Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away

From _Lightroom

My mother-in-law said to me years and years ago, that Thanksgiving was her favorite holiday to spend with her kids, because felt like, at Christmas, they should have their own traditions with their own families. I think this is because Christmas is so much about kids, and families with young children should make those memories / traditions because well ... the years are short, as I'm learning.

But I have no Christmas traditions.  Well, I shouldn't say that.  You will probably never, if rarely, find us alone on Christmas day.  Christmas is for family.  My family is spread out all over the country and looks to remain that way for ... ever. (Pause to reflect on the miles and be sad momentarily)

But what do I want to instill in G?  What traditions do I want to start that show what we as a family value? From the pictures above, those are traditions in a way, the deocrations (new and old) that I bring out every year.  The ornaments on the tree ...

I like thinking about those.  When Lewis and I had our first Christmas seven years ago, we didn't have ornaments so we went to the Christmas Tree Shoppe and bought a bunch of cheap ones; glass balls, plastic balls, cheap strings of lights.  One expensive ornament of a gold tree that says "Our First Christmas."  We had a live tree the first two years.  I had to buy a vaccum cleaner.  The needles were murder.

But anyway in those seven years we have accumulated more ornaments.  Meanginful ones.  An ardvark for Texas that we bought in San Antonio, a glass squirrel with an acorn, a wooden mouse in a santa hat bought at an after Christmas sale ... G's first Christmas ornament.

Traditions.  What traditions?  I don't know.  I'd like to teach him that Jesus was born on Christmas Day and that's why we celebrate.  That all the music, all the gifts, all the decorations, it all started because a long long time ago a little baby was born in a manger.  I think Christmas is a GREAT time to teach life long patience.  Opening gifts one at a time, eating breakfast before gifts, etc.  It used to DRIVE ME CRAZY as a kid, but I see the value in it now.  Plus, I have to torture someone else with that otherwise what was all that torture for?

So six days left until Christmas.  Where did this year go?

From _Lightroom