Christmas Traditions

I love traditions. Who doesn't, right? We have several Christmas ones. Meaningful ones and fun, silly ones. On the meaningful side...

* Midnight Mass (although it's been just the evening service the past couple of years - tough to make it that late with little ones - hopefully in a couple of years we can attend this beautiful service again)
* Happy Birthday Baby Jesus on Christmas Morning with a cupcake and candle * Recording what we are most grateful for during the past year
* Adding a new ornament to the tree that symbolizes a significant event from that year. This is Hudson's first ornament (notice the teeny tiny bottlebrush tree - LoVE it!) * Giving to a worthy cause
*Pulling out our sentimental decorations, "hanging stockings by the fire", and listening to Christmas carols * Adding to my vintage christmas bottle brush tree collection that I hope to one day pass on to the little pumpkin If you remember THIS post, last year Noonie taught Grace how to say "baby Jesus is in my heart" . She was 21 months old and it was just the cutest thing on earth to hear her say that and point to her little heart. Well, here goes this year's version...

Last weekend we set up our Christmas decorations, including the sweet Nativity scene that Mimi passed on to us. Grace LOVES the Nativity figurines and is constantly rearranging them :) This year she is very much into babies (wonder why? :) and is constantly carrying baby Jesus and the manger around (notice baby Jesus is missing right at this moment). We've been talking to her about what it means when we say we have Jesus in our heart. Sometimes it's hard to know what is really sinking in, but I hope little by little she will grasp the true meaning of Christmas. Well, at one point this morning I noticed she was walking around holding her shirt tight. I asked her what she was doing and she said "I have baby Jesus in my heart. See?" and promptly lifted her top only to have the plastic baby Jesus fall to the floor. Not missing a step she picked him up and put the little doll right back in her shirt telling him "There. That's where you belong." Love that pumpkin of mine! She's got a great big heart matched only by her even bigger imagination!!!

And the fun and even silly traditions...

* Driving around to see all the beautiful Christmas lights, hot cocoa in hand
* Pictures with Santa * Christmas cards
* Christmas hats for everyone on Christmas morning - they even have our names! (I got THE cutest hat for Hudson today at Walgreens of all places, a traditional hat but with little flap ears!!!...only to get home, cut the tag off and realize that it was made for a 13" newborn size head...luckily Mimi came to the rescue with her suggestion to cut a slit in the back - after all this one is only for pics. Hudson will have his official name hat to match ours next year when he can fit in it better!)* Enjoying an old fashioned lollilop * Baking and decorating sugar cookies * Reading the Night Before Christmas (Lance does a great job with the voice over) And this year we're adding THIS ONE, for the fun of it: I'm not too sure about the whole "watching / reporting to Santa" but I think Grace will have fun naming the elf and looking for him every morning. Come to think of it, the watching & reporting may not be such a bad idea after the size of the tantrums - yes, plural - we had this evening!

I'd love to hear about your traditions!