3 months until Christmas.... :)

[Leanna]

I am very excited!! David will be 16 months and finally old enough to enjoy opening presents and some of the Christmas stuff. So I guess this is the first year we are going to bother with more of the Christmas traditions... cookies to fatten us up, some Christmas music.... anyone else excited about the holidays?

What kinds of special family traditions do you have between you and also your children? How do you do Christmas morning?

 

[snarfywarning]

Lets see, my family, that will soon include little E.A.P. We leave out cookies and carrots and ranch dressing for santa and his reindeer, next to our front door, and then we all get up in the middle of the night to snack on them on our way to the bathroom or whatnot. hahhaha. We are awesome.

christmas morning we open up all of our presents (Hubby and I open one present a peice the night before) at out own houses, and then go to each of our houses (my parents and then my house) to open up the presents that are there, and THEN we go to my grandmas house around noon to open up all our presents there, open up presents at my aunts house, and hang out all day
We go home, eat lunch, and thne come back for dinner, which is always roast beef, roasted potatoes, really gross salad, and buns! yay!

and christmas eve night we all go to my grandmas house, sing chiristmas carols, eat good food, and watch my older family members get totally and sickeningly pasted.

 

[Leanna]

Ooooh these sound like fun, last year we didn't do much because David was only 4 months old and we were tired and lazy.... we only got one gift for David and gifts for others, but none for ourself. This year we want to surprise each other with gifts for each other because that was a little sad (but it was a money thing). So we are already starting to buy so we can spread out the cost of Christmas.

We also got a beautiful 7 foot fake Christmas tree with lights attached to it on Christmas Clearance in early January ........... 17 dollars!! Those kind are normally like 100 or something. This will be our first year with a tree, we used to always live in a small apartment with no storage for such things so the first 5 years, including last year, we had a tree about 18 inches tall.

Yeah so I can't wait for Halloween to pass too, so we can at least get to the Turkeys. Good food, and the older women of the fam are still doing the cooking so I don't have to cook!!! I don't look forward to when the cooking is handed to me....

 

[sammipher]

We buy a nativity scene set every year for christmas and sometimes I buy them throughout the year when I find a really pretty one. I like to set them out(actually I use to keep them out all year long..but I have no where to set them right now..so in the closet they are). We also put out our nativity scene out for outside. Usually we spend christmas eve. with our famalies..but, this year we are having it our house since it's Lilly's first christmas and our first christmas in our house since we just bought it this year..we are inviting everyone over for christmas day. Hubby always gets a free ham from the hospital..so we will cook it. We will get Lilly some presents this year...even though she may not be able to open them...she can still use them..some fun stuff..like toys. We usually just get everyone else a card and just our parents something. I haven't really gave much thought to the christmas tree yet...our first year together we had a very very small fiberoptic tree(put on a table)...the second year we had a white christmas tree(full size)...the third year back to the small one since I was pregnant..sick and didn't feel like messing with one. So this year we noticed our white tree has now turned yellow in some areas...so we may buy another one or just use our small one. Every year, since we have been married, we always pick one child off the angel tree and buy them the toy they ask for and a good winter coat and some other fun things and things they can use. Last year we got a boy and girl in honor of Lilly...we didn't know what sex she was yet. Oh we also get our cat's one of those cat stockings to share...so they don't feel left out This year we are going to include reading the birth of Jesus out of the Bible to Lilly and I would also like to get an advent calendar so I can put scriptures in there to read for everyday of the month...and when she gets older it will be scriptures and trinkets of some sort.

 

[Leanna]

The angel tree is a good idea, where is that? You buy a gift for a child, where is the child? I mean is it a US child or an international child? Just curious. I would like to start a tradition like that, to make the season about giving to others and those less fortunate rather than just about us... I would love to pass that on with my kids.... we are trying to start good traditions.

Any ideas of meaningful traditions?

 

[sammipher]

Usually the salvation army will have a angel tree up in a mall...we have usually around four trees up every year at our mall...full of paper angel ornaments. Parents that can not afford to give their child a christmas will sign up with the S.A. They then put their first name on a paper ornament...as well as a number identifying the child....blue angel for boy...pink for girl...then they list one item they really are in need of. They also list their clothing sizes and shoe...just in case you want to give more. You pick the ornament off the tree and then you give them your name, address, and phone number. Then you can drop your present off back at the same location until their deadline and they give it to the famalies(Suggestion...if you do...do this...I always take those sticky name labels and put the child's number on each item we get them just in case it falls out of the bag). They usually request for you not to wrap it...so the parents have a part in the giving...but, you can include wrapping supplies. They children here are located in our area. I would call your local salvation army office and see if they do this. If not...check with some of your local shelters in your area. When Lilly gets older we are going to let her pick her own angel...as well as us picking one. It is such a blessing to be able to do it...I am glad the Lord give us chances like this to be helpful to others.

