Advent Week 3: Joy

Week 3 of Advent = Joy. I didn't take very many pictures this week, but here's what we did:

Sunday - We added the pink candle to our wreath. I explained the meaning of the words "joy" and "joyful". We talked about Christmas being a joyful time, and I pointed out other Christmas words (Cheer, merry, jolly) that have to do with being happy. Then we added a little Christmas cheer to our home by listening to Christmas music (starting with Joy to the World) and putting up our Christmas tree. Our big box of Christmas decor is MIA. So, we didn't have many ornaments to hang. The girls were done decorating before I could even grab the camera.

Monday - We watched Veggietales' Saint Nicholas: A Story of Joyful Giving.

We also talked a little about the letter "J', which is for "joy" and "Jesus".  The girls strung red and white beads onto pipe cleaners bent into the shape of the a 'j'. When they were finished, I pointed out that if you turn it upside down, it looks like a candy cane. The next morning the girls woke up to find the Christmas tree covered in candy canes (courtesy of our elf).

Tuesday - Nothing epitomizes joy more than a party! Coincidentally, Kylee's class had their Christmas party today. The kiddos made ornaments and exchanged books. I left my camera at home, thinking it would be easier just to take pics with my phone. Unfortunately, all the pictures turned out super blurry.

Wednesday - My plan was to adopt an angel from the angel tree today and drop off the gifts on Friday, but I was bad mommy and did not do my research before finalizing my plan. Turns out, it was too late to get an angel. We did, however, get to do some joyful giving (and receiving). We had dinner at the Williams', and the girls exchanged Christmas gifts. Lots of fun, but bitter sweet. It was our last play date before they move. :(

Thursday - We filled stockings with cakes balls, fudge, and Christmas cards for 6 of our closest neighbors. My plan was to leave the stockings hanging on their door, but Kylee had a better idea. She rung the door bell, and when they answered, she sung We Wish You A Merry Christmas before handing them the stocking. I'm so proud of her and her great ideas! It was too cold and dark to worry about bringing the camera, but I wish I would have had my video recorder. Kylee was awesome!
We gave Ms. Allyson her gift today since this was the last day of dance before Christmas. We also passed down some of the girls' toys to their 3rd cousin, Lane. The "new" toys made baby Lane very happy!

Friday - The girls woke up to a more joyful room thanks to their elf, Lovey (more on that to come). Kylee gave Ms. Jodi her gift at school and passed out Christmas cards to some of the staff. As mentioned, the plan was to drop off our angel tree gifts after school, but that plan was flop. Plan B was to go see the Christmas lights, but Kylee ended up falling asleep before dark. We were all pretty exhausted.

Saturday - "What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a Store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."  Today we read and watched The Grinch. Since most of our week centered around presents, I thought today would be a good day to remind them that Christmas isn't just about gifts. We also watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. When it got dark, we put on pajamas (the girls did anyway), made hot chocolate, and then drove around looking at Christmas lights while listening to our Christmas CD in the car.