Calendar Completion!

This is the first year that I have done an advent calendar with Emma for the Christmas season and, being us, we decided to do it all out. So she actually had TWO calendars. One was a store bought calendar with 24 miniature books that, when put together, told the complete nativity story. Each evening we would find and read the little book and then hang it on her mini tree in the bedroom. The other calendar was one I made from some bulletin board supplies and we did this one every morning. After waking up, brushing her teeth and going potty, Emma would pull the star for the day and see what kind of fun activity we would be doing that day. For the sake of posterity (and in case I need more ideas in the upcoming years) I figured I would make a list of all the activities we did this month. These calendars ended up being a lot of fun and I think we will be doing them again. Emma seemed to really get a solid understanding of time passing and also of the TRUE meaning of Christmas. She can tell you all about baby Jesus, Mary, and Joseph and how they lived in the Holy Land. Awesome.

Dec 01 - Go see Bubby's Christmas recital
Dec 02 - Pizza & Movie Night with Mikayla & TJ (while Mommy goes to a play)
Dec 03 - Craft at Home Depot; Get a Christmas Tree; Christmas Parade with Gymnastics Group
Dec 04 - Craft Fair with Mommy & Grandma
Dec 05 - Bake Christmas Cookies
Dec 06 - Playdate at Kaia's
Dec 07 - Drive to see Christmas Lights
Dec 08 - Make a Christmas Craft
Dec 09 - Polar Express storytime at Barnes & Noble
Dec 10 - Go see "A Christmas Carol" play
Dec 11 - Do easy-bake-oven cooking with Lucy (while Mommy goes to a play)
Dec 12 - Have candy cane hot cocoa and a movie
Dec 13 - Pancake breakfast at school; Last day of work & school
Dec 14 - Bring hot chocolate to gymnastics for friends & go see lights with Hayden & Sophia
Dec 15 - Visit the fancy lights in Rancho
Dec 16 - Play at Sophia's & have dinner at Chick-fil-A
Dec 17 - Stockings for Seniors; Eagle's Christmas Party
Dec 18 - Nutcracker Ballet with Mommy
Dec 19 - Go for a nighttime walk to see Christmas Lights
Dec 20 - Elite Christmas Party with Sophia & Hayden
Dec 21 - Watch a Christmas movie
Dec 22 - Bake cookies and spend the night with Grandma (while Mommy shops & assembles!)
Dec 23 - Christmas cookie & craft party at Kaia's
Dec 24 - Christmas Eve service at church & dinner at McDonalds
Dec 25 - CHRISTMAS!!!