The beginning of Advent

Our countdown to Christmas is always full of great activities, and this year is proving no different. The first day of December started with the Christmas in Salem historic holiday home tour. This year the tour focused on the homes of the waterfront Willows neighborhood. 

Carolyn, Louise, and Andrew braving the damp and cold to walk from home to home. 

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the homes, but this Victorian was our favorite. Inside, all of the homes were professional decorated by local decorators and florists, as were many of the exteriors. 

Bundled up on an ocean-front deck at one of the houses. (with Carolyn, Megan, Louise, and Andrew)

We all warmed up later in the evening when we returned to our house, with all spouses in tow, for some Bridge. 

As for the kids, their Advent activities for the day included reading Jane Ray's The Nativity and setting up its  corresponding nativity set.

We also read a book about Advent and the wait until Christmas, and the kids and David put up the tree and our stockings.

On the next day of Advent, we put out the rest of our Christmas decorations and read about the legend of the candy cane, among many of our Christmas books Avonlea Jane and Will wanted read to them.

After we finished our book, we headed to the Ye Olde Pepper Companie for their annual holiday open house. This candy shop--the first and oldest in the United States--is close to our hearts, as we live in the original Pepper house where the shop once was. 

Watching them make candy canes

 

Pointing out the types of cookies and candies they wanted to sample 

Drinking hot chocolate outside

The hot chocolate was a little too hot for the them to drink, so we decided to take a walk to the water and back to give them time to cool off. 

"This is what I would look like if I were swimming underwater right now, Mommy."

On Monday, we did some Christmas gift crafting for all of Avonlea Jane's teachers at school and dance class. Tuesday, Avonlea Jane was sent home from school sick, so we put her Advent activity off for a day, completing it on Wednesday.

                                               

Today was the eve to St. Nicholas Day and one of Avonlea Jane's favorite days on our Advent calendar. She's a big fan of his. 

We did yesterday's activity of learning about Christmas traditions in other countries and listing to Christmas songs from around the globe (Mexico, the Carribean, Italy, Sweden, England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Hawaii, Germany, and India).

Then, we did our St. Nicholas activities of reading about him, coloring his picture, doing some St. Nicholas puzzles and a matching game. When Michaela came home, Avonlea Jane was happy to tell Michaela the story of St. Nicholas, and she was really good about remembering exact details (like how he moved in with his uncle after his parents died). Once David was home, we went to take our Christmas card photo in a photo booth, which was a much tighter fit with five people; with a couple more kids, we would have to take a photo in shifts. 

When we got home, Avonlea Jane and Will dictated letters for St. Nicholas to take to the Christ child, and we left out their shoes and carrots for his donkeys. Avonlea Jane was really exited about waking up a shoe full of little presents.