Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Christmas Traditions

My friend Kristi has compiled a great list of lots of holiday traditions. She asked me for ours around Halloween and I could not think of anything Christmas at the time. Now that our house has been enveloped by Christmas, I realize all the Christmas traditions we have.

Here are a few:

Every year (since Haley was born) we put a photo of our family on the tree. I usually use the photo we sent with our Christmas cards. My girls love lining up the frames on the table to see how our family has changed. This year we have 8 photos to hang (one I need to fix and I didn’t want to show this years photo) so we put several toward the back so it doesn’t start to look like a shrine.


Nativities are big at our house. I have the plastic one they can play with, but I also buy porcelain ones cheep after Christmas. They love to play with all of them but they think they are getting away with something when they play with the breakable ones.


This is the 3rd year that we have painted pine cones like Christmas trees. Eric’s Dad collects pine cones at the golf course and puts a wood block on the bottom for us. Then the girls use glitter and paint to decorate them. I write the child’s name and year on the bottom of the wood block.


Christmas Eve we have friends over and serve potato bacon soup and tons of desserts. The girls get to open one gift early and it is always matching pajamas. That night when Santa comes to our house he always leaves everyone’s stuffed stocking on the foot of their bed. If you wake up early you can go through your stocking, but you cannot go downstairs until everyone is awake. Growing up Eric always had a new toothbrush and an orange in his stocking. I always had lifesaver book, lip-gloss and jewelry in mine. Santa makes sure all those items are in the girls stockings.

When I was a kid my Dad would have all the Christmas decorations put away by the end of Christmas day. He did this because we often went to Hawaii the day after Christmas until the day after New Years and they did not want to have to clean it up after the vacation. Unfortunately this rubbed off on me. As soon as Christmas is over, I want it al cleaned up but I usually wait until the next day.

7 comments:

jenny said...

You forgot to add those ornaments you order every year too. Or do you not order them anymore?

I miss having you next door because I felt a bit more sane having another friend take down Christmas decor on the day of Christmas.

Wish I could come over and get some of that vishee sway! That actually sounds yum right now.

jenny said...

p.s. can eric go ahead and make the clouse's a house too? Miss ya neighbor!

Jordan said...

I am impressed you clean up the day after. I always feel like it took so much work to put it all up, I want to enjoy it as long as possible. Chanel, you are so creative with your kids, such a great mother!

everything pink! said...

my favorite photo of your family, and i just pulled it out recently was the one of you the black dress in the gold frame.

i am going to copy these and add them to my file! thanks for typing them

Bridget said...

I love the pine cone idea! I think my kids would love that. Any time they can get out the glitter is a good day.

Jill said...

I love having photo ornaments on the tree. We have some, but they aren't specifically of each year's Christmas picture. I'm going to have to dig those all out and make some because that's a fantastic idea!

Anonymous said...

What a fun Christmas post! I love the pinecone idea! We'll be doing that at our house for sure this year! I can see why your neighbors would like the carmel corn Christmas trees. Wish I were your neighbor! Happy Holidays!!!

 
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