Ready or not, here it comes!

(2010 Lighted Parade)

We have pretty strict rules in our house about holidays.  

No Halloween talk or decorating until October 1.

November 1, Halloween comes down and harvest/Thanksgiving goes up.

December 1, Thanksgiving comes down...and then things either go really fast or really slow.  :)

December 1 is when Advent starts in our house.  We have a blast counting down the days until Christmas.  When I first started blogging, I posted about what we do to make this time fun for the kids...here's a blast from the past (2008, to be exact!):

http://ipharaon.blogspot.com/2008/12/christmas-fun.html

This year, I'm not sure what December is going to look like.  I'm still in SIMPLIFY mode...but we'll see if that holds.  :)  

So far, here's what's going in the Advent calendar (not the one I still haven't made, we'll use our "old" one again this year!):

December 1:  buy our tree!

December 2:  Christmas parade & stroll!

December 3:  decorate the tree

December 4:  Church and decorate outside

And then each day will be a mix of things we're doing already (Kayci's piano recital, PTO Christmas program, etc.) and Christmas fun (wrapping gifts, making ornaments, making playdough--we need Alex for that one, H!).  

Um, have I mentioned that I *love* Christmas?  :)  This year, I just want to do a good job of focusing on the why of Christmas, not just the whats...our kiddos totally understand about Jesus' birth, but it can get lost in the Santa and reindeer and elf stuff that I love so much.  

And I understand what a hypocrite I am, talking about keeping it simple while I'm looking around at our Elf on the Shelf (Taylor, who's 6 years old this year!) horsing around on the duck and the two wrapped gifts on the table (they unwrap a book a day)...but really, for me, that IS simplifying.  :)  

I'm NOT doing 12 days of Christmas this year...that was something I loved last year, but that can totally go.  That's progress, right?

I'm NOT making my new (sniff) Silhouette Advent calendar this year, because this mouse doesn't have time for that cookie...and the new banner, and the new stockings, and the new tree skirt...it was not a good 4 weeks of stressing about that stuff, and I've given it up.  :)

I'm NOT doing snow & snowmen this year, unless Kayci insists.  I'm serious about keeping decorations simple.

Ha.

And last but not least, a favorite thing...another of my favorite December blog traditions:

Today my favorite thing is quiet time in the morning with my Boy.  We've had an hour to sit here and read and, for me, to do my quiet time...now I'm on the computer for a bit before we get up and he heads off to Bible study.  This time with him makes all the difference.  :)