1st day of Christmas

I'm attempting my second year of doing 25 days of Christmas. Last year I did a paper scrapbook where I got all the pages ready ahead of time and then the goal was to add the photos and journaling by printing them out day by day or every few days. Well, can you guess I did make files with the photos and made notes for the journaling, but it took weeks, months.. actually it took until just last week for me to finish that book. I have no idea why. The whole point is if you do it a little each day it's not a huge project. But life got in the way and I figured I'd do it later. However later never came until I realized.. eee gad... it's almost December already and it really would be nice to at least finish the project and to be able to put it out for my kids to enjoy looking at it. So I forced myself to do it and would you know in the process it completely made me see the value in documenting the little things and I saw how much my kids are loving looking at the pages.

So with that finished I decided I'd try making it easier this year by designing a template for myself and tweaking it each day slightly, but sticking to the basic layout. So here it goes. I'm sorta scared to say I'll commit to posting it each day. But I'll try. Just know right now, that life could get in the way. :)

So, in case you can't read it, we went to the annual Christmas Celebration at the Huntington Library. They have vendors selling gifts, hot apple cider, carolers, santa's helpers and of course a photo op with Santa. This year they also had a company that brought different instruments for the children to play. They had a whole table full of violins. My four year old Ava has been asking if she can learn. I was going to look into it soon. She was not in the mood to see Santa today so I didn't push her. But the violins, now that was all she wanted to go do. She absolutely lit up when she got a chance to hold one. The teacher showed her how to hold it and she was raptured. Ok, so I must get on the lessons for her asap.

My two year old, who wouldn't pose with Santa last year could hardly wait for her turn to give Santa her ticket (they handed one out to each child when we first got there to find Santa). But she wasn't so hip on the sitting in his lap part. So she boldly walked right up to him and then ran away, three different times. He managed to get her to tell him what she'd like for Christmas. She announced, a doll house. Which I didn't actually know that's what she wanted Santa to bring. I thought it was so sweet. But she just would not sit in his lap so she sat in mine for the photo. I love the picture of her talking to him. I love also that she wasn't afraid, but she has her boundaries.

Happy December 1st! I can't believe it's time to start decorating and celebrating. I want time to slow down. My kids are so jazzed about all the lights and getting our decorations out. They've been begging since Friday. We keep trying, but again, life keeps getting in the way. My husband actually got the tubs down from the attic today so hopefully, that's what tomorrow's layout will be about. Looking forward to coming back tomorrow.