Pat's Traditiions

Pat loves that we read the Christmas story before opening gifts. To keep our hearts in the right attitude of receiving. He would also hate if we didn't read it together any more. Going to midnight mass and opening gifts afterwards is his favorite memory of growing up, being a night person he loved it. I don't even remember talking to one another about how when we would open gifts, when we got married, this is how it all started. The Christmas before we were engaged we spent the morning at my sister's house and I gave him his gifts. Then we went to his parents house and didn't open gifts until really late in the day. Pat didn't even have my gifts wrapped yet. I thought that really sucked it seemed like waiting till Christmas was almost over to open gifts, not that Christmas is about opening gifts, but.... and we had to open gifts with a knife to not ruin the paper so it could be re-used. Come on. My Dad was Scottish and not that tight wadded. The next Christmas I think they celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. But I was at work. I know Pat and I exchanged gifts in the morning. I remember being at my in-laws house on Christmas for brunch or something , but then my sister picked me up to go to her house, and I was starving, because there wasn't any food to eat for hours and I was pregnant and too scared to ask for anything to eat. Pat must have had to go to work and met me at my sister's. Joey's first Christmas, they (in-laws) celebrated Christmas Eve during the day again, only I was at work. We had our own Christmas together in the morning and were at his parents house for dinner. At some point Christmas came traditions with our families became what they are now. My sister and I alternating Christmas brunch. and alternated between Pat's parents, brother's and our house for to exchange gifts and dinner. Christmas Eve we clean and cook for the next day then usually attend church, sometimes it's just been me and the kids. A quick light dinner, and reading Twas the Night Before Christmas.

Joseph's favorite traditions

The first thing he said was opening gifts on Christmas morning. But I think that was because Sarah was just begging to open just 1 gift today. Hello sister we don't open gifts 1 week before Christmas, unless they are from your secret sister and your the Mom and can't wait! Or your the Mom and anybody gives her a gift! LOL Another favorite tradition Joseph would miss if we didn't do is, reading the Christmas story before opening any gifts on Christmas morning. We have read a story book form of the real Christmas story since Joey was a baby. Maybe some year we will read it from our bibles, but I kinda doubt that will fly yet, since all the kids like there turn at reading a page and passing the book to the next person. A tradition he would like to do when he has a family of his own is for everyone in the family has the same t-shirt that they wear on Christmas morning, and everyone gets to design their shirt how ever they want. Last year I tried to simplify this by ironing on Christmas patches. Everyone was mad at me. So this year we are back to decorating our own t-shirts. Everyone has theirs done, except Joseph!

IT"S ALMOST CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

One week away till Christmas Eve or 7 days, which sounds closer? I'm a 7 day person. I can't wait for Christmas. I've always been that way. I was the little girl who spent the night with a clock under her bed counting minutes all night long till 4 AM, when I though for sure was time to get up. Mostly myself and my little brother would go in to our parents room and ask if we could go down stairs yet. They would try to get us to go back to bed for another hour. 15 minutes later we were back in our parents room asking again can we go down stairs yet? Even past 3rd grade when I learned at school there was no Santa, I still couldn't sleep on Christmas Eve. I didn't really care who put the gifts under the tree, only that there were gifts under the tree for me! My Dad was an only child and his Mom was a single mom, times were tough for my Dad growing up. Dad loved to spoiled us at Christmas because of that hardship. My Mom grew up in a big Italian home with lots of siblings and half siblings. They celebrated Christmas the best was the knew how, being together and lots of food! This is Pat and mine 20th Christmas together, the first being when were first started dating. I never would have thought the next year I would be 5 months pregnant with our 1st child. Now that we have 3 children and they are getting older, I wonder what their special memories are of some of the traditions we started, I think this week I will interview Pat and the kids on their favorite traditions and blog about it, and who knows if I get them to cooperate, I may even scrapbook it too. What do you think is this a silly thing to do? What's your favorite tradition as a child or parent?