The Importance of Christmas Traditions

Growing up I can remember certain Christmas Traditions I liked in my own household, and in friends' households, that I loved and remembered when I started making my own with OUR family.

The first that I remember starting was how we handled Santa gifts.

Our kids got one gift from Santa every year (unless, of course, it was a gift that had multiple components that were needed to complete the gift).  It was always either the largest gift or the one that was desired the most.  These gifts were generally always put together and ready for play. 

Santa also filled the stockings and placed them with each child's gifts (with two boys identifying these gifts were VERY important.  Couldn't have them get similar gifts and fighting over who got what!).  Stockings were filled with similar items, and the same amount of items.  If one child got a blue tube of mini chocolate candies, then the other children got the same tubes in green and red.

Also, I made a list and checked it twice (and thrice, and frice...or whatever you would call four times).  Each child has to have the same amount of gifts to open from Mom and Dad.  NOT monetary value, just the same number of gifts so NO one is slighted, or FEELS slighted.  I get the gifts I want to get them and then tally it up.  If one child has 10, and the others have 11 and 8, it's off to the closest bargain or dollar store to pick up some fillers.  Yes I will wrap a dollar tree gift to make it even.  It's never been about money, just equality.  Christmas morning can be very stressful for children due to the excitement and lack of sleep.  No reason to complicate anything!

Then one Christmas I got all three kids pajamas for Christmas and I had the idea to let them open them on Christmas Eve.  Pretty new pajamas for Christmas Morning pictures.  There was the new tradition and I LOVED it.  The kids did too.  They were excited for those new pajamas and the little "inkling" of what was to come the following morning.  All the joy that would be found when they were tearing open paper and shredding ribbon.

Then the kids started to grow.  Finding the pajama sets was getting more difficult (and MUCH more expensive).  See, my kids are what some (well, not some, namely ME) would call mutants.  They have grown faster than the Green Giant ever could have.  All were as tall as their 5'4" Mom by the age of 10.  The days of Black Friday's $4 pajamas at Walmart had passed.  Trying to be frugal at Christmas this tradition ended up being halted.  Not only the frugal aspect, but they also got to that age where they just wanted tees and shorts or sweats to sleep in.  Bye bye cute Christmas Morning Photos.

I'm quickly running out of traditions.....and trying desperately to grasp at that last one.  The unwrapped Santa gifts.

This year I realized that this tradition was closing up too......

See, they're just at that age.  They don't want toys too much anymore.  They want electronics.  Now, my kids aren't perfect, but they're pretty great kids and they've been especially great with taking care of their Mom here lately, and as sick as I've been I have need a lot of help.  Since I was going to be able to get them each the item they wanted (with their understanding they wouldn't be get very much more at all for Christmas as their wanted item cost a lot for and Santa couldn't make this in his toy shop without some programmers and serious issues of copyright infringement!).

Last night, I sat here wrapping gifts and had reached Santa's gifts.  It hurt to wrap them.  I felt like this wrapping paper was putting the final nails in the coffin.  All our Christmas Gift traditions of their childhood were gone.  My babies are not babies.  As much as I know this, as I look up to them to see them eye to eye, or stand on my tip toes to give my oldest a hug around his neck, but wrapping these gifts finalized the fact that they may be my babies, but they are FAR from babies. 
 

I looked over and saw a box of Christmas cards.  Our new tradition came to me.....

So, I sat, with a pen and opened the card.  Josh, my oldest, my first born, the first to hit the teenage years, and the one who caused me to declare that we were officially skipping the ages of 13-19 in this house,  was the first one I tackled.  Inside his card I wrote:

  Josh-
You may drive your parents crazy with your teenage attitude, but they wouldn't trade you for a million bucks! You are really "growing up" and make them proud daily! Your parents can't wait to see the MAN you become!
I hope you enjoy your gift all year long. Continue to make me & your parents proud!

Santa & Mrs. Claus

Somehow, that morphed our "old tradition" into a new one. 

Next I tackled the child who has caused at least half (if not more) of these gray hairs me and Clairol battle between his fearlessness and the fact he's as stubborn as his poor old mom. 

Joey-
Even though you march to the beat of your own drum, I want you to always remember that is a good thing. you may test your parents' resolve, patience, and sanity with every "beat", but they know, at the end of the day, you love your family and will do anything to see them happy.
Keep being the best "you" you can be and maturing into a wonderful young man!

Santa & Mrs. Claus

Now, I'm at my "Baby Girl" who will still be called my Baby Girl if I live to be 80 and she's 58.  I also believe she will be the reason her father ends up in an padded room at some point.

Cassie-
Each day you're becoming more beautiful! Oh, the Hearts you will break!
Beauty is funny though. Just because someone, or something, has beautiful "packaging", doesn't make them, or it, TRULY beautiful.
See, REAL beauty, the beauty YOU possess, is not only outside, but INSIDE too. You are so kind, generous, Loving, Helpful, and trust-worthy. You are a wonderful girl! Keep it up and you will be an AMAZING woman one day!

Santa & Mrs. Claus

 As I sat the pens down, I felt relieved.  My kids don't believe in Santa Claus, they haven't in years.  They know who brings the gifts and fills the stockings.  They thank us, their parents, for each and EVERY thing they receive on Christmas Morning.  However, that figure is still there.  He's still a "magical being" and, my only hope, is that they can read these words, that may have come from my heart and my mind, but are echoed by their father, and know that this isn't just something my parents say.  We all know parents are lame and uncool.  I think  Will Smith said it best MANY years ago, "Parents just don't understand."

Maybe we don't.  Our kids face different challenges than we did.  It's hard to find a common ground with them.  But, we still have these traditions to try to reach out to them.  Maybe seeing the words from "Santa & Mrs. Claus" instead of "Dad & Mom" will make them think just a little bit more about these things.  We have to think they're perfect in every way, but Santa keeps a tally on bad boys and girls, so we know he's not a fan of all kids!

If this works, I may just have hide some words of wisdom in some Easter Eggs this year, courtesy of the bunny himself.

If not, I see switches and coal in their future for Christmas 2013.

Regardless, I'm holding on to this tradition with all my might, hoping that they appreciate it Christmas morning.  Plus, I just found another opportunity to tell my kids how awesome they really are, and that's never a bad thing, right?