TRADITIONS

The Christmas season always sparks conversations about different traditions families have. I think we have lots of little ones that are insignificant in my eyes but that may mean something to my kids someday. Things like we eat Bubble Bread every Christmas morning, we put our tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving, and I always buy them coordinating pj's every year seem like a habit more than a tradition but I'll go with whatever.

There are a few things that I have been intentional about doing year after year.

1. My kids pick out an ornament every year. I try to steer them towards something that signifies the year. Like the year Calli was really into Veggie Tales, she got a Veggie Tale ornament. This year Calli chose a Nutcracker ornament and Colson chose a baseball player. He wasn't caucasion so you can't say that it totally represents him but the sport of baseball certainly does.

2. I buy Calli a Christmas snowglobe and Colson an animated Christmas toy. And can I just say I love giving Calli presents. She gets so excited and is so grateful. Calli opened her snowglobe this year and thought it was the coolest thing! It was a Nutcracker snowglobe. She immediately turned the dial to let it play music and did the dance from her musical to it. Colson on the other hand opened his and exclaimed "Really? You really got me this?" I don't think he knows how to accept a gift and tries to act really cool. Of course later after he pushed the button and saw it dance and twirl around he thought it was cool.

3. This one we just started about 3 years ago. I wrap 24 Christmas books up and each night the kids pick out a book and we read it. Each year I buy them a new very nice Christmas book and they open that one on Christmas Eve along with the actual Christmas story from the Bible. The new books help weed out those Christmas books in our stash that aren't as nice (you know like Clifford's first Christmas).

Those are the 3 things that I think are worth writing about and ones my kids ask about every year.