 

[sammipher]

Oh...just a note. If you want to just give the item they requested and then a bunch of other toys and such..you can do that as well. You can give them as many items as you would like.

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

Yes, I love Christmas and we've already begun the countdown ourselves...mostly because my son counts down to everything (including his birthday next summer!).

- in the tradition of my grandmother, I create a manger scene out of moss with my Fontinini nativity set

- I blast Handel's Messiah all season (drives hubby nuts but I love it)

- we bake major cookies, candies and treats to give away

- we have our nativity scene advent calendar and spend time talking about it each evening before bed with the kids.

- we enjoy buying gifts for others. My son has been saving part of his allowance all year for presents and can't wait to buy people gifts.

- oh, we go on a family outing and cut down our tree the day after Thanksgiving and then spend the weekend decorating.

- last Christmas, on Christmas day, we tooked baked treats and visited a small, out-of-the way convalescent home to spend time with some elderly folks who may not have had family to visit.

- after the house is decorated, I just love having company

I just love Christmas and now you've all me all excited again.

 

[Linnis]

We had the Chipmunk Christmas record, those from the Disney cartoons which always drove Pluto nuts...loved it made my dad play it even now.

We'd have Christmas at our place, than go to my Grandparents to more presents and breakfast which was tourtiere(meat pie) and then we'd stay until dinner and it was a HUGE dinner.

We also went to midnight mass with my Grandmother.

My dad got us Chinese Food Christmas Eve and we'd have cousins over and stuff

Last year I baked 6 different kinds of cookies, and Christmas dinner, which is much differant than how Americans do it I was told. Accordng to my family, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, & boxing day is basically three days of pigging out... Yum.

 

[Andry]

We're planning on a pre-Christmas roadtrip in late Nov down the west coast to Disneyland. A bit off-topic, but does anyone know offhand when the nightly Disney electric parade is switches to the Christmas theme? A few years back we lucked out - we got to see the regular parade one evening, and the Christmas one the next.

 

[MORE85]

ppl,please remember JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON,KEEP UR EYES AND HEART ON JESUS AND NOT ALL THE WORLDLY COMMERCIALIZATION OF HIS BIRTH :WAVE:

 

[Linnis]

ppl,please remember JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON,KEEP UR EYES AND HEART ON JESUS AND NOT ALL THE WORLDLY COMMERCIALIZATION OF HIS BIRTH :WAVE:

Who here said it wasn't? I believe the original poster asked some of our family traditions, not if we think Christmas has become over commercialized.

Christmas was the one really happy event in my home growing up...even if we played the Chipmunks record.

 

[Princessperky]

Family is NOWHERE near us, and the only relative that is closeish drioves home for the holiday (I have no intentions of risking making a 8 hour trip any longer by snow in the mountains!) So christmas is just us.

Sometimes my father comes to see us but I kindof prefer it quiet and just us, plus it makes our traditional steak dinner a bit cheaper and easier to cook!

We have an anti lieing thing so we do not 'do' santa, but as an inside joke if DH needs socks or something that is 'from santa' cause if someone has to take the credit for a lame gift it might as well be a make believe dude! I will take the credit for the really cool stuff! (though this year I have no idea what that will be)

We have LOTS of christmas books (all sorts christian and 'kidsy', and santa like) SO bedtime at christmas time is full of all kinds of christmas stuff.

We also have an 'advent book' with doors to open each day and a little of the story of christmas in it. DS is learning to tell the story as we go (we review old pages before reading the new one)

I LOVE to bake and Christmas is the only time I really can cause DH doesn't eat much and I certainly don't need it! So most gifts include food, sweet breads or cookies or something.

The one thing I do whit the tree is cry, every year I ask for a real one, and every year DH reminds me we can't afford it . So instead I have to go thru and NOT use half my ornaments 'cause they don't all fit on the little tree we have .

