Christmas Jammies

I had so much fun tonight wrapping presents! Each year Mike & I give the kids jammies, which they open Christmas Eve, and these are the presents I wrapped first tonight because I wanted to do them while I was bright-eyed and chipper. I know the kids will be jumping all over the place when they see them tomorrow, so I made the bows all fluffy and exciting. I've actually meant to get these under the tree much sooner, and Max asked me a few days ago, "Are you going to give us our Christmas Eve jammies?" to which I replied, "Well, I thought we'd skip the jammies this year; you won't mind, will you?" And he got big, wide sad eyes and said, "YES! I love Christmas Eve jammies!" Isabelle piped right up and was also outraged that I'd skip the jammies. I kept playing it like I had no jammies and I think they are sweating it a little. I was THIS close to not doing the jammies this year because I'm so stressed about money. I actually had no idea they liked this little tradition so much, but evidently it means a lot to Max, especially. He likes his cozy Christmas jammies. I think it gives Christmas Eve a special feeling and I hope when they are older, they remember getting them.

There are actually a few little traditions I hope they always associate with Christmas:
* Reading Christmas stories every night before bed, all cozy and snuggly together
* Lego advent calendars
* Gingerbread houses
* Nativity flannelboard story
* Watching Christmas movies together
* Shepherds Dinner (we'll be doing this one every year)
* Making Christmas cookies
* Buying gifts for their siblings

Doing things together at Christmastime brings a feeling of closeness that I want to try hard to keep in my house all year. I always make a huge effort to plan fun activities in December and to be together in a happy, positive way and I want to consciously foster that closeness in the ensuing months.



I have been thinking of our everyday "traditions" that will accomplish this. There are just a few basic things that are the glue of our life as a family, keeping our weeks consistent and predictable. Hopefully my kids will remember these things as family traditions as well. All through 2007 I made a firm commitment to myself to have Family Home Evening on Mondays--no matter what. I have such a testimony of Family Night and the subtle way it binds a family together and provides a venue for communication. Family Night is a tradition I think my kids will associate with their growing up years.

We also do Movie Nights together quite frequently, and my kids love it. We snuggle up on the couch or floor, build a comfy nest and settle in with huge bowls of popcorn.

Mike takes the kids out regularly for Daddy-Daughter or Father-Son nights, and I love that he does this. The kids get giddy when he plans a night out with them. I feel it is so crucial for a father to be one-on-one with children. This has become a consistent enough event that I think they will look back and remember it as a part of childhood.

A year or so ago, I banned housecleaning from Saturday. We do the routine things that must be done to stay functioning--like dishes. And the kids still do their quick pickups of their bedroom before bed, but no more big "clean the house from top to bottom" day of pain! Saturday is Family Fun Day and we usually do some kind of outing or activity together, even if it's quick and simple.

And Max had better remember his nightly snuggles! Because I drag my butt upstairs to his room each and every night--even when sometimes I want to snarl at him to just go to sleep! He will be 9 years old in a week, yet still asks, "Mom, will you come give me a snug?" Who knows how long this will last?! He cannot seem to settle down and slow his brain activity unless I come snug up to him and give him some back tickles.

These are parts of life I hope my kids remember as day-in, day-out "traditions." But I'm sure they'll just remember all the things I don't want them to recall--like how I lose my patience at night, every night! Or how I'm sometimes late to pick them up from school. Or how I haven't sewn any of Max's Cub Scout patches yet. Sigh!