Project Life (Nov. 29 - Dec. 5)

I'm so glad it's the Advent/Christmas/holiday season! I try to minimize my consumerism (pretty successfully) and maximize my calm, peaceful, spiritual meditation on the "Reason for the Season" (not always so successfully). But I love the merriment of the season and all the household preparations, which began in high gear this week!

Monday 11/29: I trimmed the mantle with garland and our metal nativity, and set up the little fake tree I got when I was still in an apartment. We hang out in the living room (with the real tree) more at Christmas than any other time, but since the family room is still our main hub, it's nice to have a tree there too. I also hung the stockings ("by the chimney with care!") I had an idea to string a ribbon across the mantle and clip Christmas cards to it, but decided we should leave them down in a basket where Kate can look through them--she loves that!

Tuesday 11/30: Continuing my decorating, I decided to put the other nativity out of Kate's reach this year (since she liked to steal baby Jesus so much last year, even putting him in the dishwasher). This may have solved the problem too, but I also decided to leave Jesus tucked away until Christmas Eve, leaving the empty manger as a symbol of expectation.

Wednesday 12/1: I began my FAVORITE holiday task--wrapping presents!! Since I've been cutting back on the gifts I buy and give, there literally are not enough gifts in our house to satisfy my need to wrap, so I offered up my wrapping services in the church Advent Festival silent auction.

Thursday 12/2: Our office is being boxed up to move to a different floor in our building, but since it's kind of a "hurry up and wait" situation, I decided to unpack the tree so we could enjoy it and the office wouldn't be so bare! I love the post-it note star and paper-clip garland!

Friday 12/3: Kate got bit at school! I guess it shows what a toddler-parent-newbie I am that when I heard the news, I asked "by what?" Yes, another child. Poor K-Bear. I couldn't get her to give me a good, clear shot of her war-wound, but here's the top teeth at least... the bottom teeth marks are on the bottom of her wrist--poor girl!

Saturday 12/4: I was up sick half the night, so most of my plans for Saturday were replaced by lying around, but we still went out to the church Advent Festival for a little while. We won this handmade wooden Advent calendar in the silent auction. The stars are pegged in for Dec. 1-4, but Kate got creative playing with some of the other figures. Thus, the angelic host of flying sheep and cows, and the mama cow dominating the stable (which I bet she did before Joseph and Mary invaded her space, so that's accurate!)

Sunday 12/5: Kate and Mommy both had rough mornings, so I got generous on the paci, letting Kate have it outside of the crib, which we haven't been doing for six months or so!

Go check out more Project Life at The Mom Creative!