This is the Advent Display at Lars' school -- a public school -- and each day the Mary and Joseph Dolls move closer to the stable. :-) I am swooning over this thing, and wish I could have one right in the middle of my living room. With the sparkly lights. And the sheep and handmade dolls. I would have FLIPPED for this when I was little -- and it's all I can do to contain my giddiness now.
I check it each time I'm there to see who has "moved" -- :-) -- there's Frau B. stalking the Advent Table again...ha ha ha!
By the way, while you're slightly stunned, those candles will have live flame, too.
I thought all Autumn long about amazing, wonderful, over-the-top plans for our Advent Calendar this year.....and I was all set to copy the Lindt people and make an ethereal Advent Calendar looking something like this:
I remember Birte (my host sister) had an Advent Village -- and she would lift up a paper house each day to find the treat below. The magazines have been filled with creative ideas for making Advent Calendars out of fabric cones, or stacking boxes into a tower, or hanging individual presents from a wreath.....
Then one day in late November, my children and I were confronted with a MOUNTAIN of Advent Calendars in the toy department of the grocery store.
Lars: Wow.
Mommy: ...[silence]....
Lars: Wow. That's --- really --- wow.
Mommy: ...[silence]....
Lars: ...[silence]....
Mommy: Would you like to get it?
Lars: (in one fluid motion of picking up the box and clutching to his chest) Yes!!
Eliza: Me, too! I want Polly Pocket!
And there it is: two over-the-top Advent Calendars with pieces and parts and spacecraft and landscapes.....(Ian got one too -- truffles in a fold-out "1001 Nights" diorama....) entirely purchased. Shrink wrap and everything.
The Moral of the Story for me is NOT that I am narrow-minded in believing that my children will prefer hand-made (ha ha!) -- NO. The Moral of the Story is, in fact, that I need one of these Star Wars Calendars for EVERY MORNING OF THE YEAR, because Lars is out of bed like a shot each day to see what is behind the next door. It Is The Best Alarm Clock In The World.
:-)
I couldn't shake the visions of Lindt, though. So, here's what Alistair got:
I couldn't resist. I mean, COME ON! The chocolate Santa with the backpack filled with treats??! So cool! Plus, since the kids already had individual calendars, that meant that A. could have the special liqueur-filled chocolates ;-) -- just for Dad.
Naturally, I had to sample them to make sure they were appropriate.... ha ha ha!
5 comments:
I have a Thomas the Tank Engine advent calendar. I want A.s. It is so beautiful. Ok so I really want his chocolates. Tell A that Jeff got a new bike and that our porch looks like a used bike lot. How many bikes does one need?? Of course I never said that to Jeff. I'd hate for him to ask "how many skeins of yarn does one need"? haha
We always get the $0.99 one from the Joe's.
Oh, I haven't been to your blog in a while and I forgot all the good stuff I have been missing! You are such a great writer Tanya. I have been laughing out loud. Enjoy the your Advent season. We are living that old life of yours, compete with Mrs. Wood's class, cub scout Christmas parties and Boy Scout popcorn. Busy, busy but no real complaints here. Caleb continues to thrive in school and I am a much nicer mom.
We miss you!
Julianne
Patty - a new bike??? A. will want to know the details, and if you are like ME, then you could tell him things like: um, it's dark gray...and it was expensive....um.... :-) ha ha ha! Maybe he should just e-mail Jeff directly for the status report. This whole thing gives me an idea, though! I want to see a POST on the bike lot ;-) at your porch, as well as the skeins. Never feel guilty about the skeins, Patty. You get just as much therapy from those as he does on those pedals. Plus, your skeins are not as $$$.
hrhejc: I would be very happy to send you a SCHNAPPS filled calendar :-) but it wouldn't arrive until January....and that would be if I were postally efficient. Patty can tell you I have a long way to go in that department. I used to get that calendar, too -- Trader Joe's is sometimes the "happiest place on earth" :-)
The excellent, excellent BAKERS: it was like a knife through my heart to read that you are living my old life. I put on some Christmas music this week, and Eliza started crying because she said it reminded her of riding in the car with Cassie to school. Those little flashes of "missing" come out of nowhere. We are still listening to the Seeds of Purpose CD in the car almost every day. Eliza calls it "Cassie's Music" -- I am so very, very happy to read about Caleb's thriving school situation. I can just see him in my mind's eye....I love that kid. :-)
Patty/Jeff - so what kind of bike?? We need some more info and pictures!
We only have 7 1/2 bikes in our garage (3 for Dad, 1 1/2 for Eliza (trailer bike), 1 each for the others) and one more old beater in storage. {I have not counted skis yet, but I bet it's over 10 pairs}. Good thing there is parking outside...
Advent is great!!! Liquored filled chocolate here I come.
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