Thursday, December 20, 2012

Changing up Tradition


How is it, some people can rattle off a blog in five minutes and it takes me a month to figure out what I’m going to say?  This morning, while pondering that very subject, I finished wrapping all the Christmas presents.  This is the first time in many years that the gift shopping was done early. Usually my husband and I don’t even start shopping until a week before, partly because of how the pay period fell and partly because we didn’t want to have to store the gifts so long. I get very antsy about wanting to give the kids their gifts after I buy them, haha.   

So, anyway, this year we’re changing up our tradition because of the kid’s work schedules and the two significant others of our kids (not spouses, just bf/gf).Usually on Christmas Eve we go to church (or attempt to…it’s so freakin’ crowded you can find a parking spot within two blocks much less a place to sit inside) then we go to dinner, then come home, watch a holiday movie, play games, let the kids open the gifts they got for each other, then go to bed, get up early for breakfast, open more gifts then cook a big dinner…whew.  This year we’re not doing the dinner out on Christmas Eve and no one gets to open gifts (because my oldest is working and won’t be in until after midnight), but we will have a mini feast , listen to Christmas carols and play games. We’re a game-playing family.  One of our favorites is a variation of Pictionary. We use a white board with colored dry-erase markers and you get a card with five words that you have to draw within three minutes and your team has to guess the answer. It’s boys against girls and until my daughter started dating an artist, the girls won. Haha

So, what kind of traditions do you have? Do you change them up as the kids or you get older?

Before I leave you, here is one of my favorite Christmas songs…especially for you.
Merry Christmas!

Happy Chanukah!

Happy Kwanza!

A Very Happy Holiday to you all!


2 comments:

Judith Ashley said...

Hi Terri,

I celebrate Solstice and Yule. A long standing tradition is to drive around on Solstice or the night before and look at the holiday lights. Sometimes we'll grab take-out before we go and sometimes afterwards. We love discussing the different decorations, what we like and why, and we rate them. Before we head home we drive past the 'winner' one more time and oooh and aaah usually with a bit of laughter underneath.

Growing up we had many traditions similar to your family. I used to keep them alive at my house celebrating both Solstice and Christmas. About a decade ago, when I was in an auto accident, I couldn't manage it all. So, I decided to just celebrate my own traditions. Recently I've added Yule Ceremonies to my personal Solstice observances.

Thanks for sharing your favorite song as well as your rich family traditions. I've many fond memories of those times with my family.

Terri Molina said...

I love looking at Christmas lights too, but it's not as fun as when the kids were younger. hah