Thanksgiving came to the Incredible household and it was good. Leftovers are still being enjoyed, but the plans for the next (and possibly greatest) holiday are well underway. Christmas season really is my favorite. And there something about having kids to share it with and living in a place in which a "white Christmas" is a possibility, each year, that makes it even more special.
I don't go crazy on the shopping. I wasn't in any line on Black Friday before dawn. We give and get presents and we enjoy it. But, it is more about the spirit of Christmas, in our house that we enjoy. We are making traditions and memories and these are things that my kids love about Christmas that have nothing at all to do with presents. As we drove our freshly cut tree home, yesterday, we talked about some of these things and so I decided to make a list. There are already some that we will talk about forever. And each year we add to our list. Our list grows as our family grows and it is something we enjoy together.
Our Christmas List:
1. Cut down our own REAL tree during Thanksgiving weekend, no matter how cold it is. There have been years that we haven't. There was a year that Dash had strep and a 102 fever and had just returned from the urgent care and still wanted to go with us, so he sat in the car and pointed out trees in the hardware store's parking lot. But, we always regret these trees as we get closer to Christmas and the trees are already dry and the needles are falling off. Our tree this year has been declared the "best tree EVER!"
2. On our drive back with our tree, we laugh about all our Christmas tree mishaps. We can laugh now, but the year that JJ was a baby and the tree fell over on him and I, while I was giving him a bottle and then the Mr., in his frustration, threw the entire, fully decorated tree, out the front door, was traumatic at the time. But, very funny now. And then there was the tree that was cut down in an ice storm that had so much sand in it that every time someone walked by it, you could hear the sand falling out of the tree, onto the packages. And don't forget the time the Mr. forgot that the tree on the roof of the SUV wouldn't fit in the garage...there is still a chunk of wood taken out of our garage frame for that memory.
3. Christmas music is only allowed to be played after Thanksgiving. This year, because we had a quiet Thanksgiving at home, we allowed the music on Thanksgiving day, but not before.
4. The Mr. is the self described "Master" of Christmas tree decorating. The kids are the minions that must follow all his orders in regards to spacing of the ornaments. I think they secretly enjoy it. I try to stay out of the way until all the personal ornaments come out of the boxes. Then the kids put up their own ornaments that they have made over the years or have been given with their names on them. Only then are they allowed to put the ornaments up wherever they want.
5. I am required to complain about all the little red bows that the Mr. places all over the house. Somehow, I think these disappeared this year...
6. The Mr. loves Christmas as much as the rest of us. And even though he makes fun of my obsessiveness about my Christmas music, he is obsessive about the Christmas movies that we watch. He loves Christmas movie specials and has passed this on to the kids. But, they can't be just any old Christmas movie. They have to be the "right ones." Last night we had family Elf night, which is a newer classic. The Mr. ordered the "right" version of the Christmas Carole, which stars Alistar Sim. This is the only one we can watch. We will also watch Its a Wonderful Life, Frosty, Rudolph, the Grinch, don't forget The Polar Express, and several others.
7. I will start baking soon. Some of the baking will be to share. Some will be to keep for us. And all of the baking will be done with Christmas music on in the background and children who want to help. I might, possibly have a glass of wine in my hand too.
I am guessing, that in the next few years, we will continue to add to this list. But the list, and not the shopping, is the real reason I love Christmas. This is my list of Christmas spirit.







