New Traditions

Christmas and New Years 2012 has brought about some new traditions that I would like to start, I mean continue.

Jeff was watching a show on the History Channel about Christmas. I asked him if he learned anything and he said yes. Here is the one thing he took away from the show: Our traditions are not as old as we think they are.

What does that mean you ask? Well what that means is that we as humans long for the way things used to be, in our lifetimes, not our parent's/grandparent's/great grandparent's lifetime.

There have been some changes to my Christmas traditions since I got married and started my own family. The first change that I made was I stopped all the running around. I want my children to be able to enjoy their toys, their house. So a few years ago we started having Christmas Eve dinner with Jeff's family. We usually have salad and lasagna. After dinner we open gifts and sit around talking and the kids play with their new toys. Before dinner we go out front and sprinkle Magic Reindeer Food on the lawn. The kids usually make this special food in school so it is ready to go. We come back in and the kids head to bed.

I have one rule about Christmas Morning: you can't touch the gifts until everyone is downstairs. Clayton jumped out of bed this year and ran downstairs, by passing my room. Luckily Jillian had already come in to wake me up, so I was able to yell down and remind him not to touch anything until we got down there too.

One of my favorite things from Christmas when I was a child was staying in my pajamas all day, eating, sleeping, and playing with my new Santa gifts, so I wanted the same for my children. We get to stay here doing nothing much until about 3 PM. At that time we go to my parent's house for dinner and gifts. My brothers and their families are there as well. We have ham, homemade mashed potatoes, and lots of other yummy stuff to eat. My mom also makes homemade lemonade. My mom loves to cook!

For a long time on New Years Eve we used to have a party at our house, people stopped coming so we stopped having it. I would also have dinner for my family before our party, which I still do. For the past 2 years my brothers and their families bailed on dinner, so it was just my family and my parents.

This year for New Years Eve we did a few new things which I would like to continue next year and the years after that. One thing we did new this year is that we made a rice krispie treat train. It was easy and fun and I have the molds so it will be easy to do again next year. The other thing that we did new this year is that we cut openings into milk jugs, filled the bottom with sand and added a candle. People over by my parent's house do this for Christmas time and that was my plan this year, but because I was feeling under the weather and Christmas seemed to come and go quickly we didn't get to it. Since we did it for New Years Eve I thought of it as "Lighting the way for the new year" and I would like to welcome the new year the same way for years to come.  The third thing that I would like to make a tradition is me and Jillian doing our nails. It was fun and a chance for us girls to bond and get pretty.

There were a few parties this year, but none seemed kid friendly, besides until the kids get older I think staying in on New Years Eve is just fine. That way if they need a little nap they can have one.

Where there any new traditions that you and your family started this year?