As you guys may know, our boys don't have much other family besides their dad and me.
This is part of the reason that holidays/birthdays, etc, are so important to me.
I want them to grow up with fond memories of special times with us, and carry them on with their own kids.
So far, in their short little lives, we haven't had much money, but I have tried to start some family traditions that they will remember forever.
Our favorite family tradition is Southern Lights at the Kentucky Horse Park. It is so beautiful there, it is like a 20 minute driving tour of the Christmas Lights. It really is amazing. After you go through the lights, there is a petting zoo, model train display, hot chocolate and snacks, and of course, SANTA! Tater has really come to look forward to this. He thinks this trip we make every year is us going to the North Pole to visit Santa. I just can't bear to tell him any different!
I have been trying to start other special traditions, too. Here are my ideas of what I am going to start this year.
New Jammies on Christmas Eve
I know a lot of families that do this, and I love the idea! Everyone gets new jammies, and you get to unwrap them on Christmas Eve. That way, everyone wakes up on Christmas morning in their warm, snuggly, brand new PJ's! Love this one!
Christmas Stories Every Day
This is one I am going to try to do this year. Starting December 1st, (or somewhere around there,) make it a point to read a different Christmas Story every night, ending with, of course, The Night Before Christmas. I think this is awesome! The only kicker will be finding that many Christmas stories, but I am sure the library will have tons! I actually bought my favorite Christmas story from when I was a kid, Mr. Willoughby's Christmas Tree, off of Amazon the other day, so I can read it to the boys. I think this is a really special tradition to start, and I am looking forward to it!
Dollar Store Shopping Spree
This is probably one of my fondest memories of Christmas from when I was little. My parents would always take me to the Dollar Store, and give me one dollar for each person on my list (mom, dad, brothers, sisters, etc..) I always got to search up and down every aisle to find the perfect gift for everyone on my list. My parents would never tell me what to pick, it was all up to me. I remember my nieces and nephews doing this when they were little and it was the sweetest thing ever, to just let them go, and see what they would come up with. They would pick out some of the silliest things for presents: a ruler, a soda, a box of band-aids, but each thing was something that they picked out just for that person, and it was funny to see their reasoning as to what to buy.
New Ornaments
This is one of my favorite traditions. Make sure to buy a new ornament for each child every year at Christmas. Try to make the ornament depict something special that your child liked or did that year, like Soccer, Barbie Dolls, a new bike, etc.. Now, this is a pretty cute tradition on its own, but the best part about this tradition is that when your kiddos are grown up, you can take their ornaments from the whole time they were little, and give them to them as a present to get them started with their own Christmas tree. It just makes my heart swell to think that one day my boys will be sharing these very same ornaments with their babies. Ahh. :)
Baking Day
I think every family does this one! Every year, get everyone together and spend the whole day baking and decorating Christmas Cookies, making candy, etc... It is a great way to bond and not only is it fun and tasty, you can use the fruits of your labors as gifts!
Make a Non Traditional Tradition
When BD and I were dating, long before there were any babies around these parts, Christmas Eve was just not a big deal to us. Neither one of our families do much to celebrate anything, so we were kinda just wandering around on Christmas Eve. We went to our favorite crappy, hole in the wall pizza joint, and hung out for hours, eating pizza and just talking. This has become one of our most treasured traditions, and now we have even expanded to eat at that pizza joint on Thanksgiving Day (our family usually gets together the week before) too. Tater loves the fact that we are doing something "out of the box" for Christmas Eve Dinner, and I love the fact that it's our own.
New Ornaments
This is one of my favorite traditions. Make sure to buy a new ornament for each child every year at Christmas. Try to make the ornament depict something special that your child liked or did that year, like Soccer, Barbie Dolls, a new bike, etc.. Now, this is a pretty cute tradition on its own, but the best part about this tradition is that when your kiddos are grown up, you can take their ornaments from the whole time they were little, and give them to them as a present to get them started with their own Christmas tree. It just makes my heart swell to think that one day my boys will be sharing these very same ornaments with their babies. Ahh. :)
Baking Day
I think every family does this one! Every year, get everyone together and spend the whole day baking and decorating Christmas Cookies, making candy, etc... It is a great way to bond and not only is it fun and tasty, you can use the fruits of your labors as gifts!
Make a Non Traditional Tradition
When BD and I were dating, long before there were any babies around these parts, Christmas Eve was just not a big deal to us. Neither one of our families do much to celebrate anything, so we were kinda just wandering around on Christmas Eve. We went to our favorite crappy, hole in the wall pizza joint, and hung out for hours, eating pizza and just talking. This has become one of our most treasured traditions, and now we have even expanded to eat at that pizza joint on Thanksgiving Day (our family usually gets together the week before) too. Tater loves the fact that we are doing something "out of the box" for Christmas Eve Dinner, and I love the fact that it's our own.
I would love to hear some of you guys' traditions too! I am always looking for new stuff to do with the boys... So tell me, what are your favorite family traditions?
I love your ideas. We always go to ZooLights, this will be little man's first year! And I love having ornaments with meaning on the tree, so when he's old enough we will definitely be letting him pick, for now I'll pick for him ;)
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