Christmas 2015- Reverse Advent Calendar

Since we made our first advent calendar (totally copying my friends everywhere! lol!) we have been trying to do something special everyday to mark the passing of each advent day. I love the anticipation it is building :)!! I suppose it is a reverse advent calendar because instead of having pre-planned activities or small gifts that kids discover each day by opening a box or flap or something of the sort, we taped envelopes to the wall and decorated them and have been putting something in them every day. Depending on what we have been doing, we've so far put little reminders of our Advent fun and lessons, such as a paper Xmas tree or an angel, and since the day's activities are not planned ahead of time it isn't too horrible if something doesn't happen (no expectations here, just enjoying what we can get away with enjoying! LOL).
SO.. all of that to introduce my day by day list of what we are doing. I'll be updating this list. Today was day 7 of course so I'm a little late here, but ah well! that's the spirit of this calendar, after all!


Day 1 of Advent Season: we made paper snowflakes. Miss E did not love the cutting as much as she did gluing them to the window. Then she requested "snow balls" so we made some of those too. Mr E was not interested.

Day 2
We made the calendar and decorated Xmas trees. Mr E liked this one because the markers came out. Miss E liked gluing. Her tree has SO MUCH stuff glued on!

Day 3
Miss E tuvo su fiesta de navidad en la escuela hoy. Hubo intercambio de libros navideños, y Santa estuvo en la fiesta regalando bolsitas de dulces. Luego compramos una lámpara de búho (ella la escogió) y pajamas. Quijote dice que hagamos pajamada (pajama party) hoy en la noche

Day 4
We made an attempt at taking the kids out to look at Xmas lights. But neither child had napped that day and the moment we put them in the car they both fell asleep. LOL! So Daddy and I went to Starbucks and then enjoyed the lights in the comfort of our unusually quiet car. Mr E did wake up later on and got to see a few houses. The kids were both awake by the time we got home, so we showed Miss E a youtube video of a xmas light show and then called it a night :D

Added to the Starbucks and Q's bread was the also home made delicious jam our friends gave us! so delicious!

Day 5
We went to the mall so I could get my haircut. Yes I cut my hair!! I LOVE it too!!

Then we came home. Napped in the car. Ate a quick dinner and then we walked downtown for the Parade of Lights. It was beautiful, and this year we were dressed warmly enough. And we got hot chocolate for $1. And the kids really enjoyed the parade. So much fun. SO MUCH FUN!

Day 6
Dia del Sen~or. Fuimos a la iglesia. Todo el mundo me dijo algo lindo de mi cabello y las hermanas de la guarderia sabian k es el cumple de Mr E en unos dias, y lo felicitaron. Los hermanos de la iglesia son un amor. Me da pena k faltamos tanto! Creo k nadie me cree k en realidad salimos de la ciudad tanto. Bueno, de ahi a comer en el "noodles" como Miss E  le dice al restaurante asiatico ese. Despues fuimos de compras por comida y unas otras cositas k keriamos -aunk no todo logramos encontrar pork no me prepare bien! tengo mucho tiempo sin tinta en la impresora!! agh!- pero Miss E encontro unas pajamas k le kedan (las pajamas rosas de arriba resultaron ser la talla equivocada! esta larguilla mi mocosa) y llego a casa directo a ponerselas. Me pidio k yo tambien me pusiera pajamas asi k me puse mi bata roja--- y claro--- ella tambien quiso bata. Le di una verde k compre en Espan~a hace an~os! Andaba muy contenta en mi bata hasta que decidi k se veia muy tierna y k keria foto.

Que seria!

I've been telling Miss E all about angels- we have an angel lantern that my mom gave us a few years back and every time we pass by it I tell her about the angel that told Mary that she was going to have a baby, or the angels that sang to the shepherds. I don't feel like she is ever paying attention but I guess maybe something sticks because she was very excited about making "angels that sing" and she was telling me something about Mary that I didn't understand (still happens here and there) and she was very nervous at one point that her angel might not get wings ("she needs her birds! angels fly!"). We followed the directions on facebook post that my mom shared with me

and we made these:

we used leftover "pearls" from a necklace that broke a while back, and the beads were small, so we made tiny angels. that's how I realized what I should have known through common sense: that smaller parts are more difficult for toddlers to work with. I am so proud that she persevered.

she really wanted to make one with a complete face :)

Day 7
I did a little laundry and cooked a yummy dinner (if I may say so myself). Then it was time for ginger bread house fun!!

progress on the house

Miss E wanted a ginger doll

"can i eat it? E is eating it..."

I guess he kind of had the right idea: watch tv and eat while Daddy does all the work. LoL

Q decided his theme was "The Orient Express" and this is the body. LoL. Que festivo el :P

the finished train

the finished house

okay Mr E did help a little bit

LoL! see those guilty faces!?!?

they totally ate half of it before it was even done :P

"I know you want some!!"

Okay maybe I'll need to break this up into a few posts :3