Last month when Mike's mom and I were out shopping we found the cutest little Advent calendar that looks like a house. We brought it home and it was sitting on the kitchen counter waiting for the first of December. Clay could hardly wait to "play with the house".
Every day he talks about the house all day and says, "I have to wait till I have my jamas on.I have to wait until it's time to go to bed." We have discovered him several times lately dragging a chair across the floor so he can reach the house on the kitchen bar. He LOVES the house.
It's important to me that the Advent and countdown to Christmas is tied to the story of Jesus so every night we sit down and read a story about Baby Jesus. Sometimes we read from his toddler Bible and sometimes from a sweet book Aunt Rebecca got us about the Nativity. We talk about the story of Jesus in the manger and Clay listens intently.
Before he's allowed to open a drawer on the house, I ask him a little question about the story of Jesus. I usually ask him something like who Jesus's mother is or who his father is or what the baby's name is. It always surprises me when he gets it right (and he always does). I guess he's really listening but I love his answers.
Who's Jesus' mother? "May-ray".
Who's Jesus' daddy? "Juice-seph"
Who's the baby in the manger? "Jay-sus"
After we read our story and answer a question, we look on the house and find the right day. Then he gets to pull out a drawer and there's a little chocolate in each drawer. Most of the days the chocolates are wrapped in shiny paper and look like little presents. The other ones are just round balls in shiny foil. He'll open a drawer with one of the balls and say, "Um, I don't wike this one. I wan't a diffwent one." The boy knows what he wants for sure (but no switching)!
It is such a fun tradition already and such a sweet time to spend with our little boy. We all look forward to it at night.
The only question is -- how do we explain to Clay that we don't do this every night after Christmas?? Yikes!
3 comments:
YEAHHH! A new post! What a great story.. Thnkas for the update! Kiss those babies for me!
You have to love the concept of presents every night for almost a month. Who wouldn't sign up for that deal? Love it!
That is soo sweet! Love the Advent House!:)
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