Tradition: Christmas Books

I think on some level we grow up thinking the traditions we carry on and develop in our families are unique. So it is a rude awakening to join another family through marriage and discover that everyone basically does the same thing. Nonetheless, I carry on and I'm teaching my kids traditions that I tell them are long-standing family traditions that are special to our family. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

One tradition that we follow is that my mother and father give the boys a new Christmas themed children's book every year. I've made a little stack of them in the back of the closet and we don't bring them out until December. (Ironically enough -- and you didn't see this coming, I'm sure -- my husband's family follows the same tradition so we usually get a Christmas-themed Children's book from them, too.)


Each night I permit the kids to pick out a Christmas book and we read about snowflakes, gingerbread, reindeer, and Santa. It's really starting to get me in the Christmas spirit. But while I've been slow to shake my Bah-humbugness this year, the boys' cups of steaming Christmas cocoa spirit is overflowing and has been for about five days. The next eight should be interesting.



What's the use of waiting for Christmas? Is it really a tortuous scheme to teach children patience? Hmmmm. Noodle that over when you literally see an "I can't wait for Christmas" aneurism brewing in their brains.