Teacup Talk with Ellie: Final Thoughts Month of December: Blog 1- Letters from Mom & Mimi

Dear Ellie,

We went to Saturday night mass on November 30 and we got to watch the priest light the first advent candle. Advent is the waiting and preparation for Christmas (as you know because we have been using our Velcro nativity advent calendar). In this month’s blog, we are going to chronicle how we are getting ready for Jesus’ birthday because it truly is a celebratory month.

Final Thought: Be organized and prepare for this very big holiday but make sure you take the time to enjoy the season too. Never lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas. And the act of giving and remembering your manners are extremely important, especially this time of year.

How we are getting in the spirit:

1. Griz , our Elf on the Shelf, is back (in a blaze of glory- sitting in a bath of marshmallows with a gift and letter for you and Will).

And even though he was introduced to Will last year, we had to remind Will of the rules this year (specifically the NO touching rule). Good thing Griz seems to understand your crazy brother, as he has been hiding in high up places.

2. We already sent out our Christmas cards. I do everything very early and you helped me with this one the day after Thanksgiving. You put on a few return address labels but then got bored and put on a fashion show in my closet instead (which helped me too because I was very entertained while I finished stuffing the envelopes!).

3. The house is decorated including the tree. This year, we put it in the dining room and gated the 2 doors so that Will couldn’t pull it over (or break any of our beloved ornaments).

You assisted me in hanging the Christmas balls one night after Will was in bed (and it was actually me who broke 2 this year)! You are very logical in your thinking, as you wanted to hang all of yours together in a bunch and all of Will’s together on the other side. By the end, you let me finish hanging the ornaments while you played make believe with the ones that were left (namely Pluto, Cinderella & Prince Charming, and Mickey Mouse).

You did put the final touches to the tree with the candy canes (which many are already gone since you ate a few) but the ones left are all clustered in one spot (one that you can reach just perfectly). Daddy put you on his shoulders to let you put the star on top!

4. We visited Santa while we were in Florida. It was a Frozen wonderland! You of course loved him, Will wasn’t so sure!

5. We finished our Christmas shopping and you even participated in Gray Thursday (late night shopping on Thanksgiving to get some good deals). You managed to make it to 11:30pm as your Mimi, Aunt Samantha, and I hit the mall, Target, Ulta, and then McDonalds for hot chocolate before calling it a night. And you picked out an amazing and thoughtful gift for your Mimi that is especially from you!

6. We went to the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea Party with a few of your friends and their moms. While dressed up, we had snacks and drinks, made an arts and craft project, listened to the Nutcracker story, watched some of the cast members perform their solos, and then got to twirl on the dance stage. You are very excited to have a girls’ afternoon and watch a professional version of the Nutrcracker in a few days!

7. Watching Christmas movies in the evenings and reading Christmas books at bedtime. Your favorite movie so far is Elf, particularly the part where he burps and eats the gum off of the public railing (you also think when he spins in the store door and gets sick is hilarious)!