Christmas Bucket List Update

Christmas season is in full swing, but I just can't quite get in the mood yet.  I'm sure it'll come soon, especially after school gets done this week.  Elementary school is a different beast (compared to middle school) when it comes to Christmas, so I'm just hanging on for dear life this week.  I had been feeling pretty bad since Sunday, so I went to the doctor yesterday and the verdict was strep throat.  That and the flu are spreading like wildfire at school, so that could be part of the reason I'm not 100% in Christmas cheer mode yet.  I've basically got all of my shopping done, now I've just got to wrap everything.  The boys are loving all of our countdowns and Pal's crazy antics, but they're ready for Christmas Day.  The only thing left on our list is to read the Christmas story, but we do that every Christmas Eve as a family. 

• Go to a Christmas light exhibit 
• Make a gingerbread house
• Drive around and look at lights
• Go to a Christmas parade
• Visit Santa
• Date night with Andy {even if it's an at home date night}
• Special family ornament(s)
• Watch classic Christmas movies
• Write a letter to Santa
• Make holiday desserts
• Make holiday crafts
• Christmas Eve PJs for the boys
• Read the biblical Christmas story 
• Listen to Christmas music
• Take Christmas pictures of the boys
• Give a gift to the less fortunate 
• Make hot chocolate and drink it by the tree 

Cooper's 6th Birthday Party

Cooper turned 6 on Friday, but we celebrated with friends and family yesterday.  The past few years we've had his parties at the YMCA, which has been great, but we wanted something really easy and low key this year.  His favorite restaurant is McDonald's, so we just had his party there at the Play Place.  We went to the McDonald's in Ringgold because it's bigger, and I must say, that was the easiest birthday party we've ever done.  We just showed up, grabbed some tables, everyone ordered their own food, the kids played, and he opened presents.  I think I spent a total of $5 on the party because I bought plates, forks, and candles for the cake.  It couldn't have gone better or been easier, and he's already said he wants his 7th birthday party there, too!

Christmas Bucketlist 2016

I really scaled back our Christmas Bucket List this year because a lot of the things I've had in the past are things we'll do regardless, list or no list.  I spent a lot of time on this one for some reason, even though it's not really that different from previous years.  The things that are always hardest for us to get knocked off are going to a parade, seeing Santa, and a date with Andy due to his busy schedule.  This is just another fun things for us to do and another way to create special memories for the boys as they grow older.  

• Go to a Christmas light exhibit 
• Make a gingerbread house
• Drive around and look at lights
• Go to a Christmas parade
• Visit Santa
• Date night with Andy {even if it's an at home date night}
• Special family ornament(s)
• Watch classic Christmas movies
• Write a letter to Santa
• Make holiday desserts
• Make holiday crafts
• Christmas Eve PJs for the boys
• Read the biblical Christmas story
• Listen to Christmas music
• Take Christmas pictures of the boys
• Give a gift to the less fortunate 
• Make hot chocolate and drink it by the tree 

Early Christmas Planning

Every Christmas season I stress myself out by doing an advent calendar, Elf of the Shelf, and Christmas bucket list with the boys.  Every year I usually ask myself why in the world I'm doing all this, but I'm trying my best to create some fun memories for them.  I have so many wonderful memories from my childhood of traditions and fun things we did every Christmas, so I want to make sure the boys have them, too.  I keep a lot of the same things on each of these lists/calendars every year, but I like to change them up too.  The boys expect a lot from Pal (our elf) as well, so he really keeps me on my toes.

One thing I've found that helps me is planning ahead for all of these things.  I have a calendar planned out for our advent activities, and a calendar planned out for the crazy things Pal will do as well.  I even went a step further this year and made a list of special things I'll need each day so I can plan ahead.  I've also printed out a lot of stuff so I'll have it ahead of time, too.  One of our advent activities is making homemade snow globes, and all Christmas and glass items were 50% off the other day at Hobby Lobby, so we're prepared for that craft, too!  Anyways, this will show just how neurotic and OCD I am, but I've found this helps me a ton when we're in the midst of the Christmas season.  Andy works insane hours during the holidays (which crunch time is about to start for him in the next week or so), so I like to be as prepared as possible when I'm conquering these things on my own with three small boys. 

 

 Pal's calendars

 

 Advent calendars

 Reindeer food ingredients and printouts

 

 Christmas scavenger hunt list

 Some coloring sheets for the boys

 A coloring sheet for Pal

 Pal's goodbye letter

 My planning ahead list for Pal and the advent calendar

 Letters from Santa for all 3 boys

 Letters for the boys to write to Santa

 

 Santa countdown calendar

 Pal's welcome letter

 Advent calendar activity cards that will go in a vase - the boys pull one out each day to see what we're doing.