Thursday, December 01, 2011

Advent-urous

As if we need a build-up to Christmas on top of "on the 25th of this month, you'll get a shitload of toys," we're starting advent calendars tonight.

We have beautiful advent calendars in the house, handmade by Bump's mom. One uses vintage Christmas cards. Beneath each number is a perfect image of the holidays, and the tormentors dismiss this gorgeous item of masterful paper-crafting with a shrug. They sulk through the nightly opening as if they're being punished.

Last year Grammy made 25 delicate, glorious boxes to be filled with candy on the appropriate day. The kids prefer the 99-cent chocolate advent calendars from Trader Joe's. It baffles me, as Grammy's pretty little boxes have more candy, but I suppose the volume argument is undercut by having to share the advent bounty with siblings.

Yesterday, Bump went to the Lego store and secured a Lego Star Wars advent calendar. Lumpyhead is going to lose his mind when he sees it. I was happy he found one, but immediately realized that Lula is going to pitch a fit when she realizes how comparatively screwed she is getting.

I know escalation is not the answer, but I would really like to avoid spending a) the month of December listening to her complain about how unfair this all is, and b) a zillion dollars on presents before Christmas.

But com'on, Lumpyhead is about to get new Legos every night. Lula is getting . . . well, nothing.

Ideas?

Oh, and I need twenty-five of them.

I need one of them in about four hours. GO.

(While you're at it, I'll need something for Nathan Jr., too. WOE)

3 comments:

Delora said...

Could probably collect all those old happy meal toys floating around yours and friends' houses and dole out one per month. I doubt she remembers all those free items.

Amie aka Mammaloves said...

Oooh! Delora! Brilliant!

I got myself into Elf on the Shelf this year. Seemed a little intimidating having to come up with something different every night, but I'm actually entertaining myself with it and the advent calendar has lost a little of its luster in comparison to the Elf. might want to check it out.

Stimey said...

I make my kids share the Lego advent calendar. Fortunately 24 days is evenly divisible by three kids.

Am I un-shunned for commenting?

Am I re-shunned for offering shoddy non-advice?