Christmas Traditions

I hope everyone enjoyed the tons of pictures from our holiday celebrations in the days leading up to Christmas. I took some time yesterday after the flurry of activity was over to download pictures from the cameras and even surprised myself at how many pictures we had taken. But as much as everyone teases me for the quantity of pictures that we take, I don't think I've ever regretted having them.

Jason and I spent a while talking about Christmas traditions on our drive back home on Wednesday evening, Joshua fast asleep in the back seat. We both talked about how important those Christmas traditions were and how they really MADE Christmas for both of us. And then we both wondered what we've done or are doing to establish those special family traditions for Joshua. So that got me thinking. And you all know by now that thinking equals blog posting...

Jason fondly remembers their family tradition of getting to open one present on Christmas Eve. He recalls that it kept him busy during the long evening of anticipation, but that he really loved playing with a new toy while waiting to go to dinner and church in the evening. And he remembers the Yule Log being on TV. He said that they would often go out together to look at Christmas lights and would really enjoy that evening as a family. On Christmas Day, there were lots of gifts and lots of travels to visit with other family members and to inspect the gifts under everyone else's tree.

In our family, tradition was never far from discussion. In fact, Richards have been teased for being so stuck in tradition that we can't see the new normal or the fact that things have changed so much that the "traditions" no longer make sense. Our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traditions were so set in stone that you could almost set your watch to them. Christmas Eve with my dad's family---- much food, much singing, much laughing. And then, my favorite of all, Christmas caroling around whatever neighborhood we were in for the party. The Richard Christmas medley is such a special family tradition, sung by generations. Christmas Eve we would go home, usually late, and get ready with a snack for Santa and get ready for bed. I can distinctly remember my dad bundling up to go out carolling with the quartet- my pap, my great-uncles and my dad- all singing that same Richard medley to unsuspecting (and usually sleeping) people along their path. They were out LATE....REALLY LATE. When Dad was still a police officer, Libby and I both recall having to wait until he could get home after checking in at the police station to see us open our gifts. Mom would generally cave and let us open our stockings before he got there. He wasn't too interested in seeing our gum and pencils and lip balm anyway. After a whirlwind of presents at home, it was time to go across the street to my Gram and Pap's house for mincemeat pie (not for Libby and I...meat and pie do not belong together in my opinion, so Gram always made us scrambled eggs and raisin toast) and more presents before our big turkey dinner.

So that all lends us to thinking about what traditions we've started for Joshua that he'll talk to his wife and children about someday. I wonder what all you guys do with your kids that they'll always remember. I thought I'd share a few of the things that we've begun to do with Joshua or for him...

- On the advice of a client, I've put a photo ornament on our Christmas tree each year since Joshua has been born. It captures the year in a photo and freezes a memory of Joshua. Even with only 3 photo frames on the tree, I cherish them more and more each time I look at them.

- I have written Joshua a Christmas letter each year since he's been born. I love it- it's time that I spend reflecting on the year with him. I take time to write down all of the things that I was proud of him for during the year. Granted, letter number one at 8 weeks old was a little short (and a little sappy due to post-partum hormones!) but it's been fun to record my thoughts and wishes for him each year for him to look back on someday. They're all tucked away safely, but when he can read them, I hope he'll appreciate that his Mom took a little time before the holidays to put my thoughts and prayers for him on paper.

- Joshua came up with his own tradition this year that we thought was really cute. On Christmas Eve, he said he wanted to write Santa a note. It was mostly scribbles, but he talked while he wrote about how he'd been a good boy this year and that he hoped Santa and Rudolph liked his snack. So, we were all thrilled to find a note back to Joshua from Santa on Christmas morning. Both notes are tucked away for safe keeping.

- Another favorite childhood memory of mine has made its way into our Christmas Eve routine too. For the last two years, Joshua has fallen asleep to two Christmas books. The first, "Twas the Night Before Christmas". And the second is a book about Baby Jesus. My Pap used to read Twas the Night Before Christmas at our family Christmas Eve gathering, holding the youngest of us on his lap as the rest of us would sit around wide-eyed, marvelling at the story. Joshua loves it too. And I knew that he was drifting off to dreamland thinking about Santa and Baby Jesus. Pretty cool.

So...enjoy the pictures. Enjoy the Christmas aftermath at your homes. Enjoy this inbetween week when we all say goodbye to 2008 and usher in 2009. More pictures won't be far, I'm sure.