Christmas morning when the kids wake up (same as every other day, which so far this year looks to be about 7ish) We open stockings in our bed, big enough to fit them all still (oh having young kids, we all have to pee first!). Then even though I hated it when I was younger we go eat breakfast, cause I know full well the day will be ruined if we start with no food or just junk, no need to have a whiny brat on Christmas! Not to mention I am STARVED by then. Then we get to open the presents, 2 for each kid, and one for DH and I. Small in number, but I don't have to go decluttering them a month later. (hopefully)

I only own 2 christmas Cds but they are cycled thru in among some singing of my own, whcih starts way early caus eI never could wait for December to start singing . Might be a tradtition of teaching kids christmas songs in October cause it was a christian schoool and they didn't do Halloween, and we needed to practice for the 'pagent' .

 

[Leanna]

Yeah we're not going to say Santa is real either... but we'll read the story books about him and sing Santa songs... its going to be fun

 

[lucypevensie]

Our main Christmas tradition is simplicity. We just do what we do, no pressure to visit this grandma, that grandma, this aunt, those cousins. Sometimes we go visiting, and sometimes we have the visitors. I dunno, I guess I just feel blessed that our families get along so well. I hear too many stories about how this in-law got upset at that in-law for daring to go visit the other relative - stuff like that.

In recent years I have been trying to establish some new (loose) family traditions in our own immediate family. One thing we did was cut WAY down on gift buying, now we buy only for our immediate family and try to get something nice for Grandma. also I like to make handmade christmas cards with photos of your family (in kind of a scrapbooking style-make one master card and photocopy a bunch to send out). We don't do anything we don't want to do. That meant no church christmas program for the kiddos last year. They simply did not care to do it, and it's total chaos on that day anyway - kind of detracts from the significance of the season, for me anyway.

I've decided to do theme trees. Instead of loading the tree with every last ornament we have I'll do something different every year. Last year it was all red and white ornaments. This year I will do all pink ornaments and white doves. I have SOOOO many decorations. I even got rid of about 5 boxes last year and still have enough to decorate more than one house.

 

[Entertaining_Angels]

ppl,please remember JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON,KEEP UR EYES AND HEART ON JESUS AND NOT ALL THE WORLDLY COMMERCIALIZATION OF HIS BIRTH :WAVE:

keep in mind Paul's words (have to cut and paste the whole chapter because this is such good reading):

Romans 14

The Weak and the Strong

1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.


5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:
" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "[a] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food[b] is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wr ong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. 22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

Our Christmas celebration revolves around the Lord and that makes me look forward to it even more.

God bless.

 

[Princessperky]

I don't want to do santa either but the thing is, my husband's parents are Buddhists, they *never* taught him about santa, and yet he grew up believing in Santa anyway.. why? The public school system, thats why.

I am just hoping Tuan gets into school and gets a good job before Abby hits school so I can send her to Christian school...

~ ~

One more reason to Home Educate, least till your kid is old enough to know when School is feeding him bull.

I also forgot, our cards are now printed 'newsletter style' we used to send out a newsletter pretty frequently with updates on waht the kids were doing and we did a christmas issue with a traditional greeting and picture of all of us, plus a 'year in review thing' Actually pretty frugal, and fun to have a record of each year.

 

[Leanna]

Hmmm that's a good idea, I have seen other families do that. I think we want to do a picture card this year, preferably with a picture of all three of us in it. Walmart seems to be the best price. I want to wait until closer so we can get the most recent picture as possible in them....

 

[snarfywarning]

I love pictue cards. tee hee. I can just imagine ours, Me, My husband,and my big pregnant belly. Our cute.

 

[sammipher]

One more reason to Home Educate, least till your kid is old enough to know when School is feeding him bull.

I also forgot, our cards are now printed 'newsletter style' we used to send out a newsletter pretty frequently with updates on waht the kids were doing and we did a christmas issue with a traditional greeting and picture of all of us, plus a 'year in review thing' Actually pretty frugal, and fun to have a record of each year.

Have to agree that's why we will be home schooling.

I agree with Leanna about getting cards made at walmart....Wal-mart does great christmas cards with photos...I had them done one year(a long time ago in high school) and they were great and your right...they were reasonable priced(I just gave them to my friends..a group shot of us). I would like to do that this year to...hubby found our tri pod..he has figured out how to do delayed timing on our camera...we thought of decorating our fireplace really nice and all three of us stand in front of it....then sending out the cards to all my family...Not sure though..cause I have a very large family and just buying regular christmas cards and buying stamps to send them off sets us back pretty good....so having them made up specially would be expensive for us...but, we are still considering it.