Advent for the Advent Calendar Impaired (in which I tell you it's OK to be counter culture)

In case you haven't noticed, it's Christmas time, and everyone and their brother is doing an advent calendar.

Or Elf on the Shelf.

Or both.

I've got to admit, it's all a little overwhelming to me.

Just do a search for advent calendars on Pinterest, and you'll see what I mean.

Don't get me wrong, many of those calendars are beautiful, fun, and super creative.

Strangely enough, that just makes them all the more overwhelming!

After a while, I start to feel this pressure to take part and do these things, even if they are contrary to my hopes for how my family will experience Christmas this year.

This Christmas, more than ever before, I have 2 goals: to keep things simple, and to keep things focused on Jesus.

This doesn't mean we won't do fun things like go to the Christmas parade or see the lights, do lots of baking and cooking for friends, or go see Santa.

It just means I am doing my best to not add more things to my to do list that don't really need to be there.

Things like this:

Many advent calendars involve buying little trinkets for your child to open on the 24 days leading up to Christmas.

Buying 24 little trinkets, times 3, sounds exhausting to me.

Thinking of 24 trinkets to buy sounds exhausting.

Also, buying 24 trinkets, times 3, could be really expensive since I despise the dollar store, and refuse to buy my kids cheap junk that will be broken or tossed the next day.

Also, trinkets mean clutter.

Clutter does not simplify my life.

Other advent calendars suggest you offer your children special treats that are activities, not things.

The thing is, December is already a really busy month.

Doing one special activity a day sounds extremely exhausting to me.

Heck, sometimes doing one special activity a week is extremely exhausting to me!

Again, not simplifying.

I know all this makes me sound like a real Scrooge.

But I promise, I'm not.

Instead, I'm realizing that many of us are trying so hard to make every moment of this month so super, duper special, and fun, and exciting, and full of memory making moments, that it all just becomes too much.

It doesn't have to be that way.

Because really, isn't this the most important part of Christmas?

And isn't this what you want your children to focus on?

You might not end up with a Pinterest worthy advent calendar, or your kids might miss out on getting that special Christmas pencil when they complete day 15's advent scavenger hunt, but it will be OK.

Really.

Because you can still celebrate advent with your family.
You can celebrate in a simple and meaningful way.

Let me tell you what we did tonight.

After dinner, we sat down together in the living room.

We lit 2 candles because today is December 2nd.

They were't special advent candles, or any special colors, or anything more than some IKEA votives in mason jars.

We read a part of the Christmas story out of The Jesus Storybook Bible, and then we sang some Christmas carols together.

We had a good talk after we read.

We talked of Old Testament prophesies, of God using a poor, young girl like Mary to carry out His magnificent plan, and what the world would be like if Jesus had never come.

It was simple and just what I want for this Christmas season.

At this point I know we can realistically make that happen for the rest of the Sundays of Advent.

There won't be any guilt over missed days, and we won't loose steam because we are trying to cram in too many things in a day.

Next week our tree will be up and the time together will be that much more special as we turn off the lights and sing carols around the tree.

We'll probably recite the verses from Luke that we are learning together for school.

And also our poem, Christmas Everywhere.  (I love this poem!)

We might even have hot cocoa.

With marshmallows!

See, I am not a Scrooge.

I am just a mama who knows her limitations and who is finally learning to accept them.

And I am excited by time spent together doing simple things.

Because simple really is beautiful.

It is a counter culture idea.

I know, because I went to Target last night after the kids went to bed.

All I needed was baby wipes, paper towels and a filter for our Britta water pitcher.

Yet there I was, wandering the aisles, thinking about getting Lilly a new Hello Kitty water bottle, even though the one she has is still perfectly good.

It is very tempting to make the Christmas season all about consuming, and being crazy busy, and getting stressed out because we've over committed, until it just isn't peaceful anymore.

I'm here to tell you that you can be a Christmas slacker.

Pick the things that mean the most to you and do them.

And that's it.

It might end up being the simplest Christmas you've ever had.

