Anticipation….Anticipaaaation… It’s making me wait… It’s keeping me waiting…
(remember that song? or am I dating myself?)
“Mommy, how many more days until Christmas?”
“Mommy, is it Christmas Eve yet?”
“Mommy, is Santa coming tonight?”
I must answer these questions (or some variation of them) at least 10 times a day (per kid!)
And, as Christmas draws ever closer, the anticipation mounts. The girls watch the ornaments go on the tree, the gifts start to appear, magically, under the tree each night, and the annual Advent calendar appears.
Ever since I was a little girl, we have had an Advent calendar. I think we may have even had more than one growing up. But the one I remember the most is the one that was filled with chocolatey goodness.
My husband had them, too, growing up. He is the youngest of six and is always reminding our girls that he had to wait SIX WHOLE DAYS for his turn at the chocolate candy (kinda like walking to school both ways uphill in a snowstorm, I think).
Our girls are really enjoying this tradition. Although, it seems unbelievably painful that they only get one piece of candy every-other day (not every SIX days, mind you) it helps them to count down the days until Christmas is finally here.
For me, there are other things I use to count the days of Christmas… the countdown until the last day of school before winter break, the number of days before I get my vacation time, the number of days before I have to have all the Christmas presents purchased, wrapped and under the tree… My countdowns seem to be more milestone-driven, but I enjoy knowing that this time of year is here and our traditions are still strong.
What are some of your holiday traditions? How do you countdown until Christmas is here? Share them with me in the comments! I’d love to hear.
Thoughts Along Life's Highway 