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Okay, so I got the idea from my niece, but I realized traditions make my family what it is. My family. No one else does the same traditions or in the same way. I am the Nanna now, and since I moved away this year, I'll go to my daughter's house and be a part of their traditions. There probably will be new traditions mixed in with ones I recognize.
For me, here's what we did when we were raising our kids.
1. I have a red book that was put out for all visitors to sign. The year Scott Sinclair died (at 21) I went to the red book to read all his posts. It brought great comfort and allowed us to laugh at the Christmas Eves he had come by to eat chocolate peanut butter balls.
2. Chocolate peanut butter balls. The BEST candy around and I make it only once a year. BUT, I always managed to hide some on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and later on, after December, when someone had a bad day, I just might forage around and bring out a forgotten chocolate peanut butter ball. Scott loved them.
3. Going to Scott's grave site on Christmas Eve. For years, my daughter, or my daughter, son and I would go to Scott's grave site and eat a chocolate peanut butter ball and reminisce about Scott. It may sound sad to you, but it really was fun. Scott was so funny we'd laugh and remember him with great stories.
4. Going to church on Christmas Eve. Singing Silent Night and holding candles. The best.
5. Me reading Luke 2 and Bruce reading Twas the Night Before Christmas. The best, also.
6. Christmas Eve, hanging stockings and taking pictures. The best, third.
7. Sticky rolls and fruit on Christmas morning. Sometimes cocoa. Also orange juice with a cherry in the bottom of the glass. Surprise!
8. Finding baby Jesus in the manger. (He was not there till Christmas morning.)
9. Opening stockings. Wicked fun.
10. Solid chocolate Santa and an orange in everyone's stocking.
11. Being dressed before gifts were opened.
12. Me with a clipboard with notebook paper and lines drawn vertically and horizontally. People who gave gifts along the left side. The four of our names above the columns. I always kept track of who received what so we could do the thank you notes knowing what had been received.
13. Darren being "Santa" and passing gifts out.
14. Opening gifts one by one. Watching each opener.
15. Heather being neat with her wrapping paper. Opening gifts carefully. Paper being able to be used again.
16. Darren being excited about giving his gifts first. He couldn't wait for us to open them.
17. Me crying at some point of opening a gift.
Thank you for letting me share my memory of our traditions.
May each of you who read this have a Very Merry Christmas and I hope you have traditions that make your family special, too. Enjoy them. Celebrate them.
