Family Traditions

Just a fun winter picture from last year to set the mood! Ethan, his friend Josh, and Zane with their snowman.

Elena left an open tag to anyone wanting to share family traditions so I thought I'd take her up on it. I have tried to institute quite a few in our family, but it seems our kids ultimatley decide which stay and which we can do without ( I know they're 'losers' when no one asks about them!). Here are some that have worked, including a couple of Christmas ones:

1. Pancake Sunday. Every Sunday morning (or sometimes night if we happen to be 'stricken' with the 8:30 am time slot at church!) we make pancakes from scratch. I make the batter and Brad does the cooking. We love to put chocolate chips in them and peanut butter on top. Since we're pretty much cereal people the rest of the week, it's a nice change.

2. Reading Time. Since they were old enough to sit still for a story, I have read to my kids every night before bed. James and Liam still get picture books, but Zane and Ethan have been old enough for novels for several years. It's been amazing how many books--many classics, some just for fun (we read the whold Junie B. Jones series)--we've been able to get through. Nothing like the feeling of your kids snuggled next to you on the couch listening intently.

3. Advent Calendars. We always go to Cost Plus World Market and get a countdown to Christmas calendar. The kids have to seek out the date, then pop open the little window and get a small piece of chocolate. My mom also made them a cute calendar that hangs on the wall. There are 24 pockets with tiny ornaments in each to hang on a felt tree above. This was one tradition from my childhood that got to be carried over. It seems to make December pass a little more quickly.

4. Cookies for the Firemen. Every year since 2001, we have made cookies and taken them to the local firehouse on Christmas Eve to say thank you. It started after the Sept. 11 tragedy, and the men were so thankful we've just continued on. One year our neighbor's house caught on fire, and that year we made DOUBLE the cookies to take! The firemen usually end up giving the boys a tour and letting them sit up in the truck too. Lots of fun!

5. Christmas Jammies. I know lots of families do this but it's a fun one. Everybody gets a new pair of pajamas to wear to bed on Christmas Eve. Makes for cute photos on Christmas Day too! Can any of you remember laying in bed on Christmas Eve in your new fuzzy-footie jammies, listening to carols on the radio, and trying soooo hard to get to sleep so Santa wouldn't pass you by? That's the magic memory of Christmas for me!

Does anyone else have traditions they want to share? I'd love to hear about them!