First Christmas

When do you decorate for Christmas?

We do it the day after Thanksgiving, and it has become a tradition we love.   It seems like just the other day, we had a toddler bringing ornaments to put on the tree, and a baby helping to hang his special ornament. Now, one has a husband, and one is on the other side of the world.  Some parts of our event change over time; some stay exactly the same year after year.

• We usually have Chex mix.
• We put the nutcrackers all over the place, but the kids argue over who gets to put the ugly one on top of the refrigerator facing backwards.
• I put the stocking hangers that spell N.O.E.L on the mantle.  Then someone sneaky rearranges them to spell. L.E.O.N.
• We buy an ornament to represent something special from each year, and we have the same conversation as we put the each "special ball" on the tree. 
• "Awwww... here's mine from when I was born!"
•  "I want to hang the one from when I was born!"
• "Here's the first Disney one!  That year the castle was pink like a birthday cake!"
• "Remember that trip to Yosemite?  We need to go back."
• "Here's the Key West ball.  Remember those roosters?"
• "This one's from 1994, what were we doing then?"
• "Be careful with this Mount St. Helens one.  Do you think that's really ash on it?"
• Then we get to the ornaments the kids made.
•  "How come my Pokeman ornament on the toilet paper roll has to hang on the back of the tree again!"
• "Ohhhh.... Look how cute I was!"
• There was a moody teenager on the couch for several years in a row.  It was odd a couple of years ago, when we noticed everyone participating again.  (My husband volunteered to lay on the couch and play the moody teenager role - just to keep that tradition alive!)

Our tree is very beautiful - no nothing matches, and no it doesn't have a theme.  But, suits our family perfectly.  

I don't think we get to decide which traditions will stick.  I think they just sort of happen - then happen again, and again.

Thanks to Micah for letting me paint him as he put ornaments on the tree for the first time.  I wonder what will traditions will become important in his family...  

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