And that is not a bad thing.

...........................................................................................................................................

Now if you are still really wanting to jump aboard the advent calendar bandwagon, I have a few ideas for you.

None of them are too overwhelming, and if you can't manage them for this year, start working on them for next Christmas and you'll be ahead of the game.

This never actually works for me, but you might be a better planner than I am.

So, if I was going to do one advent calendar, it would be this one. (see more pics of it here)

I like the simple, beautiful, fonts for each number.
It reminds me of Alexander Girard and also the graphics created by House Industries, both of which my design loving soul appreciates greatly.

I like that the pockets are small enough to hold one chocolate coin for each kid and a piece of paper with a scripture on it.

Because if I were doing and advent calendar, that is what I'd give my kids each day.

Simple. Sweet. Focused on Jesus.

Who knows?

I might get all crazy and do this next Christmas.

If you are wanting an advent activity for each day that is Christ centered, and more than fun activities, junky trinkets, or candy, this is the thing for you.
This, free, printable devotion guide from Anne Voskamp is beautiful, and all about Jesus.
There is a little, paper ornament to hang from the tree, (or put into one of those bags from the advent calendar I mentioned above--see how I did that?)  and a corresponding reading from scripture.
I am thinking of printing this up and doing it with my kids this year, even though we are already a bit behind.
Because we do Bible together in school everyday, this could be our Bible time and it would not add anything extra to our plate.
I don't think we'd be able to do it every night as a family because some nights we are doing other things, Aaron or I are gone, or the kids are tired and cranky and all we really want to do with them is put them to bed!
Just being honest with you here.
But we could do it together some nights and other times in the morning for school.
This is something worth investing time in because it emphasizes the most important part of Christmas--the birth of Jesus.

And if both of those things still sound like too much, here is an idea that you can do with your small child today.
Make a paper chain, one strip of paper for each day leading up to Christmas (yes you can make one now and the advent calendar police will not come get you for starting on December 3rd) and on each strip write down one of the names Jesus is called in the Bible, and its corresponding scripture verse.
My friend Mary sent this to me and I thought it was a brilliant idea.
Here are the names and verses:

The Son of the living God  

Mat 16:16

 His only begotten Son  

Jhn 3:16

 The Son of the Father  

1Jo 1:3

 The first-born of every creature  

Col 1:15

 His dear Son (or the Son of his love)  

Col 1:13

 The Son of the Highest  

Luk 1:32

 Wonderful  

Isa 9:6

 "This is the Son of God."  

Jhn 1:34 by John Baptist

 "The Christ, the Son of God."  

Jhn 20:31 from John, Apostle,

 "The Christ, the Son of God."  

Jhn 11:27 from Martha,

 "Thou Son of the Most High God."  

Mar 5:7 from The Legion,

   God

    Jhn 1:1;

 The Mighty God  

Isa 9:6

 The Everlasting God  

Isa 40:28

 The True God  

1Jo 5:20

 My Lord and my God  

Jhn 20:28

 The God of the whole earth  

Isa 54:5

 God manifest in the flesh  

1Ti 3:16

 The great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ    

                        Tts 2:13

 Emanuel, God with us  

Mat 1:23

 Jehovah, mighty in battle  

Psa 24:8

 I am  

Exd 3:14;

 The Highest  

Luk 1:76

 The Lord of Glory  

1Cr 2:8

 The King, Jehovah of Hosts  

Isa 6:5

If you can't find it in your heart to do an advent calendar at all, here is a helpful list of books you can read from for the advent season.
One of them would be a worthy purchase that would last you for the rest of your Christmases.
(This is one of my favorite blogs because it is about reading and good literature. Many of the books that are part of our school curriculum are discussed here, as well as books that are new to me.  It is a helpful blog all year long) 

In the end, I hope you experience true joy this Christmas season, not in getting or even giving lots of things, but in the knowledge that Christmas is about loving each other. 
And that is because Jesus showed us the ultimate love by coming to earth to walk among us.

