Traditions Old and New

As a person who craves routine, one of my favorite parts of the holidays is the traditions associated with it. The rituals one breaks out only once a year, but you look forward to all year long in eager anticipation. And then when you start a family and have children of your own, the question becomes what traditions do you keep and what do you create to call your very own?

I grew up creating paper chains with one ring for each day prior to Christmas and pulling a ring off for every day complete. Christmas eve always found us carefully putting out cookies and milk for Santa, carrots for hungry reindeer, then opening one present from Mom and Dad before bed. We never traveled on Christmas day, always waking up in our own home for Santa Claus couldn't possibly find us anywhere else. Jingle bells would be scattered by the fireplace, left behind by reindeer taking off in flight. Bites out of those cookies and carrots.  The day after Christmas, we always packed up and headed south to the Boston area for a big family fete and celebrate all over again.

My husband also smiles remembering his own traditions. His Christmas eves were filled with  fun casual family pizza dinners. And then the ritualistic placing of the cookies and milk for Santa. He and his sisters also never traveled on Christmas day for that ever fear that Santa wouldn't possibly know where to deliver those gifts. Waking at the first light to half-eaten cookies and half-drunk glasses of milk, sure evidence that St. Nick had paid visit to his house and not just mine. And for him, there was always a nap stolen post opening of the presents from the exhaustion of getting up so early in excitement.

So now we fuse our traditions. It hasn't been challenging, since we tend to agree so much on parenting style to begin with. We'll spend Christmas eve eating pizza, and now that the oldest is two, watching the Polar Express and then reading the Night Before Christmas. We've chased that Elf all around those Shelves for a couple weeks now and I'm confident he's told Santa what the whole house wants at this point. We'll set out our cookies and milk and enjoy nibbles while we set up a magical scene for babies and toddlers to feast their eyes on come morning. We'll mix glitter and oatmeal for the two year old to scatter in the lawn and driveway so the reindeer have food and a trail to follow to the chimney. (Why leave such things to chance?)   Naturally, there will be no travel and we'll host both sides of the family, enjoying these traditions and more with them now and for years to come.

With these new traditions comes the main cast of characters, our three children. How much fun the years forward are going to be. We hope this phase of Christmas lasts forever, for it will be a sad day when it ends.

Merry Christmas All! See you on the 26th.

My Christmas Wishlist

In the spirit of Christmas, being only 2 shopping days away, I though I'd take a moment to reflect on the things I'd really like for Christmas. Not the superficial answers I'll give you for my husband's shopping list, but the deep down to my core items I can only dream about.

Dear Santa,
For Christmas this year I would like

To open my washer and dryer midweek and not find them full of forgotten clothes after a weekend when my husband did the laundry.

To really, really win the MegaMillions. I swear, I won't even be greedy about it.

That all 3 kids would nap at the same time for just one day. Okay, a week.

That someone would come to my home every day and feed me, make sure I took a nap and watched plenty of Bravo.  

Having a maid, a butler and a personal chef show up at my door and tell me they are a gift. No salary needed.

That my next big "fun" purchase will NOT be a dishwasher.  Or a roof. Or a car.

I'd like to eat unlimited truffles without consequence to my hips or waistline.

That all 3 children would be toilet-trained by New Year's instead of age 3.

To never run to my local corner store and purchase a gallon of expired milk again. I mean, really.

About three more hours in my day - everyday.

A husband whose commute is 8.62 minutes.

So, Santa, I've been a very good girl this year. If you could just make room to squeeze all of the above items into my stocking, that would be swell.

Love,
Ann

Sleeping In On Sunday....

Why yes, Santa! I believe.....

This tree photo is of a porcelain tree that was put out every year in my late father's dental office at the holidays and now graces my home. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Every morning our two year old wakes up with a ridulous level of excitement to rush around the house to find the Elf on a Shelf. He named him "Magic", you see. Because Magic, after all, is what the holidays are about.  Magic is what is going to take Magic the Elf back to the North Pole every night to tell Santa Claus that he wants a bouncy ball and a rocket.  Magic is what makes our two year old ideally have less tantrums and spend less time in time out; while the elf watches his behavior daily to report back each night to Santa Claus. Magic is what makes his being patient with our eight month old twins, his little brothers, so worthwhile currently.

Magic is also what keeps me from not losing it in the Target lines this month. From freaking out on our drycleaner who destroyed my dress two days ago with the cleaning solution. Magic is hanging the stocking over the chimney with care and patiently untangling all the lights from years past.  Magic is making 8 dozen Christmas cookies to put in the freezer. Magic is the forced smile and tears trying to corral all three small children for the perfect photo for the card that no one really reads, but you know you sent anyway. Magic is letting the lady with two small children and 1 item go in front of you in said Target line.

Magic is knowing that despite all threats to the contrary, your husband will not become an endangered species if the lights are not hung this weekend because you really do love him madly (although you may not speak for a week). Because Magic is also wanting to see and hear your two year old "ooooh" and "ahhhhh" over the lights for the very first time. Magic is decorating the tree with care, wrapping the gifts and giggling with glee.

YEs, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  And it's just Magical around here.