Traditionally Non-Traditional

Traditionally Non-Traditional.  This pretty much describes me all around… an oxymoron.  Some things I MUST do because they are traditional… some things I WON’T do because they… well… they are traditional.  And then sometimes… I just want to be a tradition setter.  And how do I decide what will land on the MUST or the WON’T list, well, if I could explain that, I could easily tell you why I believe in unicorns and why I am very sure they poop skittles.  Nope, the answers to all of it must just be roaming around in my illogical world and I have better things to do than justify my reasons… I have to make some traditions. 

As we enjoyed one of our long standing “non-traditional traditions” I looked at my adorable kids and thought, hmmm we are a little strange… well, maybe even a lot strange if you add everything up. 

But truth be told I love our strangeness.  And tonight I just soaked it up.  You see tonight was our family Christmas.  Yup, it is 6 days before Christmas and the meal was made, ate and presents unwrapped.  This tradition started, oh about 2 whole kids ago now.  I was actually pregnant with Timmy, so perhaps the correct time measurement is 2 ½ kids ago.  Michael was working 2 jobs at the time and my little family and this morning sick momma was a bit tired and overwhelmed and we all missed Daddy.  So, like any mom who believes in unicorns that poop skittles, it was time to create some magic.  It was time to expedite Christmas.  So we planned to open presents and have the magic of Christmas 2 weeks early!  YUP, 2 weeks. (To this day that is the earliest we have ever done it.)   But through that act of necessity I did discover that I liked my little family Christmas being separate from all the others.  My parents were divorced so we found ourselves going to 2 parties on Christmas Eve, which at that time was also sandwiched between to extended family gatherings on Christmas Adam and Christmas Day. 

I loved our moment away from all the rest so much that we just kept doing it.  This way I could have my intimate family Christmas, and still enjoy all the other gatherings.  So here we are, more than a decade later, soaking up our family Christmas 6 days before Christmas.  The table was lit with candles and decorated with sparkling grape juice and fancy glasses while Christmas music hummed in the back ground.  The kids and Michael altered the tradition a bit this year by cooking dinner for ME… I gotta say… I do like the change.  Once the kitchen was clean and the puppy chow dispersed, off to the family room we went for some fun with presents and we ended the evening with a family game and then the girls went to watch a Christmas movie and the boys watched Mandalorian. 

While I know this tradition may change as my kids grow up and have families of there own.  I am soaking up all these moments now.  How about YOU?  Do do you have a Non-traditional tradition?  Post your answer on my Facebook Post.  😊