HE IS WITH US!

Merry Christmas, friends!
Love from,
Greta

Live Oak Park and Such

This post is for my fellow Fallbrookians.

To grow up in Fallbrook is to go to Live Oak Park.

I have more memories than I can count centered around that park.

I love it just as much now as I did then.

Probably more.

I always wished I could live in one of those cool, old ranger houses.

Still do.

I always loved the towering, gnarled, oak trees.

Still do.

I always loved the finding acorns stuffed in trees by acorn woodpeckers and squirrels.

Still do.

My love for Fallbrook runs deep.

So does my love for Live Oak Park.

The only complaint I have about the park is that all the old playground equipment is gone.

You know the equipment we played on as kids?

The big merry-go-round that we'd get spinning at crazy speeds and then throw our heads back as we spun and tried not to get sick.

My brother and his friends would hold onto one of the handles and drag the lower half of their bodies in the dirt as it spun.

We had so much fun with that thing.

Then there were the super tall swings, the super tall slide, the bumpy slide, the big teeter totters, and that swing thing that you had to stand under and swung from with your arms up above your head.

Remember that one?

It's all gone.

Replaced with new, probably safer, equipment.

I miss the old, paint-chipped, sharp-metal-edged, head-injury-inducing stuff I grew up with.

But my kids like the new stuff just fine.

We visited the park with the cousins a couple of days after Christmas.

Lilly and Lizzy like to share everything.

Ha!  

Only sometimes.

Baby Abby.

William and Cora on the strange teeter-totter contraption.
William loves Cora so much.
They really understand each other, I think.
And she is sweet to him--so she's even better than a big sister would be.
Because sometimes big sisters can be bossy, or bratty.
(except for mine--she's perfect.  and i'm not being sarcastic)

I think my love for nature--exploring it, learning about it, studying it, and simply being out in it--started at Live Oak Park.
As a kid, I imagined it to be the wilderness and loved taking off on the "trails", searching for adventure.
It's a beautiful place for exploring.

Especially at this time of year when the grass is green.

A little bit of rain brings out the mushrooms.

And way up there in that Sycamore tree, we saw some acorn woodpeckers.
I wish I had brought my zoom lens.

I'm glad this park of the park hasn't changed.
There is something about those old, stone walls lining the creeks that I just love.
They bring back very specific memories.
Like the time I was 13, wearing my pink jeans, purple shirt, pink scrunchie, purple socks and pink and purple hightops, trying to keep all of them clean by just walking on the sandy parts of the creek bed. 
A boy offered to hold my hand and jump down into the deeper part of the creek.
"Let's jump together," he said.
"That's OK," I said with a toss of my ponytail.  "I can do it myself."
Is it any wonder I didn't have a boyfriend until I was 18?
I was never very good at flirting. 
But I did always love to explore that creek.
Still do.

It's a bit harder now, with Davy in tow and Lilly to help up and down.
James had his first brush with stinging nettles here a couple of years ago.
Now he knows to look out for it.
And poison oak too.
They don't let danger deter them.
And they're dying to go in that tunnel.
I remember feeling the same way.
My mom never let me.
I haven't let them.
I guess some things never change.

Oh those were some stinky and muddy feet heading back to the car.
But they had fun.

And when we got back, there were gingerbread houses to make.
But mostly a lot of candy to eat.
Because, you have to do up Christmas right.

And before we left Fallbrook and Christmas 2011, we swung by the Christmas house for a musical light show that rivals anything that Disneyland has.
And it's free!

Whew!

I'm exhausted.

Cheers to another wonderful Christmas.

Love from,

Greta

PS. If you are a bit of a Fallbrook nerd, or at least interested in its history, I found this, which talks a lot about the history of Live Oak Park.

There are some good stories in it and pictures too.

California Christmas

We have had just about perfect weather this month.

I think it rained 2 days, maybe 3.

Just enough to make soup, get cozy inside and then be done with it before cabin fever sets in.

I really like 80 degree beach days in January.

