Christmas Traditions and Memories

Today while I was cleaning out our bookshelf I found a book that my mom had given to Alan and I about 5 or 6 Christmases ago. It was called Christmas Traditions and it had our name engraved on the front cover. A beautiful book just waiting for someone to write inside. Well, I am not a scrapbook person or one to record events on paper. I wish I was, but that’s just not me. Blogging is just so much easier. So, I thought I would blog about the many Christmas traditions that my parents have handed down to their children. Also, I can’t really see Gary or Jeff writing about this stuff.

THE TREE
Christmas in our house started the first weekend in December. We would put the tree up and Mom would make cookies and hot chocolate for us while Dad put on christmas music. I know that as I got older we watched “A Christmas Story” because we always laughed so much when we watched it together. Also, I remember that we would get to put ornaments on the tree which was so much fun. Those were the days when we had homemade and mismatched ornaments that really meant something to us. Now Mom has a themed tree and there are no homemade ornaments or anything out of color or pattern on that tree. I think she bagged up each of our sad ornaments when we were in college and gave them to us to start a tree of our own.

SHOPPING
I remember my Dad taking me to the mall to shop for my Mom. EVERY year I wanted to go into Wicks ‘N Sticks and get her a candle. I got so excited about picking out the perfect candle for her. Until one year I was about to step in the store and my Dad gently said, “Let’s not go in there this year. I think Mom has enough candles.” I got the hint but I believe that was the year that I got her the famous egg scrambler from Eckerds. She hated that gift so much. I never knew until I got older but it’s a really famous What is your worst Christmas gift? answer.
Dads are always so hard to buy for so the year that my Mom got my Dad the perfect gift for him, I went and spoiled it. We were at Sears in the mall looking at the sports equipment. We walked by the tennis racquets and I looked at my Dad and said, “Daddy, we didn’t get you one of those for Christmas.” Cute. My Mom kept all the gifts from me after that.


SANTA
I vaguely remember seeing Santa. I can imagine that we only went to the SherDen Mall to see him until we were in 1st or 2nd grade. I remember that this picture was at Fairview Elementary at night, I guess they had a program or something going on. My Mom doesn’t have any Santa pictures with us crying so we weren’t afraid of him like Riley was. Kylie was always pretty good with Santa as well. This is the only year that I haven’t gotten a picture with my kids and Santa. Kylie and I went to the mall to visit him and she told him her list, did that silly grin for the camera, and I really didn’t feel like spending $21 on ONE picture!!! Also, I didn’t subject Riley to that type of cruelty this year. Although after Thanksgiving we were shopping and he saw a stuffed Santa and called him “Ho!” Surprising since last year he was barely talking when we taught him that word for Santa. Take a look at last year’s picture. Terror and goofy smile, check!




CHRISTMAS EVE
Christmas Eve was always spent at Beady’s house with all the Aunts, Uncles, & cousins that you could ever imagine. We would play games, sing carols, open lots of gifts, eat, and visit. I looked so forward to Christmas Eve with all my family and I have lots of fond memories of that time. Over the years we switched this tradition to my parents house. It’s just started to get fun again since there are kids involved now. Our new tradition is to do a Cake Walk with gift certificates. The kids love this and we don’t have to buy quite as many gifts for people. But we do anyways. This was a year that we weren’t here for Christmas Eve. So, we crammed in the party and Christmas Day festivities all in one night. We weren’t finished until midnight! And we also don’t get stockings :(

CHRISTMAS MORNING
Christmas morning is always such a magical time. I loved getting up and seeing what Santa left out for me. Now I appreciate the excited looks on the kids faces, especially Kylie because she makes a detailed list for Santa. My favorite part is getting Christmas stockings. My Mom always puts in little wrapped gifts for us to open, lip gloss and bath and body products for the girls, oranges, a banana, and chocolate galore! I actually remembered stocking gifts for the kids this year. I am hoping that I can at least carry that tradition along through the years. My favorite present that Santa left was a singing machine. I was so excited about singing, I couldn’t wait until after Christmas brunch to use it. The sad thing was that it was broken. My Dad was so mad and my Mom really felt for me. Turns out that they got it on QVC and there was no way to do a quick return. I think my Dad took it to some guy to get it fixed so I had it back in no time! I really wish that my parents took pictures every year of all the loot that I made out with. I would love to remember all the Santa gifts throughout the years. I started that tradition this year.





PRESENTS AND COOKIES
There are other things that I learned from my Mom that make Christmas feel like I’m seven years old again. She always has the prettiest wrapped presents under the tree. She takes time to sit in the floor, count each persons’ gifts (making sure that everyone has an equal amount), and puts unique bows and such on each gift. It’s not unusual for me to have gingerbread men on my gifts while Carolyn has snowmen on hers. A lot of time and effort go into gift wrapping and giving to her kids and grandkids. I think she may be the most thoughtful person I know. :)

Also, she makes the BEST homemade christmas cookies with icing on them in the world. I didn’t eat any this year because Riley got to them before anyone else and made a pattern on the floor. Sorry Mom!

I have so many more traditions and moments that I would love to write about. Maybe they will make the blog next year. Also, maybe Mom will get that Christmas Card made with all her kids and grandkids on it like she has wanted for so many years. You would think that we all live out of state or something!