Paper Snowflakes

We’re kicking off Day 1 of our Advent Box countdown with a snowflake-making extravaganza. Every year I forget how to make paper snowflakes and have to refer to a tutorial like this one. There’s only so much room in my brain. We’ll cut out enough snowflakes to fill the windows in the dining room and leave them up all winter. Real snow isn’t usually in short supply here in western Wisconsin, but the simple white snowflakes are so pretty I hate to take them down until I have to.

The trickiest part of doing the Advent Box is figuring out the best time to do it. When the kids were little, we opened the box right when they woke up. But now we’re just trying to get out the door for school. Mostly, it works out well to open the box after school, do the activity, and then read the Christmas book at bedtime.

Tim is flying home today from a business trip to Virginia. When he flew out, I joked that he’d have to make a pilgrimage to the National Christmas tree to visit the site of his marriage proposal. He didn’t think he’d be able to make it down to the Mall, but he called after he arrived and said he got a great view of the tree as the plane made its approach into Reagan National Airport. I think that counts as a pilgrimage.

Have you started decorating yet? I’m just finishing putting up the last of the decorations today. I have the incentive of hosting a cookie exchange the first Saturday of every December to get me moving. I actually like getting the decorating done right away so we can relax and do other things. Did I just say “relax”? As if I know how to relax during December. There’s too much to do!