Christmas Parade and Yulefest

Advent is here and the children were delighted to be finally opening their first box on their Advent calendar. 

Our elf on the shelf, Eli, also came back, with a North Pole Breakfast nonetheless, to spend the month of December with us and report back to Santa each night. He also brought a new, purple friend, lovingly named Sparkle, with him. 

On Saturday afternoon, our town hosted their annual Christmas Parade on Main Street. We brought our chairs and silly Christmas hats and were ready for the parade to begin. 

There were antique cars, clown cars, floats, cheerleaders and dancers, bands and lots of candy was handed out too.

And lastly, Santa arrived, riding in the bucket of a firetruck:

After the parade, we went to our local park for their Yulefest. By then it was 5pm and already dark. This event allows one to step back into more simple times for an evening full of musical entertainment and storytelling. We also enjoyed a horse carriage ride and some delicious cookies and punch. 

There were storytellers, musicians and demonstrators in the historic Mansker Mansion and in the cabins of the Fort in the park where we were able to listen to yesteryear music and see simple, natural Christmas decorations. 

The children and I really enjoyed the music and spent at least 20 minutes with each group. Here is a little clip I put together to give you an impression. The lightening is not as good, as most cabins were only lit by candle light and the fire in the fire place. But it felt nice and warm and made the atmosphere so much more realistic and enjoyable. 

This month is full of Christmas cheer and lots of seasonal activities. Often it is easy to forget the real meaning of this season; thus, we are making a point of spending more quality time together with each other and enjoying all that this season has to offer instead of running off to the stores for the best deals or to buy more stuff non one needs. These children are definitely excited about that: