Happy Christmas Eve!  We've had a bit of a funny lead up to Christmas this year, I'm usually the first one to put up the tree and send out cards on the 1st of December, but not this year.  Being 7-8 months pregnant has slowed me down quite a bit, never mind the fact that the three of us have all seemed to pass a cold back and forth for months now.  There's also the fact that we were supposed to move house in December, but didn't...but that's a whole other story.

I love Christmas, but not for all of that, I love the traditions and getting to spend special time with family making memories.  So I know that even though things may not be 'perfect' this year, we are still going to have a wonderful time over the next few days.  Following family traditions and creating new ones is all a part of Ethan's Personal, Social and Emotional Development as he learns about special celebrations.

• advent calendars
• this year we made an activity advent calendar, which has been such a hit!  Ethan has loved opening it everyday and finding out what we're going to do
• decorating the Christmas tree
• we usually do this at the beginning of December, but I learned this year that it doesn't really matter when we do it, it's still just as special
• writing a letter to Santa
• Ethan writes a very special letter to Santa, asking for one present that he really wants and we post it together.  Then it's very exciting to get a letter back from Santa a few weeks later!  This year he asked for a camera (last year he asked for a scooter)
• 12 books of Christmas
• we've done this for 2 years now, but Ethan has really loved it this year, he looks forward to going up to bed to open up his new book every night, then asks to read it again the next day.
• visiting Santa
• we have to go at least once to see Santa and take a photo of Ethan and Santa together.  Last year we went to Westfield, but this year we didn't get to go to one of the big ones (just at a local fair), but next year I plan on being more organised and booking an appointment in October!
• Christmas fairs
• I absolutely love Christmas fairs, there's no better way to get into the Christmas spirit.  We have a great local one, but also we're lucky enough to live in London and be able to go to Winter Wonderland every year as well
• making presents for family and friends
• there is nothing more special than a home made gift, and Ethan makes some fantastic ones for family and friends!  I hope that people love getting them as much as we enjoy making them
• Christmas baking
• a few days before Christmas we start our baking, I always make shortbread cookies, peanut butter cookies (my favourites) and a couple of new recipes that I've found that year.  
• Dutch treats
• on Christmas Eve we always make 'oliebollen' and 'appelbeignets' this goes back to my childhood, as my Mom's family is Dutch.  They are basically deep fried dough with raisins and apples in them, they're so delicious and Christmas just wouldn't happen without them
• Christmas Eve presents
• on Christmas Eve everyone gets to open up one present before bedtime (shhh it's always pyjamas ;)
• Presents for Santa
• as we're a mixed Canadian / South African / English family we leave Santa quite a few different things on Christmas Eve.  I insist on milk and cookies, and Ethan's Daddy has to leave mince pies and port.  So Ethan puts out all of these, plus carrots for the reindeer.
• Christmas movies
• leading up to Christmas we watch a lot of our favourite Christmas movies, then on Christmas Eve after we've put Ethan to bed we watch Love Actually
• Stockings
• we don't have a fireplace, so stockings are hung along the staircase and Santa fills them on Christmas Eve and leaves them at the end of everyone's bed to find on Christmas morning
• Christmas morning
• we get up very early, open our stockings then go downstairs for breakfast (I like to prepare something the night before that just needs to bake like a strata or french toast bake) then open presents and Skype / FaceTime with family overseas
• Christmas dinner
• we always say that we're going to take short cuts and make it simple, but it always ends up being chaos in the kitchen trying to get it all ready and far too much food, but we love it!