As a child I was told that Santa came to my house first on Christmas Eve because we were his favorites...later I realized my parents enjoyed sleeping in on Christmas Day. But...every Christmas Eve my Mom would take us out to look at all the houses decorated for the Holiday and every year when we got home...we would discover we just missed Santa! My Dad would describe in vivid detail what happened, as I got older and older he had less and less details.
This traditional set up worked well for me when I married as My Hubby celebrated Christmas on Christmas Day like the other " red headed step-children" Santa tolerated. This allowed Christmas for "My family" on Christmas Eve as "the Chosen" family, Santa clearly adored!
This continued until 1979 when our first child was born...My Hubby insisted his little family celebrate on Christmas Day...and it meant I could continue to be with my family on Christmas Eve. My Poor Hubby's family has seen us once or twice as they live in Virginia and we just don't travel much during the holidays.
Now...holiday traditions have gotten complicated...for extremely good reasons! All my children are married or very nearly married, as in the last Born's case!
We don't all attend Christmas Eve worship service together anymore as we don't attend the same churches anymore. We don't go looking at the Christmas lights together and then over to my Mom and Dad's although, all the kids do show up at my Mom and Dad's. We do see each other on Christmas morning...although I suspect that will stop soon as Carter and Katie will rightly begin their traditions with their parents. We no longer see movies together on Christmas day because with extended family members we were saving seats for 30! Oh, People do hate that!
It is hard sometimes for Empty Nester's...I know a lot of people are thrilled to be a couple again and we are, too! But, the holidays are the times I literally ache for my children...not so much who they are now...but for their little selves who filled my heart with such joy!
Don't get me wrong...I love my life now...but at Christmas, I do miss the little Baer children and all of our traditions... but they are too big to sit on my lap and read to!
This traditional set up worked well for me when I married as My Hubby celebrated Christmas on Christmas Day like the other " red headed step-children" Santa tolerated. This allowed Christmas for "My family" on Christmas Eve as "the Chosen" family, Santa clearly adored!
This continued until 1979 when our first child was born...My Hubby insisted his little family celebrate on Christmas Day...and it meant I could continue to be with my family on Christmas Eve. My Poor Hubby's family has seen us once or twice as they live in Virginia and we just don't travel much during the holidays.
Now...holiday traditions have gotten complicated...for extremely good reasons! All my children are married or very nearly married, as in the last Born's case!
We don't all attend Christmas Eve worship service together anymore as we don't attend the same churches anymore. We don't go looking at the Christmas lights together and then over to my Mom and Dad's although, all the kids do show up at my Mom and Dad's. We do see each other on Christmas morning...although I suspect that will stop soon as Carter and Katie will rightly begin their traditions with their parents. We no longer see movies together on Christmas day because with extended family members we were saving seats for 30! Oh, People do hate that!
It is hard sometimes for Empty Nester's...I know a lot of people are thrilled to be a couple again and we are, too! But, the holidays are the times I literally ache for my children...not so much who they are now...but for their little selves who filled my heart with such joy!
Don't get me wrong...I love my life now...but at Christmas, I do miss the little Baer children and all of our traditions... but they are too big to sit on my lap and read to!
Visit Carrie she has a great give-away involving family traditions!
Also, My Losing Season Contest ...you could win $50 for your favorite charity!
16 comments:
My parents never did the whole Santa thing with my brother and I. But we have other traditions that I definitely want to pass on to my children. Since I've been married, the holidays are a little more complicated as there are three families to contend with. We always do Christmas morning with my parents though.
Last year was the first year we had Christmas at my house. It was really nice. My mom told me that Christmas morning she had a dream that it was Christmas and my brother and I were just little. She was disappointed when she woke up to find her children all grown up.
I love that! :( My soon to be eight year old is just figuring things out. She's asking questions like "is Santa really just you and Daddy?" So sad.
Oh I love the more cowbell button on your blog! :)
I am not looking forward to that day! Hopefully I will get grandchildren before I am so old that they don't want to scare the children in the old folks home to visit me :P
You mean to say that one day I might look back and wish for the chaos that is my life? This is a very sweet post, Ronda!
This is going to be our first year at home as a family for Christmas, we are starting all our traditions now. We did put our story up on our http://zoososilly.blogspot.com/ about our giving and traditions :D
Amy...I understand your Mom's feelings...so very much!
Mamahut..the grandchildren are so wonderful...I think more than being born to be a Mom...I was really born to be Gigi! I was a so-so- Mom but I am a good Gigi!
Rhonda...Yes you will miss it more than I can ever express...enjoy it now...it just doesn't last long enough. Funny, at the time...I thought it would last forever!!!
Hippie Family...I envy you a little bit!
See all the better reason to be a Jew. ;-) 8 days to force your family to come together. HEEHEE!
I'm trying to find some new traditions to begin with Ryan. I'm not a huge fan of Christmas, for lots of reasons, but I want it to be special for her. It's hard, though... what to do?
I know its hard to change and make new traditions as it is something I am currently learning to accept and be ok with. But our family traditions will always include you and I believe I speak on everyone's behalf when I say that. I think it will be fun and exciting to see new traditions unfold, especially with c&k. We love you!
We used o do Christmas Eve present opening too--and now it works out well b/c we all get together on Christamas Eve--my mom, sister, her kids--and we exchange gifts from each other and then we do the Santa thing Christmas morning. Then later in the day my mom has a big dinner.
I liked your post--I'm sure I'll feel the same way when I don't have little ones in the house!
I am lucky, even though my parents have been divorced for almost twenty years, I still see both at the same time and place every Christmas.
If it makes you feel any better, I know your place is EVERYONE'S favorite! xo
I agree the holidays are different. My two girls (20 and 23) are not married so we still have the Christmas morning tradition but it's so different than when they were little. We don't have them for the church events that we loved as a family or the community events that are so fun. As with Rhonda's post about her grandmother, transitions are so difficult especially during the holidays. Breaking from tradition is hard. Thank you for sharing this post!
Oh Mrs. Rant! I so appreciate your growing pains. My babies are all growing so fast and the oldest has his own little family.
We actually open our presents on Christmas eve morning because, just like you I have explained to my children that he goes to his favorites first.
I am enjoying getting to know your family. I can't wait to see what you and I do with the next fifty years, right?
Time to start some NEW family holiday traditions.... empty nester style traditions... let me know if you figure out what those are.... our house could use some too!
My kids aren't even close to leaving the nest and I'm already acting like I miss them. Time is so precious!
the story about your parents made me smile! I'm not a morning person, but never thought of that. Cute!
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