We decided to set up the Christmas Tree a little early this year since the next three weekends are pretty much booked solid for us and I believe in getting the most out of Christmas decorating! Since Kate's birthday is in January, she's gotten to enjoy helping us decorate the tree every Christmas since she was born. The pics above are a brief snapshot of my favorite two special tree decorating moments: Kate putting the angel on top of the tree with Cody and her hanging her special baby's first Christmas ornament.One of the funniest things Kate's been doing all weekend is mispronouncing the word Christmas Tree. For some reason she's been saying "Christmas Tree-t" with unbelievably hilarious consistency. I've tried several times to slowly and carefully enunciate "Christmas Treeeee", and each time she says back to me with equal emphasis "Christmas Treeeeee...t"! She puts so many Eees in there that each time I think she's got it and then, just as she's about to run out of breath, she puts that last little t on the end. So after trying to direct her to say it correctly unsuccessfully, I've decided to just let her say it however she wants - it will be a sweet memory for momma!
We've noticed Kate's memory has gotten quite a bit sharper lately - she clearly remembers things from last spring/summer and shocks us frequently with what she'll say about something that happened several months back - but we discovered this weekend that it's likely her earliest real memories right now start around Easter this past year. She knew the Christmas tree was a big deal when we got it out and started setting it all up, but she started looking for her "basket" and kept asking where her eggs were. I told her Christmas wasn't about eggs and tried to explain that Easter will come later, but she insisted that she still needed a basket with some eggs!
Kate definitely enjoyed Christmas last year more than her first, but I think this will be her first Christmas that will make a lasting impression on her and that's so exciting!! And because of that fact I want to try hard to create moments to consciously build memories with her and establish more family Christmas traditions than just putting the angel on top of the tree with Daddy and helping hang ornaments. But what sorts of activities can you do with a toddler that will still be meaningful and significant when that toddler is a school age child or even a teenager? I going to really have to think about that over the next couple weeks.
What are some of Christmas season traditions at your house?
3 comments:
Amy,
Hi it is Jamie T. from Lubbock....I completely know what you mean about starting traditions that will last when they hit school age...Tyler is 4th grade now, can you believe that...anyway, we always make the big deal of decorating the tree together, and I try to take at least one Saturday afternoon to bake and decorate a gingerbread house with him, and also we started this back when he was 2 or 3, we pick some form of charity, be it Christmas child, Angel Tree or adopt a senior for Christmas or adopt a solider and let him go to the store and let him pick out gifts for that person....not only is it a tradition, but it is teaching him to give back to others now and hopefully it will be something he continues throughout his life....each year is more fun because he realizes a little bit more as to why he does it and makes my heart feel so good...
We had an advent calendar that had little plastic pieces of the Nativity - angels, cows, sheep, wise men, etc. Each day we opened a door and set up a figure. Mom and Dad mixed them up every year, so Jesus wasn't always on the 25th. I am still looking for something like that for Addison. Also, St. Nicholas's Day is Dec. 6th. Some people leave small presents in shoes on that day. Going to the Christmas Tree farm to cut down our tree is another of my favorite memories. Decorating the tree with Christmas music and cocoa, reading the Night Before Christmas, and just seeing the same old Christmas decorations each year are the things that are sticking with me. I am also on the search for new traditions - I have a couple of friends who have fun traditions for every holiday, even for St. Patrick's Day, Flag Day, etc.
Umm, love those Christmas pjs! :)
Post a Comment