Personalizing Christmas

Logan is getting to the age where he aware of holidays and becoming inquisitive about celebrations and practices. It is important to Trey and I to establish family traditions while honoring some of the traditions we grew up with in our own families. I remember tree decorating as a funny experience. Mom usually attempted to make the decorating a family event but Dad would get frustrated with her desire for the lights to be perfectly spaced, David would be distracted, and I would want to do things my way. Our family would begin bantering back and forth but I most clearly remember the jokes. David and I would argue over which Nutcracker ornament was higher ranked and therefore would have a higher placement on the tree. Mom would move less attractive ornaments on the back of the tree and David and I would move them back to the front. Mom and Dad have accumulated several odd ornaments over the years....Elvis, a talking ornament from family friends that will need to be hidden from my son as to not teach him language I'm not ready for him to have, and a couple oddly shaped angels. Trey's family has a competition in which they try to beat the other family members in saying "Christmas Eve gift" on Christmas Eve. The reward for being the first to say it is that you get an additional gift.

The Tree: This year Logan and I began assembling the Christmas tree the Sunday after Thanksgiving. I had made hot cocoa and had Christmas music on the stereo. Every branch I put on (allergies = artificial tree), Logan systematically took off. We finally wrestled the tree up to discover our lights must not have made the move from Georgia. It is difficult to explain to a 3 yr old that lights have to come before ornaments (footnote: he calls ornaments instruments??). The following day we bought lights and were ready for ornaments. I quickly (ok, maybe not so quickly) decided that we wouldn't put any glass ornaments up this year (we only broke 5). Our 8 month old basset Banjo thinks it's fun to get under the branches and spin laps around the trunk. CHAOS!

Santa: Gotta love daycare!? Logan has had a few behavioral challenges this year. I am in (near) full support of the daycare providers use of timeout, playground consequences, and restriction of toys but am NOT ok with them threatening to call Santa when he misbehaves. The fallout of said action (which prompted 2 separate "Come to Santa" meetings with the daycare) is that Logan is petrified of Santa. Horrified that a man would sneak down our chimney while we are sleeping. Terrified that he is watching and knows if you have been bad or good. Traumatized by the meer suggestion that children are supposed to sit on his lap! We have finally gotten to a point where we can say "Santa" without the poor child bursting into tears.

The Nativity Story: I proudly put out our nativity scene in the living room and Logan and I have been role playing the story. It is important to Trey and I for Logan to know why we celebrate Christmas and what we believe. We have read books and told stories in which to illustrate Christmas for Logan. Here is what he knows...He told me that Jesus has 2 daddy's. (How else do you explain God and Joseph to a 3 yr old with no exposure to stepparents?) He thinks baby Jesus is adorable! He keeps getting in trouble for carrying our infant Lord around the house. His response has been "but he's so coot." Logan calls the 3 Wise Men the clowns. He thinks they have funny hats on and therefore must be clowns. We have talked about Mary and Joseph taking a trip to find a bed for baby Jesus. I overheard Logan telling the dogs that Mary and Joseph are going to Arkansas so baby Jesus can go night-night. Yep...that's our religious foundation. Cute baby Jesus was born in Arkansas. His 2 dads love him very much and the 3 kings brought presents from afar.

Maybe next year we can begin the tradition building.