I didn't get to my Playmobil advent calendar this year (but it's still 2010 - maybe today...) This year, the advent was all about the third annual Christmas Countdown in seminary. I moved class to my house for two weeks - more fun, more cozy, more opportunity for open flames, and all the more crazy for me. Also for the third year in a row, in the midst of the countdown, I thought, "Who is this for? Why am I doing this? Is the childless spinster teacher just trying to get all of these things out of her system?"
But what the heck. It was fun.
Day 1: Cinnamon rolls.
Day 2: Hot chocolate with all of the fixings, including fudge on a stick. Nope, despite my hopes earlier this year, no little gingerbread houses. I have to admit that I started them, and then recognized that There Was No Way They Would Happen.
Day 3: Care packages for former students that were in the midst of finals.
Day 4: Two students were arguing in the hallway at church about who made better chocolate chip cookies. I pointed out that there was no way to judge unless they made cookies at class... So, Day 4 was the cookie bake-off. And we watched "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" and a fabulous Christmas talk by one of our church leaders that references the Grinch.
Day 5: Decorating cookies. Or, in one case, putting frosting on the plate as dip. This day is always coordinated with the office cookie exchange - then I just have to double the batch.


Day 6: Kinder-eggs!
Day 7: Lesson by candlelight. It was also supposed to be "lesson by LED lantern", but I realized way too late the night before that I didn't have any batteries in the lantern - too late to buy any, or to borrow any... Sound familiar? It did make for a rather pointed object lesson... So we used candles and flashlights and the fire in the fireplace.
Day 8: S'mores and roasting marshmallows in the fireplace.
Day 9: Breakfast.
Not to mention the cards that I print out with small prints of Church art/historic photographs that they might not be familiar with (all legal, I promise).
All in all, crazy, but fun. Nothing but fond memories, and, I'm happy to say, leftover s'mores supplies for this weekend!