Advent Trees

This year I got an idea from Family Fun to make a forest of Christmas trees and use them as an advent calendar. The boys have absolutely loved it. It's our little countdown to Christmas. Dalin knows that when we get to the tree with the star on top then it's Christmas Eve and Santa will come. I'm not sure Braden fully understands or remembers the whole Santa thing even though he knows who he is, but the trees have been fun for him and he knows that everyday he gets a treat from under that tree. This has turned out to be a good way to show the boys how many days we have left until Christmas, since they ask everyday if it's Christmas yet and if we get to open the presents yet. We count how many trees are left numerous times everyday so they know how many days are left. It gets them very excited. So every day we get to pick one tree (each of them have a number on them from 1-24) and under that tree is some sort of treat. I went to the dollar store and Macey's Christmas isle and got a bunch of little cheap toys or treats to put under the trees and then everyday they get what's there. They get so excited when I say it's time to look under a tree. I've had small wind up trains, little candies, and under some is an activity we get to do that day such as make gingerbread houses or go outside and make a snowman. What a great idea this has been.

Waiting patiently to pick out the first tree.

Checking out the stash. Showing off their treats.

Braden and Dan making a gingerbread house. They LOVED doing this and right after they were done making them they ate them. It was a very fun, but messy evening.

Dalin saw a gingerbread house kit at a store one time and begged me to get it because he HAD to make a house, so this was especially exciting for him. He put the frosting on all by himself and then added his candies, most of which were red - his most favorite color.