Life with Aidan Kai: Advent Calendar

We are giving the Advent Calendar another go this year. Last year it didn't work out so well. I put some candy and some activities throughout the month. Aidan being 3 and all thought that he could go and get a candy off whenever he felt like it! This year I changed things up and put all activities. These are just normal things that we would do anyways during the Christmas season. I love the advent calendar because it has gotten me organized and Aidan is excited every day to see what he gets to do for the day! I love the fact that he can read the activities on his own this year! He is reading amazingly well these days. His Sunday school teacher was in shock when I picked him up this morning. She said, He can read! I said yes he can.

So far we have made Christmas cookies, gone to Legoland, and tonight we are decorating the Christmas tree. We were supposed to do a special activity at the park yesterday but Aidan was just exhausted and said he didn't feel well I decided to nix it.

Legoland was so much fun! Since we are pass holders they sent us some free passes to use during the month of December. We invited our neighbors to go with us. They have a 4 year old little girl and a baby. The kids had so much fun and Aidan was so excited to have someone to go with him. They had snow there this year! They got to go sledding, make snow balls, and help build a snowman! We had a couple of little incidences while we were there. Emily got a gate slammed on her face as she was walking out of the driving school area. She got a gash on her eye but luckily a little ice took care of it. A few minutes later we were in the little (but big) play area and Aidan just vomited out of the blue. I had NO warning. I was watching him go down the slide and noticed he had a weird look on his face once he got off. I asked him if he was going to throw up and we didn't even make it 3 feet. I got him cleaned up and asked him if he wanted to sit down and take a rest. He said "no I want to go play". He did and was fine for the rest of the day. Aidan has been complaining about his back hurting ( his chief complaint yesterday) so I had Dr. Danny take a look at him today. Aidan raised his shirt and Dr. Danny immediately saw what Aidan was talking about. He pointed to the spot that Aidan said hurt (without me showing him) and had me look at it. Sure enough there was a little indention of his spine. It is in the same spot that Aidan hurt when a babysitter was with him while I was sick. He evidently was horsing around , did a flip, and somehow got a rug burn on his back. He has been complaining of his back hurting off and on since then. I never really connected the two. Dr. Danny gave him an adjustment so hopefully it took care of it ( incidentally the part of the spine that had the indention is the part that has to do with the stomach so I'm not sure if that had anything to do with the vomiting)

Elf on a shelf has also made a reappearance this year. Aidan was terrified of him last year so I just put him away. This year he is kind of into him! He named him "John". For those of you who don't know how Elf on a shelf works- there is a little Elf and a book that comes in the package. The story goes that the elf is a magical Christmas elf. He is there watching everything you do. Each night he flies to the North Pole and gives Santa a report. He comes back in the morning and is always in a different location. Part of the fun is that the child has to locate the elf each morning. Also, that elf can be mischievous! The other night he got one of Aidans coloring books and colored all over one of the pages and one night he ended up in our little bird cage. He is going fishing tonight in the toilet for gold fish! He is also going to make smores, take a ride in one of Aidans toy cars, help himself to a midnight snack, and other fun tricks! This weekend Aidan got to take home his classroom stuffed animal which is a little stuffed turtle named Squirt. He comes with a journal that the child and parent are supposed to write in and post pictures of all of Squirts adventures. Squirt and John the elf have been partners in crime this weekend! I can't wait to write all about it in the journal. I will post pics of Squirt and John later.

Here is a list of our Advent Activities this year.....

- make christmas cookies with mom

- Go to Legoland

- go to Winter Wonderland at the park

- help decorate the Christmas tree

- make a special Christmas card

-go shopping to buy mimi a special gift

-attend a holiday party

-watch a christmas movie and ear popcorn ( aidan doesn't like hot chocolate)

- make various holiday crafts

-attend our community tree lighting

-drive around and look at Christmas lights

- read a new Christmas book

-go to Seaworld

- write a letter to Santa and see him at the mall

- make a christmas alphabet book

- attend Boats on Parade

- play a christmas game (stocking dice)

- got to the zoo

-make reindeer food

- Special Christmas eve with our family and wear new christmas pj's.

Here is our advent calendar. Aidan is holding up one of the little slips of paper that tells the activity for the day.

Legoland.... Here Aidan is holding Squirt.

This is how Southern California kids have fun in the snow!

Emily getting ready to go down the hill.

The snowball area. The kids got to make snowballs and then throw them at targets.

Emily, Avery, and Aidan. I just LOVE little Avery. She really gives me baby fever every time I am around her. She is so sweet and just a really good natured baby!