Thursday, December 4, 2008

Some of my favorite Christmas traditions...


1. Ever since I can remember we have baked and decorated a gingerbread house

at Christmas time. Oh the memories...As a Mom myself I have discovered these

wonderful pre-made houses at Costco and we have each put together and decorated

one every year. We now make gingerbread villages... The kids look forward to this

just like I did.


2. Starting at the beginning of December we draw names each Monday night to see

who we will have that week. We are then that persons "Secret Santa" for the next 7 days.

I LOVE seeing the creativity of each child. Sometimes we do a secret act of service and don't

leave anything, other times we write a note, or draw a picture, I've even gotten poems.

Occassionally we'll get a little Christmas goody. LOVE this tradition.


3.We also draw names for our Christmas exchange. Christmas Eve we get to open

1 gift and this is it.


4. The Christmas decorations....the weekend after Thanksgiving the kids are ready to break

into the decorations. We get down the boxes and run around the house putting up all of our

fun decorations. It's always a fun family time.


5. As a child we ALWAYS did the nativity story with our cousins. Scripts, costumes, songs, everything. We have tried to do this with our children, but have missed a year here or there.


Traditions are SO fun, they bring the family close, provide for lots of great memories, and can create a lasting legacy for kids and grandkids. What are some of your favorite traditions???

Maybe I'll add a few.

3 comments:

Brian and Janette said...

I can't add any traditions...ours are pretty much the same. Although, I do have to say that homemade gingerbread houses taste better and you can pick your own candy to go on it...meaning, it can be some of your favorite! So, we do the homemade version...but during this time of year, you can't beat convenience and with four kids, I'm sure Costco is a lifesaver!

KB Stanger Art and Design said...

What great ideas - this is our first year with the gingerbread house - I can see that continuing. I've been trying to think of some traditions that wouldn't be too time consuming, but would allow the kids to think about one another more. I like the secret santa idea.
Btw- thanks for letting me stay with your adorable family. Miss you.

Jamie Sue said...

The nativity was always a favorite for me too!! I haven't done that with my own kids yet, somehow I just don't think it'll be the same without the LeSueur's! The Christmas Eve tradition on Casey's side is to go to his mom's house and she makes Chili and cornbread. Casey's aunts and grandma do this too, it's different cause most people don't think of chili as a holiday meal, but I LOVE it and will probably keep this tradition alive in my own little family.