WIP – Lily’s Christmas stocking


This is a detail from the Christmas stocking that I am whipping up for Lily. It’s almost exactly the same design as the one I made for Amelia two years ago but using different fabrics, buttons and trim. Perhaps I should have come up with an entirely unique design but I kind of like the matchy-matchy thing, and the different fabrics make an enormous difference. Plus there is the mad rush to the finish and a couple of other gifts which need some speedy resolution.

Speaking of counting down to the big day, our advent activities have sadly fallen by the wayside this year. Nobody seems to have the energy for joyous activities in the evenings at the moment – it seems to be enough just to get through dinner and baths and bedtime stories without falling over — neither girl is sleeping terribly well and so our days are running a little on autopilot. Apart from the lack of energy, Amelia also seems quite disappointed with each activity after they are read out to her in the mornings. When she heard that the we will be making cookies we were met with “What? Another cooking one? SIGH” and I have also heard “When can we do something fun?” and “When will be doing something like last year?”. Even the ones she is remotely interested in get forgotten during the day, and begrudgingly followed through if reminded. I liked the idea of “Make a family tree” but I could tell by Amelia’s expression that she thought it was a stinker. I will have to rethink this next year. Tonight’s “Play Katamari Damacy” was by far the most popular but I don’t know if I am keen on the idea of 24 video game nights. Hmmm. Maybe Andrea’s Christmas Fun Jar is the way to go.

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17 Responses

  1. louise.papas.@bigpond.com says:

    Thanks to your wonderful inspiring words we have nearly completed our very first advent activities. I made a set of 24 little stockings in green, red and white gorgeous Amitie fabric and filled each day with a poem for that day’s activity. These have included a ‘Santa stop here’ sign the day we put the tree up, Christmas cookie cutters, sticky notes for ‘celebrity heads’ (my 4 yr old loved that game and made me Dr Phil!), photo with Santa, making Christmas chocs, nail polish, Christmas stamps, a Christmas calico write on bear, paper chains, beading, snowflake cutting, Christmas pens to write their cards with and more.. They have loved every single one and it will now become a family tradition. Thank you for all your amazing and lovely ideas. I really LOVE the gorgeous stocking and might have to do something special for each of my 3 girls for next year! Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family.

  2. We’re doing the activity thing this year too, but I decided we couldn’t possibly restrict the activities to the evening, because of that whole ‘too tired’ thing, and it taking up to an hour to get the baby to sleep. So even though it means DH can’t always participate, we have activities which can mostly be done at some time during the day. A few have still been ‘overlooked’, but we’ve managed to catch up on most. Making Christmas jelly was a hugely popular one yesterday! Red and green layers, decorated with jaffas and mint leaves – oh the sugar hit!

  3. i hate to say, be easy on yourself…but, be easy on yourself. the transition to two is enormous. it WILL get MUCH easier. for all of you.
    this time next year? she will probably be enthused all over again. after all, you are the coolest mom ever.

  4. I like this stockings. They look very creative to me. I think I am going to use them as insperation for my own crafting hours.
    Thank you for sharing this story with me !

  5. Dear Claire, inspired by you, we made our own Advent Calendar with Activities. The only difference is that we haven’t got kids yet so we made it with fun activities for us to do as a couple. It’s been great and we’ve been having some nice time together. Thanks so much for this lovely idea. I wish you and your family a sweet, beautiful and fun Christmas.

  6. grainphoto@shaw.ca says:

    The sock looks great. I think our girls are going to get woolen work socks at the rate I’m going! It’s a truly awful existance most days when you’re so lacking sleep. It also seems to be the firstborns job to make your life even more difficult during the new baby’s first year – at least that’s how my daughter worked. Hang in there, like last comment said, things truly will get better.Luann

  7. amen to that coolest mom ever bit. 🙂 amelia sounds adorbale sigh-ing over all the awesome-ness you have planned for her…

  8. I know what you mean about the tired thing – it’s 3 sleeps until christmas and frankly I’m just waiting for the sleeping part!
    I had an idea for this year – but didn’t get organised enough to do it. Homemade Fortune Cookies with story subjects inside them. So my little one would give me 24 ideas for a story – say – Robot, runaway ball etc…, and each night leading up to christmas we would pick one – crack it open and make up a story before bed. Good idea huh – perhaps next year we’ll have the energy to actually do it. 🙂

  9. Wishing you and yours a lovely Christmas. Thanks for all the great reading. Fx

  10. Our countdown to summer celebrations idea went down in a spectacular crash and burn also – firstly my son couldn’t even see the sack under the tree, then when I gave ti to him he didn’t even want to open it. In the cupboard for next year!

  11. cat16@mindspring.com says:

    I like the idea that Lily’s stocking is like her big sister’s. You’re starting a “family” stocking pattern which can become a tradition when you make them for your grandchildren.

  12. I hear “what can we doooo???” way too often these days… That’s why I’ve been dumping the Duplos out on the livingroom floor these past couple days… use your imaginations!!!Luckily, my Mom is here with boundless energy and new math- and card-games for the troops.

  13. Advent is almost over. I made some pockets this year and so far there have been no treats in the sugar variety. I mixed activities up with the odd gift. A 50c bouncy ball, glitter bath gel in chistmas theme.It will be much better next year for you. Mine are 4 and 2.5 and this year is soooooooooo much better already!

  14. Wonderful detail picture! Merry Christmas to you and your family.

  15. lizandtom@iinet.net.au says:

    I love the stocking and the way you are carrying on for Lily what you’ve done for Amelia. I am deeply impressed that you have the energy to do this with two very small children. Don’t worry about the advent thing, as kids get older they egg each other on and love it – our two best have been “give Mummy a makeover” (aka hand over the makeup bag, shut your eyes, and hope!) and “go to the beach and call for Santa to come”, which apparently required all three kids to sit in the water (and afterwards my older son, whose suggestion it was, admitted the whole beach idea had been a dare he didn’t expect to have to go through with). We’ve had some crash-and-burn duds too, but overall they want to try it again. So thank you for the idea, and don’t give up!

  16. artists@cavepainters.org says:

    ho ho, we didn’t even manage to keep hanging up our advent stars! got to about 14 and that was that. This year all my last minute present sewing and baking was cancelled because I got the flu (and I’m 6 months pregnant) So no-one’s even had proper presents from us! Well, I think the presents you have made look lovely and the important thing when you’ve got little ones is to look after yourselves as best you can even if that means missing out on advent activities!Our christmas got cancelled due to the flu (we all had it)
    Just starting to feel a little bit better now. Merry christmas and a happy new year to you and your family. I bet those stocking s and dolls went down a storm!
    x Emily

  17. we fizzled out on our advent tree branch, made it about 15 days and then lost steam. luckily the girls had fun on day 23 “catching up”. i like the christmas fun jar idea too so next year we might try both. also, i learned what presents were winners and what werent so great, funny that the more nature based presents (and small ornaments) worked best. small ornaments they could immediately hang on the tree excited them both.