Our Elf on the Shelf reappeared this year. He first visited last year and Jacob named him, Elvis the Elf. He has appeared in such places as a candle stick and Santa's sleigh. The boys LOVE finding him each morning.
We light the candles on our Advent Wreath every night at dinner time. Advent is a season of looking forward and waiting for Christ's birth, and for the time when Christ will come again. It is a great reminder of what Christmas is really about.
I saw an idea on a kids Christmas website about having everyone state a good deed of the day or something they are thankful for and writing that on a piece of hay to incorporate into a manager scene. And it just so happened that Jacob brought this manager scene home that he made at school. So we are able to add our strips of "hay" to it. This is our first year to do this and I think it will be fun to add hay year after year and be able to look back at the years past.
Something new we did this year was prepared and waited for St. Nicholas to visit us. The tradition is to put your shoes in front of the fireplace on the night of December 5. (Dec 6 is the feast day of St. Nicholas) St. Nicholas will come and put something in your shoes. Jacob happily gathered shoes for all of them and placed them in front of the fireplace. St. Nick is the patron Saint of children and helping the poor. So, we decided that St. Nick would bring our kiddos money. Not to be used for them but for others.
So we gathered our money and headed to the Angel tree at the mall. We chose 2 angels and then headed to the toy store to shop. Now, they weren't too keen on the idea of picking out these cool toys and not keeping them. Of course the two angels we picked wanted Hot Wheel toys and the other Diego. So as you can imagine it was hard for them to part with these toys but understood what we were doing.
Posing with the toys they hated to part with!
Turning them into the Angel Tree
And what would a post be without posting a picture of our Santa baby.
And of course baby girl has to have some Christmas pajamas!
Katherine, those are wonderful traditions you are starting with your sweet little family. The pictures are too precious... Sarah's little shoes in the middle of the boys... giving up the prized toys... and, OH MY GOODNESS how cute is Sarah in her Santa photo!! Makes me smile!!
ReplyDeleteWhat wonderful traditions! I love that they include a mix of fun, counting your blessings, and helping others. I just know that Sarah and the boys are going to grow up relishing these memories you and Jim are creating for them. And Sarah is too precious in her little lady version of the Santa outfit. I just want to kiss those sweet cheeks!
ReplyDeleteYou guys are starting a lot of great traditions with the kiddos. I love the money in the shoes and spending it on other kids. I think it's so important to teach our kids how to give to others at a young age. I love the hay in the manger scene too. What a neat idea.
ReplyDeleteAww - so fun! You are doing such a great job teaching the kids all about giving. The angel tree is a perfect way for them to learn too! Love that little Santa Baby of yours! Can't wait to kiss those little cheeks NEXT week! :)
ReplyDeleteI love all of your traditions! I've just been realizing this Christmas that I need to start incorporating some things like that so that our Christmases don't become all about the toys but instead with a focus on giving and the birth of Jesus. So good for you for starting already!
ReplyDeleteCan I just say, I LOVE your Santa baby and her precious pjs too! I have a feeling that the Webb Christmases of the future will have a lot more pink in them, ha!