A Month of CHRISTmas

I love CHRISTmas!!! We celebrate CHRISTmas for an entire month. Here's what we do:

#1 - We are doing a Jesse Tree this year. Each day you read Scripture, pray, and make an ornament for the tree. This is new for us this year. I will be sharing as we go. Last year we did The Advent Event which was similar and we loved it. Keeping CHRIST in CHRISTmas is big to me. We enjoy winter stuff and Santa stuff, but CHRIST is the reason we celebrate this season.

#2 - We have at least one fun activity to do each day of the month. I was going to plan them out and have a way for Luke to pick one each day, but then thought it would be stressful if we couldn't do the thing on the sheet each day. Instead I have a major list of what I would like to do and some plugged in on specific days.

Here are some of the things we are doing:
December 1st - Make countdown to CHRISTmas
December 2nd - Make cookies for cookie swap
December 4th - Family CHRISTmas get together
December 6th or 8th - Jump house playdate
December 9th - Go to Children's Museum and see Santa at the mall
December 10th - CHRISTmas musical at church
December 11th - Family CHRISTmas get together
December 13th - Homeschool day at the museum
December 17th - Serve homeless people downtown
December 18th - CHRISTmas caroling with church
December 23rd - CHRISTmas Around the World party
December 24th - CHRISTmas at Meemaw's house
December 25th - Santa at our house, CHRISTmas at Granddad's, CHRISTmas at Grandma's

Also on the list:
Write letter to Santa (before December 9th)
Make homemade ornaments:
Reindeer handprint ornaments - http://pinterest.com/pin/212161832415270585/
Salt dough hand/footprint ornaments - http://homemadegrits.blogspot.com/2009/12/handmade-christmas-homemade-ornaments.html
Make gingerbread house from a kit
Make snowflakes out of popsicle sticks - http://crafts.preschoolrock.com/index.php/crafts/craft-stick-snowflake-winter-preschool-craft
Make snowflakes out of qtips - http://pinterest.com/pin/212161832415256276/
Make snowflakes out of gumdrops and kabob skewers - http://pinterest.com/pin/212161832415256273/
Make popsicle stick snowmen - http://pinterest.com/pin/212161832415256282/
Make marshmallow snowmen - http://happyhomefairy.com/2011/01/12/winter-craft-marshmallow-snowman/
Make handprint mittens - http://www.houseofbabypiranha.com/2010/11/christmas-crafts-handprint-mitten.html
Make a gift for Jesus
Have a birthday party for Jesus
Act out nativity
Go on a CHRISTmas light drive
Have CHRISTmas movie night with popcorn
Read CHRISTmas books each night
Polar Express - give out ticket, wear PJs, read story, drink hot cocoa - http://www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/2010/12/creamy-hot-cocoa-in-crockpot.html, do crafts, watch movie - http://www.cape.k12.mo.us/blanchard/hicks/reading%20pages/Polar%20Express.htm
CHRISTmas shop for various people

What are you doing with your kids for CHRISTmas?