It's that time when we find ourselves decking the halls, dressing our spawn in whimsical footsies, and turning all known rules of child rearing upside-down by firmly insisting to our toddler,
"Go sit on the lap of that strange man offering you candy immediately!"
Which means.....IT MUST BE CHRISTMASTIME!
This year, with the Snood just over two, I figured he was old enough that I might begin to share some of my own beloved childhood holiday traditions with him.
Starting with the advent calendar!
I LOVED the advent calendar when I was little. Mostly because of its magical ability to combine all the excitement of the Christmas countdown with the simple awesomeness that is - daily chocolate.
(actual advent calendar)
I'll tell you right up front that we have this totally kickin' advent calendar that my sister-in-law gave us a few years back. It has twenty-four the little cubbies around the outside which each hold a piece of candy and a figure from the manger scene.
Each day leading up to Christmas you open one of the cubbies and remove a figure and place it in the center to join the Nativity all while enjoying a chocolatey treat.
I figured that as Christmas rituals went, this one would be right up Snoodie's alley, and so I journeyed to the playroom to invite him to play along!
Here's how it went:
MOMMY: Snoodie, come over here and let's do the advent calendar together. It's really fun!
SNOODIE: Rait! Rait! Rait!!!!!!
(Translation: Please wait, mother. I do not wish to participate in your proposed activity as I am far too busy attempting to place my infant brother in this toy box despite his protests.)
MOMMY: Come on now, leave Crinkles alone and come experience the fabulous merriment that is the advent calendar!
SNOODIE: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Mommy forcibly drags prone toddler toward manger scene by one arm while attempting to rebuff said toddler's wildly kicking feet.
MOMMY: It's going to be awesome! You are going to love it! Ouch!
SNOODIE: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
MOMMY: Please stop kicking Mommy! There's candy inside!
All of toddler's motion and sound immediately cease. His eyes focus like a laser beam on the advent calendar.
SNOODIE: Candy?
MOMMY: That's right! This is the advent calendar. It tells the story of Jesus' birth. You see, Mary was ready to have her baby, and she and Joseph....
SNOODIE: Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!Candy!
MOMMY: Yes, there is going to be candy, but what I was telling you was that there was no room at the inn for poor Mary, and so Joseph took her to the stable and.....
SNOODIE: CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!
MOMMY: OK, well, I will tell you that story some other time.
SNOODIE: CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!
MOMMY: Let's open up the first cubby and see what's inside!
SNOODIE: CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!
MOMMY: Oh, it is a beautiful angel!
SNOODIE: CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!CANDY!
Snoodie grabs the angel and attempts to ingest it.
MOMMY: No! Snoodie! Don't eat the angel! Oh God, did you swallow it?!
Mommy digs around Snoodie's mouth in search of the angel and is bitten repeatedly by the chewing Snood.
MOMMY: Ouch!
Mommy extracts the angel.
SNOOD: CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!CAAAAANNNNNNDY!
MOMMY: OK, Snoodie, fine!
Hands Snood the candy from cubbie #1, which he devours without removing the wrapper, leaving mom to dig said wrapper from his maw with already bleeding fingers.
The wrapper retrieved, Snoodie flees to chew his candy in peace as mom places the now bite-mark-marred angel upon the nativity scene while attempting to stem the bleeding from various fingertips.
So that's one beloved holiday tradition imparted!
Next up, decorating the Christmas tree. I'm thinking I'll let Dad supervise.
