply “going to see Christmas lights” as we’ve done ever year during our activities. Additionally, as I made it a “family” activity instead of a competition between individuals, the fighting remained rather minimal.
By rather minimal, I mean that I only raised my voice a few times. Hooray!
They’ve really gotten into baking and making holiday treats as well. We’ve baked cookies and made our holiday white chocolate popcorn. By we’ve, I literally mean we with a heavy emphasis on their help. They’ve done more with baking this year than in any year prior and, again, with minimal arguing. It’s actually felt mostly enjoyable, if just a little bit noisy. Also, as it seems we are somehow required to listen to Straight No Chaser’s version of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” while baking, I can only handle so much repetition. They, however, could listen over and over and over again.
We’ve also shopped for daddy, enjoyed an art night, and generally spent a lot of time as a family. Their only complaint thus far is that I’ve made them stick (pretty close) to bedtimes, except when we spent the weekend away, as they’re still in school through this Friday. I know they’ll feel a little more excited when they can sleep in each other’s rooms and stay up later than usual.
I’ll invest in some ear plugs—or just borrow BigBrother’s.