advent: the calendar

I can remember, like it was yesterday, waking up every morning in advent and being so excited to open the tiny numbered door on the cardboard advent calendar to see what picture or saying would be inside. I think when we were little kids it was way cool if you had those advent calendars with the chocolate behind each tiny door.
But, we like to spoil our kid just a little, so we made our own advent calendar this year. Wade and I bought some little treats and we put them in little numbered bags and hung them on a small tree. I had big plans to make an advent calendar out of tiny pinatas, but I ran out of time. Maybe next year.
This morning she practically jumped out of bed, ready to receive her first treat. Funny, yesterday morning it took us 40 minutes to get her up.

Sometimes I think the days leading up to Christmas are better than the actual holiday itself.