Traditions..

Can you believe Christmas is 2 days away!?!?!

I'm freaking out...but in a good way!

I love this time of year, although I feel like I would be loving it a lot more if it actually felt like Christmas. It's 60 degrees in Richmond, and that is NOT Christmas weather...I need blistering cold..is that too much to ask?

As we get closer to the big day, I've been thinking about Christmas Traditions. Traditions that I've started, traditions that I've kept going, and traditions I would like to create...

Traditions I'd like to create...

The Elf on the Shelf. It's a cute idea, although I don't think my kids are ready for it yet. I think next Christmas the big girl will be the perfect age (3 1/2) to really enjoy it.

Christmas Eve Mass. Okay, I said it, and I feel like a horrible catholic now. One day, perhaps we will all actually be able to attend mass on Christmas Eve, right now, it's just to chaotic with the kids being the age they are. If we go to mass, we go in shifts because it's easier and frankly more enjoyable without having to worry about your children completely disrupting the service!

Traveling with Treats. We already make cookies every year with our family, but I'm thinking bigger scale. I'd really love to take treats to the local fire stations, pharmacies, and the NICU where Annabelle was cared for.

Tacky light tour. Again, my kids are just too young (and we're outnumbered) to keep on top of at these crowded tacky light places, BUT one day we will do it. This year we did a quick drive through our neighborhood and the kids loved it!

Christmas Dinner. I'm making a turkey and stuffing and the whole sha-bam this year for our little family of 5. Eventually I would love to have my parents, mother-in-law, brothers, etc etc, the whole fam over every Christmas for a big dinner

Christmas Chains- you know, where you make a link for every day until Christmas, and every day you wake up, you take a link off. Again it's an age thing, but next year, is totally our year for Christmas chains!

A tradition that I've started for my kids is opening presents on Christmas Eve...

Before you freak out, we don't open everything!!!!

They get one present and it's the same thing every year! Every Christmas Eve, they get a pair of christmas jammies to wear to bed and they get an ornament. I came up with the ornament idea my first Christmas as an adult living on my own.

I had no freaking ornaments for my tree!!!

light bulb!

So, I decided for my kids, I would give them an ornament every year for their collection, and when they are older and on their own, they will have a box full of ornaments to start their first tree off!

Cute, right???

Although, now that I think about it, my babies are never going to leave me! ha.

Traditions I've been carrying on, include but are not limited to...

Cookie Day! Everyone comes over and we decorate (and eat) tons of cookies!

Tree-trimming! We always put up the tree and decorate the day after Thanksgiving!

Holiday cards, santa pictures, leaving milk and cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve, and OF COURSE having the kids wait at the top of the stairs until mom and dad have checked to make sure Santa has indeed come, and is done unloading all the gifts!

So, what are some of your traditions??