Christmas Traditions

One of our traditions is cutting down our Christmas tree. The boys love doing this. Why? Because it is our family tradition and an adventure that we all do together. And putting up the Christmas tree has a 'magical' feel that we love at Christmas time. After we pick out our tree and cut it and haul it back to the barn to be shaken, we all sit around a picnic table drinking hot chocolate. We live in Michigan and some years it is unseasonably warm (50 degrees) and some years it is snowy and cold. But it doesn't matter because what matters to us is that we are doing this together - going on an adventure.

It was a tradition my mother started after the divorce when I was a kid. We lived in Cincinnati and to cut down your own tree you had to drive about an hour north. My mom packed up my brothers, the dog and me and we headed north. When we got there it really felt like an adventure for us - especially doing it without a 'man' to help. To me it felt like the four of us could accomplish anything as long as we were working together. After we got the tree secured to the roof of our car, we would begin our drive home. The first year, we stopped at a McDonald's for lunch and every year after that my brothers and I insisted we stop at the same McDonalds...."because it's tradition" we would inform my mom.

My husband, boys and I have other traditions we do together as a family during this Christmas season - some more meaningful to the season than this. But somehow this is always the most memorable tradition to me.

What's your favorite tradition?

the sacrificial mom strikes again

It's a little embarrassing but for my 9 y/o son, i am learning the 'Thriller' dance with him. Now that is sacrifice. Look for us on youtube (if we ever learn it all!).

the sacrificial mom

I 'got' to see the re-release of Toy Story and Toy Story 2 in a 3-D double feature this week....twice. It was only going to be in theaters for two weeks. I promised the boys we would go. But on Sunday, our planned day to see this big ticket movie, one of my boys was sick - with mono. So I only took the two older boys promising the sickie that I would take him one day during the week while he was home from school anyway. So on Tuesday, I picked him up from school early (mono isn't as debilitating in a 9 y/o) and went and sat thru three hours of two movies-I-have-probably-seen-at-least-a-dozen-times-each.....again! I'm telling you, that is sacrificial love for you. The kind of sacrifice only a mother's love is willing to give.

I was looking forward to seeing the movies....once. They are definitely in my top favorite kid's movies - Pixar does it right! But twice in one week is just a little much. Although I did enjoy hearing each boy laugh during the movie - that makes it all worth it!

What's with the squirrels?

I have had so many squirrels run out in front of my car lately. Is it because its fall and they are all in "gathering" mode right now? I don't know but I think the squirrel population is going to go down soon since they keep running out in front of traffic.

I am always thinking, "Do I swerve to avoid it or hope it gets out of the way?" I don't want to hit the thing but its not worth causing an accident either. Jay has noticed them too and he would be traumatized if I hit one! (I'm not kidding.) So for now I guess I will do my best to avoid them.

And I thought we had dodged a bullet....er a button.

With boys ages 14, 12 and 9 I really thought I had avoided having a child get a small object stuck in his nose or ear. But today my 12 y/o let me check that off my parenting list. I was about to eat my lunch when I hear his panicked voice from downstairs saying, "Mom, I got a button stuck in my ear!" Then he says, "Am I going to die?"

I assured Jay that as far as I know, no one has died from getting a button stuck in his/her ear. At the same time I am wondering if my afternoon is going to be spent at the dr's office or urgent care to get it out. But fortunately it wasn't lodge too far in and Dr. Mom was able to extract it with a pair of tweezers.

Jay promised to never stick a button in his ear again. Glad to hear it!

Another note to self....

I'm not a big fan of Nicholas Sparks novels. I just listened to one while I was making a road trip. I chose it because nothing looked better at the Cracker Barrel but now I wish I had chosen the Bourne novel they had. Anything has to be better and more exciting that listening to the thoughts of the same man, who falls in love with the same woman who ends up tragically dying that are in every novel he writes!

Note to self....

Stephen King is not my cup of tea! I know you're wondering why I even have to make a mental note of this. If you know me, then you know I am not into horror movies, like Cujo, Carrie, The Shinning. But did you know that Stephen King wrote the Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile and Stand By Me. Those are the kinds of Stephen King movies I may want to avoid. I really like the Shawshank Redemption but seeing The Green Mile was quite disturbing for me.

A couple of weeks ago James rented Stand By Me for us to watch. I wasn't really in the Stand By Me mood but I sat with my hubby and watched with him. He kept saying things like, "I don't remember this part." I would say, "You don't remember the leeches!?!" and "You don't remember the pie eating contest!?!" It is not a calm, happy-ending movie and I didn't remember that there were serveral emotionally wrenching scenes. I think each boy was weeping/wailing at some point in the movie. Although Vern's face when he was running on the train bridge was quite amusing!