In fact, if every January was like this, it might become my favorite month.

The only downside I can see is that I am not getting much use out of those Hunters.

Oh well, there's always February.

It might get cold and wet then.

The weather was pretty amazing during Christmas as well.

The sun was shining and it was over 70 out the day after Christmas, so the kids wanted to go in Nana and Papa's jacuzzi.

They tried doing the polar bear plunge in the pool, but it was just too cold.

So it was back to the jacuzzi they went.
Where lots of splashing and laughing were done.

After 13 + hours of sleep, this little girl was much more fun to be around.

She is amazing in the water.
Her swim teacher told me she'll probably be a better swimmer than her brothers because of her endurance and drive.
She is ultra competitive and won't accept that there is something she can't do.

She was psyching herself up to swim across the jacuzzi under water
I heard her saying to herself, "I can do this!  I'm not afraid!  I have power!"
And then she did it.

They swam for most of the afternoon.
They got out for snacks.

And to do silly poses for Auntie Greta, the lady who always has a camera in her hands.

I love these kids.

I love time with the cousins.

I love Nana and Papa's jacuzzi in winter.

I love California Christmases.

Love from,

Greta

Christmas Morn

Finally!
Christmas morning!
The kids were bursting with excitement and woke up before 6.


Being nice to the grandparents, and brother and sister-in-law, we held off on opening presents until 7.
We stalled them with stockings.
It worked.
For a while.
And then, oh glory!, they skipped into the living room for presents!

That's where they saw these!
New (to them) bikes.
Yippee!

They were all so thrilled.
William's new bike was actually James' old one.
Aaron put on new pedals and grips in William's favorite color.
It also got a new training wheels and a bell.
William didn't mind a bit that his bike was a hand-me-down.
I really appreciated that.

Lilly's trike was also a hand-me-down.
It used to be a sorry looking affair.
Lilly called it the Rusty, Old, Blue, Trike.
She loved riding it, though.
Aaron spray painted it her favorite color, added ribbons, and a bell.
She couldn't have been happier.

James got his first bike with hand brakes.
Remember your first bike with handbrakes?
Remember crashing?
James was excited.
And a little nervous.

It was a bike Christmas.

I remember my bike Christmas.
It was pink and purple, with a banana seat covered in butterflies, a basket with pink flowers on it and I loved it.
I wish I still had that bike.

After bikes, we stopped to remember the real reason we were celebrating Christmas.

We put a candle in a cinnamon roll and sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.

William brought the chain calender he made in Sunday School all the way to Fallbrook for Christmas morning.

Every year for Christmas Aaron and I give each kid a special book.
It's a book that they'll keep, the idea being that when they have their own kids, they'll have a great collection of children's books.
I try to choose each book based on each child's interests or personality that year.
They love their books.

Davy got one too, of course.

William read it to him.

But he liked the boxes the best.

We take turns watching everyone open gifts.

Can a boy ever have enough Legos?

Dziadzi loved his pictures from our trip to Cambria.

Aaron got some of the world's best candies.

And I got pink Hunters!

Happiness!!

After presents, we turned on Johnny Mathis, made breakfast and the boys wrestled with Uncle B.

He likes to catch them in the TOOT HOLD.

It's awfully hard to get out of that Toot Hold.
And awfully funny when you're in there.
Unless Uncle B. lets one go.
Then it's not funny any more.
At all.

Lilly loved some time with her Auntie Karen.

And after all that fun and frivolity, we packed up the car again, and drove across town to our next round of Christmas celebrations.
We spent Christmas afternoon with Aaron's family.
We opened presents, and had Christmas dinner together.
And before the sun even set, Lilly was asleep, utterly spent from sickness (the Curse got her too) late nights and full days.
She was a basket case.

I didn't get one picture of the afternoon.

It was chaos control with my kids by that point.
Christmas fun can get a little overwhelming.
But still, a lot of good memories were made.
And I am kind of loving looking back now, mid January, when it already feels like a year has passed.
Merry Christmas!
Love from,
Greta