How do three little boys celebrate Christmas? In many ways, but here's how mine have done it in the first five days of December. 🙂

December 1st: Their mother turned on the first Christmas music of the season, and it was glorious. Sebastian didn't even remember how much he had liked With Bells On the year before and was happily reintroduced.

December 2nd: They went to A Christmas Puppet Show at church. There was popcorn afterward, and cupcakes, and a bounce house, and ornament-making. Alec especially was in his element and came home with this funny little ornament.

December 3rd: After church and lunch and naps and waiting (which is the worst when you're six and four), they finally got to go to the Christmas tree farm to pick out a tree. They didn't care that it was raining or that their parents were the ones who actually picked out the tree.

December 4: Their daddy set up the Christmas tree and strung the lights, and then they got to work. Alec had been making ornaments for days in advance, and he finally got to hang his painted cardboard creations all over the tree. He was very pleased. I can't help thinking it all looks a little bedraggled, but I think this Christmas will be for the enjoyment of the children. Less stress for me than trying to keep everything looking nice, and we're not hosting anything anyway. 🙂

"Can we get out the manger scene?" Alec asked, and so I got it out even though I hadn't been meaning to do anything but the tree that night.

Sebastian triumphantly found Baby Jesus.

Emmett didn't understand what was going on but had a great time finding new things to play with, especially the prized ornament his big brother had made in kids' church.

Having let Alec decorate the tree, I decided to just let him and Sebastian go ahead and set up the manger scene, too, and they actually did pretty good at remembering where everyone went. I always get Joseph and the shepherd mixed up, but they didn't seem to have that problem.

Emmett gets third-child perks, definitely. I never would've let the first two play with the manger scene.

Alec saw me taking pictures and remembered he had a camera, too. 🙂

After Alec put all his ornaments on the tree, I got out a few of my own and filled in the gaps. I left my glass ornaments in the box this year. At least now when they're inevitably thiefed off the tree I don't have to worry about anything shattering.Our funny little tree, and the main creator of it.

Everything always looks better with the big lights off and the little lights on. 🙂

December 5th: Baby Jesus had to be evacuated early, but it wasn't to Egypt this time, and it wasn't because of Herod. It was up onto the counter, and it was because of a certain marauding toddler who insisted on digging up the manger scene with his excavator, one figurine at a time, and then hurling them to the floor.

While Alec was at school, the other boys and I made white Chex mix. How on earth is that the baby up there on a chair already?!

I also hung some lights and put out a tiny bit more Christmas decor. Alec was quite appreciative of the lights when he came home from school, and I was very happy with my quiet little windowsill, unreachable by the little hands that were busy handling literally everything else.

Emmett sat on the office chair just like Sebastian does and enjoyed the Christmas music. This time it was The Advent of Christmas CD by Matt Maher. (Thanks for the recommendation, Rina!)

There will be gifts, and more music, and more baking, and the reading of the Christmas story, and some Christmas-y Bible memorization, and even a family trip, but for now that's how the three little boys in the Baer house are celebrating Christmas. 🙂