Countdown to Christmas

Making Life Wonderful For Your Family:

The whole month of December is rather exciting!  The Christmas music on every radio station, the smiles on children's faces, the crisp, cool air, and hints of snow, hot cocoa with tiny marshmallows, Christmas movies, Christmas carols, shopping, wrapping, hiding packages from nosy or shall I say "curious" children, and the blessed birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.  Come on, who's not happy around Christmas time???

Once September hits I am in full-fledge shopping mode (trying to be ready before December), and by the time November rolls around I am wrapping like crazy, ordering our Christmas cards, and deciding which decorations we are going to use.

Two years ago I started a new family tradition of wrapping up Christmas movies and books for the kids.  I would wrap 24 presents and each night Julia or Mark would open up the book or movie (we gave them odd or evens so that it would be fair).  This was really a hit last year!  Mark was 3 1/2 and Julia was practically 5 and each night they opened up a present and we got to read a new Christmas story or watch a new Christmas movie (mind you we've had these books and movies, but when something is wrapped it just makes it EXTRA special).

Here is our list of Children's Christmas Books:

1. The Story of Jesus by Patricia A. Pingry

2. Let's Find the Christmas Shapes by Disney

3. The Nativity by Estelle Corke

4. Spot's Magical Christmas by Eric Hill

5. A Christmas Goodnight by Nola Buck

*6. From God with Love by Mack Thomas

7. One Night in Bethlehem by Tim Wesemann

8. When Jesus was Born by Sara Hartman

9. Deck the Halls Clifford the Big Red Dog By Maria Barbo

*10. The Stable Where Jesus Was Born by Rhonda Gowler

11. Biscuit's Christmas Eve by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

12. Merry Christmas from Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli

13. The Berenstain Bears Get Ready for Christmas by Jan and Mike Berenstain

14. Iggy Pig's Snowball Fight by Vivian French

15. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

16. Bear Stays Up For Christmas by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

*17. A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles Schulz

18. The Story of Christmas by Randy Rehberg

*19. The Best Thing About Christmas by Christine Harder Tangvald

*20. The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

Christmas Movies:

*1. Saint Nicholas (Veggie Tales) A Story of Joyful Giving

2. The Star of Christmas & The Toy that Saved Christmas (Veggie Tales)

3. A sesame street Christmas Carol

4. Disney's Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year

You may be wondering how we got so many Christmas books (we have more than 30) and Christmas movies, we actually go to our library and buy used books in great condition, we take hand me down books from our friend's whose children are now teenagers, and we ask at Christmas time when the grandparents or aunts and uncles ask, "what can we get the kids?" we say "how about a great Christmas book or movie?"

By reading each night to the kids during the month of December we have the chance to really share the true meaning of Christmas (although getting gifts IS wonderful...the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus and why He came to earth to die for our sins).  It's really exciting to read books all month long on the same topic!

I chose my top 5 favorite books and highlighted them with a star if you are interested in ordering the book for your own children.

The countdown to Christmas has begun! Forty-three days left!!!