Of course, as an adult, my perspective has changed dramatically. A recent post I saw on Pinterest says it better than I ever could:
How true is that. I can't even explain how fun it is to celebrate Christmas with our girls. Along the way we're creating traditions--some that we never intended to, which in my opinion, are the best ones!
Tradition #1: Dove From Above
The big fad these days is Elf on the Shelf. Now I'm not against Elf on the Shelf at all. Nearly everyone I know has one. But I'm not one to jump on board (which is why it took me forever to do Facebook and a blog. . . who knows maybe I'll have an Elf at some point too.) What I don't like about the Elf is how it's become a "one-upping" EVENT every night during December on Facebook. Whose Elf can do the most outlandish, original, funny, ridiculous stunts. Honestly, simply remembering to move it would be more than enough for me. I don't get how some moms have the time, energy and money to do what their Elf does! And I really don't get why they do naughty stuff! Aren't they supposed to keep an eye on the kiddos and report to Santa on the children's behavior?! How are the kids supposed to be good if Elf is tp-ing the Christmas tree or wrapping the entire toilet in Christmas wrapping paper or having a marshmallow snowball fight? (And honestly, I can't keep up with the normal messes around here let alone ones my Elf creates!) At any rate, our household--quite by accident--has the Dove From Above (said in a really deep, dramatic voice.)
Last Christmas, we went to an Christmas party where there was an ornament exchange. This is what I unwrapped:
Frightening.
Later during the car ride home, as I was venting about how ugly it was, a little voice from the backseat reminded me to be grateful for my gift. Ouch. Sometimes I forget to model the behavior that I preach and expect from the girls. :( Sassy then told me that someone had taken the time to pick it out and that it was beautiful. Ouch. Again. At some point between that moment and the next morning, Ry decided to perch it on the light above Sassy's chair at the kitchen bar. Pointed so that the little red eyes were shot directly at her when she came out for breakfast that morning. We then started moving it every (OK, MOST days--I'm telling you, I'd be bad at an Elf!) and it's become a huge laugh in our house. We've put the dove on the toilet paper holder, in the fridge wrapped around the milk jug, in the toothbrush drawer. . . wherever the girls will be startled as they start their day. It's never been a dove that checks on them, or flies on its own. Just two dorky parents moving it around to scare their children. Is that so wrong? We laugh a lot and even funnier is when we're out in public and Keke sees a dove--on a Christmas tree or a lady's coat lapel (yes really!)--and she yells: "Dove from Above!"
Tradition #2: Christmas Light Hunt
Our Christmas Light Hunt now includes a local park that is decorated and a house in a nearby town that would put Clark Griswald to shame. But it's so cool. The guy has set it to music on an FM station and we just sit and watch forever.
Somehow we always eat at a Chinese buffet before (I guess this is how traditions start!) and we end the night with a shopping trip where the girls choose gifts for each other. This year we also let them shop for a seven year old girl and a three year old girl who needed some help at Christmas. It was so fun to see the girls pick out what they thought the recipients would want. Keke was a little young to "get" it. She kept saying she wanted to meet the little girl so she could go play with all her new stuff. But Sassy made me tear up in the middle of Walmart. After she made her final choice and put it in the cart, she turned to me with twinkling eyes and said: "I wish I could see her face when she opens these." I hope that she continues to know how amazing it is to GIVE.
Tradition #3: Road Trips
We're fortunate to get to visit both sides of our family in our hometowns for Christmas. This year we spent the weekend before in Daddy's hometown and while we were there, we got 8+ inches of snow! What a fun memory to happen at Grandma and Pop's! The girls and Cousin S got to sled out in the street and there were only a few wrecks. :)
The weekend after Christmas we headed to my hometown. It turned out to be a big weekend. Aunt Moni found a wedding dress and on Saturday, we got a new cousin/niece! We were so glad that JE arrived safe, healthy and perfect--and what great timing when we were all home to see her. Especially the CA auntie and uncle!
I hope as the girls get older they have lots of memories of Christmas with our families. We've been so blessed with great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in our lives.
So now that I'm older, I understand the smiles on my parents' faces on Christmas morning. They were never disappointed at the lack of gifts or the socks in their stockings because they'd already gotten exactly what they wanted. Who knew that my perfect Christmas would involve packing the car twice for 14 total hours of driving, stuffing myself at a Chinese buffet, and sticking a beady-eyed dove in the silverware drawer? It's like Santa knew exactly what was on my list.
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