Sitting here thinking about traditions and memories from this time of year when I was growing up. Little things are coming back to me.
My dad would always hang tons of Christmas lights and we'd drive around and look at houses.
We'd put up the tree and decorations.
My mom always made sugar cookies with us and we got to frost them. I love those cookies. That little bit of dough that's always left at the end, I use to squeeze it and make a funny shape, cover it with cinnamon and sugar and bake it. We always got to eat those that night. She also made "Mexican" wedding cakes, meat roll-ups and a cheeseball.
On Christmas morning, we had to get dressed, make our beds, eat breakfast and brush our teeth before we could touch our presents!! I did not like that! In our stockings, we always got an apple, an orange, and a giant candy cane along with little toys and things.
My dad's mom, Grandma O. always made buckeyes and homemade candy at Christmas and Easter.
Until my Grandpa O. passed away, we'd go over there Christmas morning after opening presents at home. I remember that my grandpa always had butterscotch candy that he'd give me for a hug, lol. I was six when he died quite unexpectedly. I remember going to his funeral and wanting to wake him & I kept giving him kisses on his cheek expecting him to open his eyes. I even got yelled at, at one point, because they were worried I was going to pull his casket over. :-(
Christmas eve was always spent at my mom's brother's house. Santa always came and brought the little kids a present. I remember once I got a really neat mermaid doll that changed color in the tub and she had a watering can that looked like a shell.
Christmas night we would go to my mom's dad's house. He always had a ham and a turkey made so we could make sandwiches and cans of peanuts sitting out too. For a few years, he gave us sets of coins that I still have. After an older cousin complained, he started giving us cash. That made me sad as I always looked forward to those coin sets. I'm glad I still have them. My grandpa passed away just before my senior year of high school.
I don't really remember spending many holidays with my mom's mom. I'm not sure why but they weren't very close. I did share my birthday with her though and she made it a point to always call me or send me a card right up until the year she died. That was less than a month before Jason and I got married.
The only grandparent I still have around is my dad's mom. We aren't close and that makes me sad. I love her and I know she cares about us too. I also know that she's getting older and her health is declining. I am grateful I get to see her at least once a year.
We don't really have a lot of traditions in our little family other than spending a few hours or the day at each set of parents' houses at Christmastime. We put up the tree with all the ornaments and hang the stockings. Christmas morning, we open presents first thing and eat a hot breakfast if we are home.
This year we are staying at our own house for the entire Christmas season. I am planning to make sugar cookies and buckeyes with the boys. I think we may make cards to mail to grandparents and great-grandparents. Alex and I decided this morning we are going to make some ornaments from homemade dough, decorate them and send some to grandparents and hang some on our tree. I can't wait to see how they turn out and what colors the boys decide to paint them. I want them to have lots of good memories when they get older. Things they can do with their families some day.
I hope that we can all enjoy a relaxing holiday at home.
Any suggestions for crafts or things? Please share in the comments!
My dad would always hang tons of Christmas lights and we'd drive around and look at houses.
We'd put up the tree and decorations.
My mom always made sugar cookies with us and we got to frost them. I love those cookies. That little bit of dough that's always left at the end, I use to squeeze it and make a funny shape, cover it with cinnamon and sugar and bake it. We always got to eat those that night. She also made "Mexican" wedding cakes, meat roll-ups and a cheeseball.
On Christmas morning, we had to get dressed, make our beds, eat breakfast and brush our teeth before we could touch our presents!! I did not like that! In our stockings, we always got an apple, an orange, and a giant candy cane along with little toys and things.
My dad's mom, Grandma O. always made buckeyes and homemade candy at Christmas and Easter.
Until my Grandpa O. passed away, we'd go over there Christmas morning after opening presents at home. I remember that my grandpa always had butterscotch candy that he'd give me for a hug, lol. I was six when he died quite unexpectedly. I remember going to his funeral and wanting to wake him & I kept giving him kisses on his cheek expecting him to open his eyes. I even got yelled at, at one point, because they were worried I was going to pull his casket over. :-(
Christmas eve was always spent at my mom's brother's house. Santa always came and brought the little kids a present. I remember once I got a really neat mermaid doll that changed color in the tub and she had a watering can that looked like a shell.
Christmas night we would go to my mom's dad's house. He always had a ham and a turkey made so we could make sandwiches and cans of peanuts sitting out too. For a few years, he gave us sets of coins that I still have. After an older cousin complained, he started giving us cash. That made me sad as I always looked forward to those coin sets. I'm glad I still have them. My grandpa passed away just before my senior year of high school.
I don't really remember spending many holidays with my mom's mom. I'm not sure why but they weren't very close. I did share my birthday with her though and she made it a point to always call me or send me a card right up until the year she died. That was less than a month before Jason and I got married.
The only grandparent I still have around is my dad's mom. We aren't close and that makes me sad. I love her and I know she cares about us too. I also know that she's getting older and her health is declining. I am grateful I get to see her at least once a year.
We don't really have a lot of traditions in our little family other than spending a few hours or the day at each set of parents' houses at Christmastime. We put up the tree with all the ornaments and hang the stockings. Christmas morning, we open presents first thing and eat a hot breakfast if we are home.
This year we are staying at our own house for the entire Christmas season. I am planning to make sugar cookies and buckeyes with the boys. I think we may make cards to mail to grandparents and great-grandparents. Alex and I decided this morning we are going to make some ornaments from homemade dough, decorate them and send some to grandparents and hang some on our tree. I can't wait to see how they turn out and what colors the boys decide to paint them. I want them to have lots of good memories when they get older. Things they can do with their families some day.
I hope that we can all enjoy a relaxing holiday at home.
Any suggestions for crafts or things? Please share in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment