It's almost 1/2 way through December and I can't believe it!! We had a busy November and December has be more fun without Derek studying all the time. We've had some fun things planned! Our MOPS group the other week was about family traditions. It was fun to talk to my table about everyone's traditions and get ideas. Most of them have 3+ kids and older ones too. I heard all types of stories from sweet kids picking out sibling gifts to kids having huge fits that Santa didn't bring all 20 gifts on their list, ha. It's something Derek and I have talked about over the years before having kids. We both did some different things for holidays as kids and it's fun to mesh some of those things with new things we want to do with our kids.
Our new tree! Out with the pretty/nice theme and in with the sentimental fun theme this year!
We are really excited to be back in Birmingham and close to so much family now! This will be a unique year with having the Caitlin's family here living with us for the holidays too! We haven't got to celebrate many Christmas holidays with them in the past 6 years. Derek works a bunch around Christmas, but we'll sneak in fun things!
Derek strung lights everywhere for me :)
Everyone remembers holidays as a kid. More than decorating the tree, my siblings and I were obsessed with our nativity...like for real, ha. I think we played with it daily all December :) Christmas Eve church service was a big deal too and mom always sang in the choir (still does!). Of course Colin is too young for both of those...but one day! We also grew up singing carols at nursing homes and doing the angel tree. We want Colin to be grateful and want to give to others. He was a bit young to help me with the operation Christmas child box and toys for tots this year ;)
I do love some Christmas lights...funny thing is that Eli and Colin don't seem to care much. ha. Us adults like it though :)
I think it's so important to not blow up Christmas with kids and overload them with toys and Santa things. Santa wasn't a really big deal to us growing up. I remember visiting Santa some at the mall, but what I really remember was us asking him for a horse and trampoline every year...which never happened. Haha :) Yes, Colin will get a stocking (we even got cheesy matching ones:) and a big present from Santa and a few things from us and family, but there won't be a ton of presents and elves of shelves, elves visiting our house, etc. We're sticking to doing things fun as a family and teaching our kids to be generous to others. Plus, people get so competitive with all of that and posting pictures of their elves on Facebook; exhausting just to watch! We tried out visiting Santa for the 1st time....it went...as expected :)
Started out with admiring Santa from a distance and seemed cool with it
Colin is still to young to do a lot of the things we like about the holidays. Christmas movies are a bit over his head, but we'll definitely be watching claymation Rudolf together :) I've always wanted to make homemade cookies and decorate them each year with kids. Colin is a little young, but we'll be trying it anyways since Eli will enjoy it! Kids are only young for such a little time, soon Colin and Finale will be rolling their eyes at us and over our silly traditions :)
That turned to skeptical real quick and then...no
The official one. Pitiful :)
Daddy and a candy cane made everything better :) We'll see how long this little fun tradition lasts with his feisty self!
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