Christmas Traditions

When I was younger, on Christmas Eve, we would eat a yummy dinner then exchange family gifts from one another.  When it was time for bed, we would make a pallet on the floor in my moms bedroom so she could make sure we wouldn't peek at Santa.  I loved that, even now it seems like such a small detail of Christmas, but it's a memory that will always stay with me.  We usually had a radio on low playing Christmas music...you know to mask the noise of Santa.  It used to take Michael and I forever to fall asleep, but eventually we did and then we magically  woke up at 6am or so to investigate what Santa brought us. 

 

I'll never forget one year, I think I was in 3rd grade...we made "reindeer food" in class (YOU KNOW BACK WHEN THEY ACTUALLY HAD CHRISTMAS PARTIES IN SCHOOL).  It was basically fruit loops with a cute little poem.  In proper childhood fashion, I sprinkled those fruit loops all along the sidewalk leading to our front door.  When I was older, mom admitted what a pain it was to crunch those fruit loops and try to pick some of them up to make it look as if the reindeer actually stopped by the house...ha ha ha!

 

Now that I'm all grown up (bummer, right?!), Hardy and I have started our own Christmas tradition.  Even if it is just the two of us, I wanted to make sure we had time alone.  So above and beyond what anyone else's plans are, we spend the morning of Christmas Day, at home exchanging gifts from each other - as well as the gifts/toys we got for the cats.  It never made sense to me to take our small gifts to/from one another over to someone else's house to open.  We started this tradition the first year in our house, I thought it was appropriate and I plan on keeping it that way :)  I can't wait to one day spend the time with our own child/children and continue making our own traditions.

 

 

What are some of your family traditions?