At 10:30 am on December 23rd, while still in pjs, baked goods from a Christmas party down our hatches for breakfast and on my second coffee, I glance at Noal's “school” aka daycare calendar & realized Sweet-Jesus-we-gotta-move...Every kid shares a tradition to celebrate with the class & forgottenly {is that a word?} Noal's was being celebrated that day.




 What do tell, might his tradition be? Oh you know the classic, "PJ's all day & Chinese food for dinner on Christmas Eve" - That is what I told the Daycare Director, Noal's very first Christmas there right after Pip was born & my mind was all over the map...Not making a gingerbread house, or homemade ornaments, or any of the other brilliant ideas that other kids had on that list. 


But ya know what I stand by it...I believe a tradition is what makes a family happy - And for my family growing up, since no one really cooked, it was all about having a spectacular Chinese food dinner. My scrooge-of-a-husband doesn't believe it counts as a tradition - Oh well, too bad-so sad, it is and it's ours and it's getting passed down.



Here's also what tradition means to me... 
  • Good times...Whether that’s playing games or growing up in a creative environment where songs, music, putting on plays was all part of my childhood...It’s so funny the differences between my family and my husbands - the thought of them all sitting around playing cards just would not happen...Mine however, we can’t get enough - Even if you are utterly exhausted, my dad will pour you another coke, get more chips on the table and start dealing out the cards. I beat him every time and I love it...I want my hooligans to grow up with fun, games, music, excitement and laughter, always laughter...
  • PJ’s and movies...I love that my 3 yr old loves the movie Elf...I may or may not have used the fact that his creepy Elf on the Shelf "Tinker" is Buddy’s Best friend...He walked around for a few weeks saying in Mr.Narwhal’s voice, “Bye buddy hope you find your dad.” Every morning the past, 4, 6, okay 8 days leading up to Christmas he would ask, “Tinker movie momma”...Ummm, ya, heck ya...
  • Chocolate...No need to explain and no need to judge how many Turtles, Pots of Gold or Toblerones were consumed.
  • Family & Friends...Just being with those I love and feeling so magically loved.
  • Speaking of magic, I guess magic...Whether that was believing in Santa, leaving out cookies and carrots for the Big guy and his reindeer, driving around looking at all the lights or feeling it swirl around as we decorated our tree...


    Now as a momma I am learning lots about how to pass that magic on, so these sweet memories will carry my hooligans through...So that when they look back and reflect on moments from their childhood, all they can do is smile.









    P.S - I also believe celebrating Fesitvus is a tradition - Last year my brother gave me a donation in my name to the Human Fund and a Festivus pole was put up in our house...You gotta love Seinfeld to love this...