TRADITION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

This season is a giant fur-ball of traditions...here are a few I have collected over the years.

#1. WHEN CAN WE PUT THE TREE UP?
Do not put the Christmas tree up BEFORE son Jason's birthday. Since he is living out in El Lay, we slip up a bit on that one. But when he was growing up,the holiday waited for his day on Dec.13th.

#2. THE COOKIE JAR
The Christmas cookie jar (a fat ceramic Santa that Uncle Royce gave me back in the early 80s) must always feature two main items- Roly Polys and Butternut Crescents. Each year they taste just a little different. Last year they were outstanding and this year they are pretty awesome too. These little gems have been in the cookie jar since I was a tot. Ditto for my kids. Roly Polys are just pie dough with butter,sugar and cinnamon rolled and cut in slices. The crescents are those buttery melt-in-your-mouth pecan filled jewels covered with powdered sugar. No calories in either of them!

#3. UNCLE CHIP'S BOX
Christmas Eve was the much anticipated opening of Uncle Chip's box of gifts. Now that the kids are all scattered and grown we have had to give up this one. But back in the days, there was nothing better than opening a present before heading up the steps to bed! As kids my brother and I looked forward to the very same thing - the paper-bag wrapped carton tied with twine that came from my Aunt Marg and Uncle Pret.

#4. NOBODY WAKES UP SANTA!
You can get up and stare at everything, but'cha better wait til Ole Santa and wife get their coffee and slippers (or maybe slipper sox if they were lucky to have gotten them the night before!) Go ahead and squeeze the boxes...but WAIT for the Big Man!

#5. THE STOCKINGS
The tradition of filling stockings has always been an art form in our family. To me the stockings are the best part of Christmas. When I was a kid, the stockings were small and always had an orange and walnuts in the toe. Somehow over the years, my kids stockings grew larger...they outgrew the cute little handknit ones with the angora Santas and their names on them. I wish you could see Katie's stocking now. It is at least three feet long and a foot or so wide.
Now THAT is a stocking. Santa had to search for bulky items to fill hers for the last few years!

#6. THE ICYCLE
At some point over the years I acquired a glass icycle ornament. The "kids" decided that the bottom point of that ornament was where the level of the presents under the tree should be. They hung it high. I moved it low. They hung it high. I moved it down. Of course Mrs. Claus always gets the last move!

#7. FUNNY GIFT TAGS
This one started with my Mom. At the end of each Christmas she took all the cards we had received and cut them with pinking shears to make all the TO/FROM labels for the next year. Our gifts had tags that said "To Susan from Santa" or "TO Susan from Mr. & Mrs. Claus". When we got older the tags got more creative - such as this one to my Dad, the golfer: "To Arnie from Mrs. Palmer" etc. You get the idea. Still do this with the cards!

As the child of non-religious parents, I created my own traditions in that area. I went to church every Sunday with some neighbors and sang in the Jr. Choir. I dragged my brother to Sunday school occasionally, trying to save him from the fires of hell. He wore his pajamas under his wool pants so they wouldnt itch. One Christmas my parents came to the candlelight service, my Dad wearing his new hat. He put it on the pew next to him. When he put it on after the service, the brim was filled with candlewax -courtesy of the man behind him. So much for converting the parental units!

It is the little traditions that make Christmas special.
My dream is to have ALL of our kids here for one big Christmas together.

Here are images of Christmas' Past: