A New Favorite Aiduk Family Tradition: the Christmas Book Box

We have a box of Christmas books sitting near the tree... and we read them all. the. time.  I have Pinterest and the Grandmas to thank for making this one of the sweetest Christmas traditions yet!  Last year on Pinterest, I saw the idea to wrap Christmas books up and open one each day of December.  And when I mentioned wanting to do it this year, both Gigi and Gram blessed us with numerous Christmas books throughout the year.  I've been setting them all aside and getting really excited for Christmas to roll around...

I wrapped each book individually and then sponge painted the decorations on them.  (Go-go cheap/free hippie wrap job!)

Then I had the girls help me decorate and fill the book box, which we put near the tree.  Yeah, I know.  The book box itself is pretty ghetto.  I literally grabbed a semi-junky box from the basement and slapped two coats of paint on the sides.  I didn't even rip the mailing stickers off haha!  Sometimes, it's all about "better DONE than done perfect."  (A phrase I totally stole from Emily and use regularly!)

I didn't have enough books for one for each day... but that was okay anyways because I didn't want the headache of fighting over who gets to open the book each day.  Not that my girls ever fight about "ME FIRST" (A new phrase that BOTH of them use almost daily now and that I have added to my list of phrases that make me want to gouge my eyes out!)

So what we did was open two books every other day (or so) until about ten days before Christmas, when we just opened the rest.  My main goal was to get the girls excited about opening presents on Christmas... last year Sam was too young to get it and Lily was just barely able to open presents herself.  But this year, man I have them trained! Between birthdays and the book box, they have it down.

I did not expect them to zero in so much on these books.  Seriously, Christmas books are where it's at.  They haven't had me read a single non-Christmas book this whole month.  Apparently, it's Christmas books or bust!  Which is fine with me... Momma is glad for the break from The Cat in the Hat and Mr. Seahorse and Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb.

And reading about Christmas so much has had the added bonus of bringing up lots of Christmas conversations with Lily... She totally gets it this year!  Even believing in Santa, but shhhhh don't tell Jesse cause he thinks it's dumb ;o) When we talk about the gifts she says "Some from Santa and some from Gigi & Grandpa and some from Gram & Pa and some from Aunt Cassie and some from Mommy & Daddy..." etc. etc. etc.

I also have them pretty well trained to know where the wrapping paper goes (recycling win!)  In classic OCD toddler fashion, Sam will tear into the present and then immediately pick up every single bit of paper and run it into the kitchen. Dude I'm not going to have to leave my seat Christmas morning.  Score!

So a big huge thanks to Gigi and Gram for contributing to our Christmas book collection!  What I have collected over the past few years would not have been nearly as impressive without your additions.  They are in love with them all! Some of our favorites are Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, Snow, I Spy Christmas,  and Santa Is Coming to My House.  We also love How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which Lily calls the "grumpy Christmas book" (and movie.)  And she loves our plethora of "baby Desus books" about Jesus in the manger.  She calls a book about the meaning of candy canes the "Candy Canie Book".  Kids are so cute!

I love this tradition.  Looking back on my childhood, I remember specific books that only came out at Christmastime and it was so special!  (The I Spy Christmas book is one that I grew up with and I was so excited when my Mom sent us our own copy!)

Now my kids will have a truckload of Christmas books to look forward to each year and I just love that!