Getting Ready for Christmas

 I asked the kids what Christmas season traditions they most enjoyed and wanted to be sure to preserve despite the covid situation.  Top on the list was Advent, then making paper snowflakes, decorating gingerbread houses, going to the Wayne County lightfest, decorating the tree, and watching Christmas movies.  We've been happily working through that list.  Sunday we celebrated the 2nd advent, made paper snowflakes which we hung in our window (as always), and watched the First Presidency's Christmas devotional.  The day prior we watched Home Alone - one of my favorite Christmas movies.  It's been fun getting ready for Christmas.  To me, the lead up to Christmas is the best part.

I always love making paper snowflakes - the geometric artistry of it and the time spent sitting around the table together.  This week we were assigned to attend church virtually, so we made them while watching church.  I noticed after I took this picture, that I snapped it just as Kelly was getting up to sanitize the podium between speakers, so he made it into the picture too! :)

Peter was getting a little bored as we cut, so Bella made him a hat to wear.  

Bella also had a ton of other fun ideas for Sunday afternoon.  We played pictionary with cheerios.  Instead of drawing, we placed cheerios in the shape of something and the others had to guess.  Then we played Don't Eat Pete, a favorite in our house because it allows for copious amounts of cheerios to be eaten.  Finally she suggested we make marshmallow structures.  Benjamin wanted to have a contest to see who could build the highest.  I had a good design, but the marshmallows were so soft that they never held.  Benjamin and Bella went with lots and lots of really small triangles stacked up.  The competition was fierce (notice Benjamin even took off his sweatshirt because he was getting heated in the excitement) but Bella pulled it out in the end.  It was a lot of fun to see them joking with one another and having their friendly competition. 

During our advent celebration, I noticed the all three kids were wearing their black hoodies.  Craziness ensued.  Not sure what they're doing here but it was fun to see them goofing off together.  My favorite was Benjamin - hard to take the gang signs seriously with that little button nose sticking out!