Our children are six and four this Christmas. They’ve been waiting for December to come back around since December 26, 2021.
We have several ways of tracking the countdown to Christmas
in our farmhouse.
The Scenes from Kansas wall calendar is the most
obvious. Now that both children know numbers (for the most part, as Cyrus
consistently skips seventeen) and months, we’re crossing off the days before
even getting into our footie pajamas of an evening. I personally think it’s bad
luck to cross off a day before it is over, but I’ll lead the charge on any
routine that gets them in bed by 8:00 PM.
The advent calendar is my favorite. We always had a simple
paper advent calendar growing up and I loved the anticipation of The Greatest Story.
Today we have the same in our home. But today you can buy advent calendars with
chocolate, wine, toys and even dog treats in them. Every day is a new offering.
My friend Chrissie (remember, the world traveler with no children) bought our
kids an advent calendar two years ago that was full of farm toys. Every day,
for 24 days, a new toy was in the hands of children who rarely picked up the
toys they already had. It was nearly the end of Chrissie and I’s friendship.
Who can forget the paper chain from church that hangs on our
tree? Each morning, the children shove one another down the hardwood steps,
swing around the banister nearly ripping off the garland, and push their way
across the vinyl flooring to see who can get to the paper chain first to break
the daily link. They rip with such force that two or three come off at a time. It’s
a true lesson in practicing the fruits of the spirit, including love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control. None of which either child displays between 6:30 AM – 8:00 AM,
daily.
The amount of pine needles found in inappropriate places
tells me we’re getting closer to the 25th. I washed my face Sunday and plucked a needle
out of my washcloth. Caroline was howling two nights ago because there was a
pine needle wedged between her toe and sock. Cyrus, on the other hand, has been
quite resourceful with the needles. He loads them into his dump truck, and when
he gets a full load, he dumps it down the register.
A friend recently visited and asked what pine air freshener
I used. Imagine her surprise when I revealed that the scent was a mixture of
propane heat flowing through a register vent, heating the Christmas tree needles
organically in the comfort of our own home.
She didn’t ask for a refill on her coffee.
How many days until Christmas?
.HEIC)
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