Tradition

I love tradition! My family had different traditions as we grew up and so did my husband and now as a family of 5 we have created our very own traditions! I notice traditions mostly during holidays - like now with the Christmas season underway! But we do have daily traditions like always kissing the kids goodnight, and when possible, we all sit together at the supper table and seat as a family. Even Henry gets put in his bouncy chair and pulled up beside the table. We read books before bed. To me, those are everyday traditions! Now with Christmas only 36 days away (yes, we're doing a countdown) we are busy doing more holiday traditions! For example, I'm a CrAzY Christmas Lady. I LOVE decorations. I love being festive! Yesterday when Rory got home from school we went downstairs and hauled out my bins and bins (and bins!) of decorations and starting getting busy...but tradition #1 we can't decorate the tree unless the whole family is able to help! So, the tree did not get decorated til after supper when Kurtis was home as well. Even Henry, who was bright eyed staring at the lights, was pulled beside the tree and watched as we decorated. Tradition #2, Boney M must be playing while decorating and I will be singing "Mary's Boy Child" on the top of my lungs. Tradition #3 - the kids need to hang their special ornaments themselves. Each kid has a "baby's first christmas" ornament and a few other ornaments they have accumulated over the years and its important for them to hang them! Why? I don't know why? It just seems like they should and its my tradition, damnit! Hahaha! Don't mess with the crazy Christmas lady! 
Now the decorating part of Christmas is not our only tradition. Since we had kids we have started creating a few traditions. For example, I make gingerbread men and christmas sugar cookies every year and Kurtis and the kids decorate them with me every year. We are all high off icing, food coloring and sprinkles by the end! (Nothing says Christmas like being high!? Haha!)  Christmas Eve we go to mass in Bruno at 7:30pm. Rory has been in the Christmas pageant at Church the past 2 years. Jack will be able to join this year if he so desires. The church is always packed and everyone is dressed in their prettiest clothes. We listen to the word of God and sing Christmas carols on the top of our lungs. After mass we hug and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and go home. Once we get home we allow the kids to choose 1 gift to open before bed. Then we have appetizers and drinks and the kids set out cookies and milk. When the kids go to bed Kurtis and I play Santa and I'm worse than a little kid! I can barely fall asleep and last year I woke both Rory and Jack up because it was almost 9 and they were still sleeping! C'mon kids, YOUR MOM IS THE CRAZY CHRISTMAS LADY! Christmas morning we like to be in our house with our kids. We want our kids to wake up and have Santa at their house. I want them to remember this tradition and be excited. When I grew up, and when my husband grew up, we slept in our own beds on Christmas Eve and we woke up Christmas morning with our family. Even when I was young and my Mom worked Christmas we sometimes had Santa come while we were at Christmas Eve mass and we did Christmas then. But regardless, we were a family in our own home! We love tradition! And this Crazy Lady LOVES Christmas! 
Whatever your traditions may be, enjoy them! Wishing everyone a joyous holiday season! Be safe and I hope you're with the ones you love the most!