Christmas Plans

This year we are trying to be purposeful in our use of time and family activities this Christmas season. I know from experience that if I don’t make a plan then it won’t happen. So we have a 25 day plan of activities that are a balance of fun family activities, service to others,  and hospitality.

We will start of the season on Dec. 1^st with the local Christmas Parade, we have two children who are in the marching band, and it is always a fun activity.

Dec. 2^nd we will be decorating the main living areas of the house, except for the tree which we will do later.

Dec. 3^rd is the school Christmas Concert and we have 3 children involved in that.

Dec. 4^th we are doing our first act of service for another in that the children will be preparing with help a meal for another family and delivering it.

Dec. 5^th we are making a Christmas craft of some type here at home and helping at church if needed on Christmas food baskets.

Dec 6^th is a Thursday and that is a busy day around here, so we will be singing Christmas Songs as we travel along.

Dec 7^th we have plans for our first family outing, time to go bowling.

Dec 8^th some of the family is busy, but those of us  home are helping out at church in the am to give out food baskets. Then in the afternoon we are baking cookies and decorating bedrooms

Dec 9^th We have plans to watch White Christmas and drink Hot Coco

Dec. 10^th My daughter will be having her cookie party, in that she gets to invite a bunch of friends over and we are going to decorate cookies.

Dec. 11^th  we will be making a meal once again and taking it to another family

Dec 12^th  My youngest son will have his cookie party

Dec 13^th is once again a Thursday so more music in the van and maybe looking at lights.

Dec 14^th is a Family game night

Dec 15^th is a trip to watch the Hobbit movie and Christmas Shopping for the younger four to buy a gift for the sibling name they draw.

Dec 16^th It’s time to head to the tree farm to buy a tree and decorate it.

Dec 17^th It’s time to make Gingerbread houses,

Dec 18^th We are going to surprise someone with a Christmas treat

Dec 19^th we have plans to Skype with dad as he is traveling

Dec 20^th once again we are singing in the van

Dec 21 the kids are wrapping their presents to each other and we are fitting in a another Christmas movie.

Dec 22 we are Caroling with the youth group at Church

Dec 23 we are going to relax and watch a Christmas movie and drink hot coco

Dec 24 is Church and our ultimate ice cream sundaes

Dec 25 is Christmas and time to relax together

And of course along with these activities we have the normal life of work, school, CAP, girl scouts, bowling for the older two at home, field hockey for the girl, and basketball for the youngest.  And we will fit in other things as they arise.

Works for Me Wednesday - Teacher Gifts

Yesterday I sat down and counted all the teachers the children have between school and church and to comes to about 30 and I am sure I missed someone. With this many people to say thank you for the time and energy you put into my kids and with my kids that is a lot of energy, what to do for gifts that won't break the budget.

In the past I have done coffee cups, with hot coca packets, and chocolate dipped pretzels, marshmallow snowmen, and cookies on a stick. But this year since the number of adults involved has grown, we are doing cookie plates. Just simple paper plates piled high with goodies, wrapped up, and delivered with a smile and probably a hug if you are one Aidan or Kat's teacher.

On the plates are going to be sugar cookies, chocolate dipped pretzels, snicker doodles, chocolate dipped graham crackers, chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate covered coconut cookies, crusciki, and whatever else catches our eye.

Recipes and pictures to follow on Saturday once these are all made and ready to go.

This post is also linked at Works for Me Wednesday

And here is the link to all the recipies Teacher Box Cookie Recipies

The Season has begun

Christmas in a large family, is fun, loud, and can be done within the limits of a budget.  One of the things that we did was to start traditions that the children look forward to, so that it is not all about will we get as gifts.

We start off our season by the attending our town’s winter parade, then we find time to head out for a tree. We get our tree from a local place that is great experience, you head out to chop down your tree and then your picture is taken and have hot coco and cookies before heading home. We fill the month with Christmas plays, caroling , baking cookies, and making crafts.

On Christmas Eve after church service we come home and have ice cream sundeas with all the different toppings and each child opens a pair of new pj’s, and we have a new family movie to watch that night. Then on Christmas since we are home all day we have a PJ day, yes we eat our Christmas Dinner in our PJ’s something that the kids think is funny.  We use the nice dishes, and have a wonderful dinner while wearing our pj’s. I do ask that they at least brush their teeth and hair.

And what about presents, we have a plan that we try to follow.  When the children were younger and we as parents had yet to learn some important lessons we went overboard. Our budget suffered, my housekeeping suffered (If each kid had 10 gifts that was 50 new things to care for), and the children had a bad case of the gimmies.  Our plan after learning these lessons  is one gift from daddy ( which is the big gift) sometimes it is a toy, usually something useful . In the past it has been cd-players, new bedding, something that we have noticed that the children need, that costs more than the 15 dollar birthday limit.

Then there is the gift from mommy usually something I have made them, or sometimes a fun toy that I am willing to live with. And then there is there box of books, we have a penguin book warehouse sale that I get books for pennies on the dollar each November. The kids also have a stocking that has small gifts that I have bought though out the year.

This plan keeps me from over buying, the house from overflowing, and the children enjoy the season.