Advent

advent [ˈædvɛnt -vənt]

n an arrival or coming, esp one which is awaited

The advent calendar is up an running. And of course pretty much every day so far I have forgotten to fill it the night before. I have been putting three lollies or chocolates in and  a special activity for us to do as a family...minus Zak Zak for some of them.

Day One
Put up the Christmas tree. It was quite cute watching Zak Zak try and put on ornaments for the first time. I have videoed him taking 4 minutes just to put one on...the bauble kept dropping off... and then he would get mad. So funny. 

Day Two: Take a Christmas Photo

Each year I like to do a Christmas photo for my cards and for family etc. This year wanted a beach photo. On Sunday we hopped in the car and drove to a beautiful beach called Matapouri on the Tutukaka Coast. I timed it so that Zak Zak would have his afternoon sleep in the car and then be bright and happy once we arrived for the photo shoot. WRONG. He was grumpy and was not interested in sitting still for my photo at all.  I took a few Christmas props and then found a sea urchin shell in the car park. Score! It went quite well with my baubles. Finding a spot where there wasn't anyone in the water behind was quite hard to do on a busy summers day.

Here are a few of the outtakes. 

Hey Zak Zak can you turn around for the photo. NOOOOO!

I don't wanna photo...

Many Many minutes later.... I bribe Zak zak back with a giant christmas lolly pop.

1st shot with the lolly pop.  What happens when I crack my lolly against yours Joe?

Oh. It cracks your one in half. Joe is now unhappy and ready to cry. 

Okay lets rearrange and put one lolly pop kid in the middle.
When can we go and play on the beach? WHEN MUMMY GETS HER SHOT!!!
 Daddy has now informed me that this is not fun and should stop yelling.
Okay okay....I think I may have one shot. Off you go and enjoy the beach. 

  

My love and I (in Miss Joys sunnies) 

The End resut

Day 3: We missed accidently while I was at work for the evening shift.
So we used it in Day 4: Play a board game together.

Day 5: Do Christmas Colouring with new felts. 
We all sat at the kitchen table and coloured in pages that I had printed off the internet. It was actually quite fun. When was the last time you coloured in using felts? 

The finished products on the fridge: Clockwise from the top left Miss joys, mine, Joe's and then a very colourful Dadda's. 

Day 6: Choose a new ornament from a shop. 
I have been meaning to do this one for a few years after I heard the idea from John Cowan in the Parenting Magazine. Each child chooses their own ornament each year and it is put in a special box and given to them when they get married. While we were trying to get one of the ornaments off and another one fell off and smashed a little bit. It was the kinda of place that had a "you break it, you bought it rule" Okay...well that one can be Zak Zaks one. 
I like Miss joys choice,  a dove. 

Only 19 more days to go...