Monthly Archives: December 2011

An Old Fashioned Christmas

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There’s a song on the Osmond Family Christmas album (my favorite Christmas music ever!) that sings about having an old fashioned Christmas.  I love it and the sentiment behind it, but at the same time, my family is creating new traditions for the holidays, special things we do that are unique to us–and all the more cherished.  But that doesn’t mean we’ve ditched everything our parents did for us growing up. We kept the standard ones of course:

  • Christmas tree (artificial to save the forest) with the most awesome (AKA tacky or with your name on them) decorations ever.
  • Stockings for everyone in the family which Santa stuffs to overflowing (Thank you Dollarama!)
  • Christmas Lights and reindeer on the front lawn.
  • Sending of Cards (when I remember to buy freakn’ stamps)
  • Getting together with family and playing this cool card game that involves stealing presents. Everyone loves that one. And Santa always pays a visit to say hello to the kids.
  • Eggnog — the virgin kind lol

Nothing unusual with any of those. Then, there’s the traditions we started just for our family:

  • Skipping the turkey on Christmas day (because my kids hate it) and oven toasting some KFC along with french fries, reheating the KFC gravy and serving all that along with the fluorescent coleslaw on the fine china. We make the kids Shirley Temples in fancy plastic wineglasses and all sit in the dining room wearing the crowns from our crackers. My kids have never eaten more on Christmas Day since we started this a few year ago. And it is marvelously relaxing for me. I get to enjoy the day, play with the kids and best of all keep my smile because they actually eat instead of complaining and pushing food around.
  • Matching pajamas! Last year we went with red plaid, this year….ANGRY BIRDS. Oh yes, I found the kids matching pajama sets while hubby and I each got a t-shirt. My munchkins are delighted with the theme–and even hubby busted a gut when he found out.
  • Feeding the reindeer the night before so Santa and his crew can find us. Secret Recipe — take some oats, mixed with colorful candy sprinkles, add in some glittery magical dust and presto, you’ve got something special for the kids to sprinkle on the front lawn :)
  • Christmas Eve neighborhood walk where we check out the lights and sing carols–that taper off if we run into anybody lol
  • Oh and the most important tradition for mom and dad–something a little extra in our Christmas morning coffee. Nothing says cheer like a dollop of Sheridan in our morning brew.

So what old traditions have you kept? And what new ones did you create? Which ones do you hope your kids will pass on one day? I am really hoping mine keep the KFC one lol.

 

 

 

Favorite Christmas song ever!!! My kids can’t help seeing the WOOOOO! part. It’s hilarious.