One

Welcome the Advent season by drinking hot cocoa with marshmallows and read a Hanukkah book in honor of the first day of Hanukkah tomorrow.

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel

I made it out of clay,

Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel

My dreidel I will play.

For the past 3ish years we have celebrated Advent---not with the traditional Sunday candles and wreath (though I'd love to add that in the future) but with a simple and child-pleasing countdown of the December days until Christmas.  I bought holiday tins and label their undersides with a number that corresponds to the date.  Inside is a slip of paper announcing what the activity of the day is.  In years past there have also been a few jellybeans, too, but since my kids have been off candy since February 16th this year there are stickers and sometimes some pencils.  Activities are sometimes simple and sometimes more involved and it has become a lovely tradition in our home---a way to celebrate the holiday all month and to focus on home and family and Christ's birth in a way that crazily-finishing-up-our-shopping just doesn't do.  I really try to get everything in place before December 1st so that December can (atleast try to) be calm.  This year I'll attempt to document each day.