This was so cool to read, I love how he surprised you with the advent, I will have to look for an advent like that as it sounds fun and far more rewarding than chocolate!
It has been the best thing - to encourage him to help in the decorating, and learn the fine motor skills of the simple crafts, AND to only do one a day (which with chocolates? Forget it, ha!) Happy Holidays, Melanie, hope you and your family are well.
As mum to a 17 year old who also prefers the old and familiar and who definitely doesn't want a new phone or new anything else unlike most other teenagers, I definitely get the ambiguous loss part. She was also never much interested in advent calendars, until the year before last when I bought an advent puzzle - a bit like yours, it's one box a day. And that, she looks forward to every day in December now (despite not much liking jigsaw puzzles before that!). So we have a new tradition that I think will last for many years.... love it!
This was so cool to read, I love how he surprised you with the advent, I will have to look for an advent like that as it sounds fun and far more rewarding than chocolate!
It has been the best thing - to encourage him to help in the decorating, and learn the fine motor skills of the simple crafts, AND to only do one a day (which with chocolates? Forget it, ha!) Happy Holidays, Melanie, hope you and your family are well.
This is a lovely story! What a fun way to use an Advent calendar.
Thank you! I’m so glad to have discovered it, and that he’s taking pride in it, too :)
As mum to a 17 year old who also prefers the old and familiar and who definitely doesn't want a new phone or new anything else unlike most other teenagers, I definitely get the ambiguous loss part. She was also never much interested in advent calendars, until the year before last when I bought an advent puzzle - a bit like yours, it's one box a day. And that, she looks forward to every day in December now (despite not much liking jigsaw puzzles before that!). So we have a new tradition that I think will last for many years.... love it!
That’s great - this one definitely made me think, ok what can I do like this for the other months of the year!?
I do not share your experience Robin, but nonetheless, this line really hit me in the feels:
“But while shopping for others on my list, I am ambushed by crisp new shirts and trendy gadgets that my young adult son might like, in another life.”
— beautifully said.
And I hope you have a good holiday season :)
Thanks, Michael - really appreciate your reading - and wishing you happy holidays, too!
That top right picture is how I see you in my mind! Such a cutie!
Aw thank you for keeping me young!! I’m pretty sure I have a signed note or two from you in this pile 🥰 😄
Could be…you never know!