Can I say that?
Like the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas Special. I'm sorry if that's your beloved family tradition to watch--that's great, enjoy it for me. Because I think it's terrifying.
I mean like...
Maybe it's the felt, I don't know. Just...creepy.
Now, please don't stop reading and label me a Scrooge or Christmas hater.
I treasure the true meaning of Christmas--remembering Christ's birth. I also love the cozy part of Christmas and being with family. I love the twinkly lights and the warm homes and the good food and the traditions.
Oh, and Christmas trees!
I love them. But when I think of them I'm always reminded of this story, which I've always felt bad about to this day: I was in high school and I was coming home one night after babysitting for a family who had just put up a huge, beautiful Christmas tree. I came home and looked briefly at the one my parents had just put up while I was gone and said, "Why do we always have to put up our dinky little fake tree, I wish we would get a better one." And my mom saying to me, "Kirsten....we wanted to surprise you...look closer we actually got a real one this year like you wanted!"
Ouch.
My dad and I always joke that although I was spoiled growing up...I was never a brat. But at that moment, I felt like a huge spoiled brat. And I hated that.
I think of that story often. But maybe that's okay. It has made me step back and prevent myself from getting caught up in the commercialism of the season. It made me appreciate going tree hunting with my parents once they moved to the Black Hills and always trying to find a decent, but sort of skimpy Charlie Brown tree---and loving it. The more humble and straggly the tree, the better. We would laugh endearingly at it, but we honestly loved it.
I'm now also learning how marriage does a funny thing to traditions. They are forced to be evaluated, talked about, combined and/or dropped. Old traditions must be intentionally fought for to stay a tradition.
This year I wasn't able to tree hunt with my parents, and it didn't work out for us to go tree hunting in the mountains with our group of friends like last year either. But we did get to spoil ourselves and get a big, beautiful, full tree from a U-Cut it lot..which I've never been to before! The best part was we got to go with our little Godkids and their parents :) We were blessed to join in on THEIR family tradition!
Oh also, we're hosting Christmas dinner this year for Josh's family. I'm super excited, but yikes. If you know me, you know my hostess skills are minimal at best. I love the idea of hosting and cooking and having a house full of people, but I just haven't had much practice! Just cooking now for 2 people has kept me on my toes! I hope I don't ruin Christmas ;) Luckily I've already put it out there that I'll make Swedish meatballs and the mashed potatoes, and everything else will be potluck style.
We still aren't quite sure what traditions we will carry on. However, I hope our traditions are centered more around the things we do and people we spend time with than on the "stuff" we put up (Minimalist alert: I'm hoping to keep our decorations to just a tree, stockings, and maybe a string of lights outside--we will see how long that lasts ha) or the presents we buy or get. I'm excited to see what traditions we keep and merge as our own (new?) family tradition :)
One thing is for sure. No matter how much kids (and parents) may love it, or how clever and fun you can be with it, our house will never, ever partake in the creepy Christmas tradition that is....the Elf on the Shelf.
No....way.
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