Christmas is Coming!

Well, it's officially here. The radio stations are beginning to play their Christmas music, people are putting the lights up on the their homes, and I had Bill drag up our Christmas decorations. I usually do not start this process until after Thanksgiving, but I thought if I could just do one tote a day, it wouldn't be so tiring and overwhelming. That was a fabulous idea. Most of the decorations are out, and now we just wait for the tree to be picked out this weekend.
I am feeling comfortable in the Holiday spirit. It's time. I'm ready.
Luke was excited too. He loved going through all of the totes and finding surprises. And, as we decorate, I also bring you Christmas shopping gift #3. In September, I had a friend tell me about the Little People Nativity set from Fisher Price (Thanks, Makila!). I went online and ordered it. I thought this would be fun for Luke to open as we began decorating. He was so excited to open his surprise and what I thought would just be fun turned into a great learning experience. As we opened each piece, I told him all of the people and animals involved in the Nativity scene. He learned about Mary, Joseph and Jesus and why they had to live in a stable for awhile (of course, it was more like a cave, but I thought that may be a little over Luke's head!). Then, we placed the angel on top and the stable plays, "Away in a Manger". It turned out far better than I had originally thought for so many reasons! If you don't have the Nativity yet, get it! You can order the basic stable, Mary, Joseph and Jesus for pretty cheap. I got the middle-of-the-line version that adds some scenery including animals and the Shepherds. Then, if you're really ambitious, you can order the more expensive scene with lots and lots of action. Any way you choose, it is a fantastic learning tool. Do it! Buy it! I'll be your cheerleader!