I looooooove the holidays. This is truly my favorite season. Growing up, this was normally the only time I got to see my extended family. Though I always felt out of place, I was always so happy to see them.
And now I have a family!
Come to think of it, the holidays are really only fun to me when you’re the child or when you have one. My pre-having babies time was pretty lame. I digress…
This Christmas season we’re actually doing Elf on the Shelf. At first I thought it was really creepy. A little elf that “magically” appears in random places around your house because they’re following you. Yeah, super creepy. But I read the story and have managed to turn it into a behavior modification tool. Mini is 100% convinced that Santa can now see her. Santa sent her a note about something she’d done and she was sooooooo geeked about it lol!
Holiday traditions are my favorite. Growing up, my brother and father would go pick out the tree after thanksgiving. We’d put it up, turn on some Christmas jams and decorate. I would always get a popcorn tin and only eat the caramel. On Christmas Eve my brother and I would sleep in his room and tell one gift we knew we’d each gotten. Then we’d get up super early and tear into our presents. I’m getting warm and fuzzy thinking about it!
As much as I love the presents, I really want my girls to have memories of the giving. This year we’ll begin some new traditions starting with doing a family community service project. I want to feed and clothe the homeless. I’m thinking I can go thrifting on $.25 day, wash and hand the clothes out as well as find a soup kitchen or something. But I want to give and have my family involved in it as well.
We’re going to do all the fun things and I’m excited. So far we’ve decorated the tree and house, made cookies, and wrote her letter to Santa. On Christmas Eve we’re going to head to see the lights of Life University and enjoy their little Christmas town. This weekend I’ll have my nieces and I’m so excited about that. I really want my girls to look back on the holidays as I do.
What holiday traditions do you have?
