Growing up, Christmas was always one of my favorite holidays! I'll be honest, my mom can decorate the heck out of her house...especially at Christmas time! I was always amazed at the amount of boxes that came out of the cubby ever year. The family room would be FULL of Christmas decoration boxes!
The music would go on, we'd all gather around the tree (that she put up-we are an artificial family) and we'd put Christmas decorations on the tree together! I remember waiting until the end to put the fake candy canes on the tree! The real candy canes were housed ever so snuggly in the red Santa Boots :)
Everyone has their traditions at Christmas time! Heck, everyone has their traditions throughout the year for everything! Christmas traditions are those traditions that I have the fondest memories of!
Watching "Christmas Vacation" together as a family on Thanksgiving night (I know we all pretty much watch it still - even if we are at our own homes). Helping my dad put up the Christmas lights and coming in to a nice cup of hot chocolate! Listening to Christmas music then ENTIRE month of December (sorry Josh, I do believe this fault of mine stems from my mom and dad!). Eating all of the essential Christmas foods "Cookies, cookies and more cookies!!!" Carrying the wrapped Christmas presents downstairs as my mom would wrap them in her bedroom. We'd wait outside her door until the "next" gift was ready!!! We'd shake them the entire way downstairs too! I can honestly say to this day that I never once peeked at my presents! I knew exactly where my mom kept them too, and I NEVER snooped! I love surprises too much!
The one tradition that I love is the smallest one! A Christmas ornament! Every year, my mom would buy my sisters and I a Christmas ornament that symbolized who we were. Each year it changed too, because each year we grew up another year and change. I remember getting ornaments that were basketball or tennis themed, I remember my princess ornaments from when I was competing in pageants. I remember my "teaching" ornament after having my first teaching job! I could go on and on, but the fact is, I have all of those ornaments! Actually, I have all of them now, because I'm married and out of the house...now my mom's Christmas tree is decorated "woodsy" to match her downstairs - it's beautiful!
When you get married, you have to work together to combine your individual traditions to create your own. I have learned this. I have learned that although there are things I do not want to give up, I also know that I am living my life with Josh now-so we are creating our own traditions.
One tradition that I am carrying over, is that of the "Christmas Ornament". Every year, I am going to buy my daughter her very own Christmas ornament that symbolizes where she is in her life! I thought about getting her the typical "Babie's first Christmas", but I wanted it to be something that showed who Callie really was...
Josh and I found the PERFECT ornament! Look carefully at our Christmas tree...do you see it?!!?!
Callie loves giraffes. We do not understand her fascination with them, but she lights up and gets all excited when she sees them. Maybe it is their coloring or their long necks. Whatever it is, she loves them.
Callie's perfect Christmas ornament for her very first Christmas is:
The Giraffe!!!
This is pretty cool!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mom!
ReplyDeleteThanks for making this such a fun tradition :) I'm excited to share it with Callie!
Oh that is so cute! My 4 year old shares Callie's love! He's loved giraffes from the time he was tiny too. He had a Noah's arc Little People set and would crawl over to me with the giraffe, hand it to me, and crawl away. At the zoo we'd have to stand at the giraffes forever before he was ready to go see another animal. Have you seen the painting I did for him? I should send you the link. It was really easy to do. You should make one for Callie. :) I love your ornament tradition. Such a great idea!
ReplyDelete