Day 9 of our Advent Calendar

Ah, thank goodness for flexibility. Yesterday our advent activity was to make Christmas cards for their teachers. However, I had a lot of things to get done during the day, so I didn't get any ideas or things cut out to be prepared to make the cards. I was feeling overwhelmed because after school Rori has ballet and we don't get home until 5:30. Being a non-crafter, the idea of having to "wing-it" completely un-prepared to make cards sounded terrifying. I did, however, have a Christmas craft stashed away for emergency switches on the calendar.

Good Lord, this is tricky--and it's for ages 5 and up!

The peanut gallery/photographer was heckling us

So, we got home from ballet and I asked the kids if they would rather do the Christmas craft instead. When they saw what it was they were ecstatic! It was 5:45 and I figured we could do the craft, it looked like it would take 15-20 minutes, and then we would have dinner. I helped the big kids and Bill and Brendan were banished to the family room. Over an hour later, we were finished, and I was exhausted! Lesson learned--when the option is folding some paper and maybe cutting some Christmas pictures to glue on, or a 70 piece craft nativity set, the easier option is the Christmas card. However, they turned out wonderfully and both kids did most of the work themselves, and most importantly, with zero whining! They really had an unbelievably good time making them--nobody got crabby--not even me! They love their Nativity scenes and were so proud to show them off to Grandma and Grandpa today.  Now I need to go back to the store and get another back-up Christmas craft!

Poor Brendan! He kept escaping from Papa who was probably sleeping on the couch!

Liam can't wait to play with them!

They turned out really cute--this is Rori's

Rori wanted to hold baby Jesus :)