With some input from Michelle, we came up with a list of our own family traditions that we enjoy sharing with our kids during this time of year. It is through our yearly traditions that connects our family, but also differentiates our family from everyone else. It is all of our little idiosyncrasies and patterns to our life that make us . . . well us. So now that our Christmas Break is almost over, I thought I would shed some light into our Unofficial Christmas Traditions List that usually only our family is privy to.
1. Michelle begins her Christmas shopping in January, yes January. It is great that Michelle does this because she is constantly looking for sales throughout the year and it minimizes our stress come December. The only problem is that Michelle will often forget where she puts all of the gifts, which creates another stress on the family. Often, I am looking for gifts that I have no idea what they look like or even an inkling as to where they could be . . . I always get this feeling that perhaps I moved it or threw it out one day during my carelessness. Michelle can be frequently heard saying, "I hate when I do this".
2. I must admit that Michelle is the wrapper in the family . . . no she is no Lil' Kim, but she does add a 'sick' bow to each gift. One thing about wrapping is that I think that I do a pretty good job, yes it is Plain Jane and often times there is no name tag attached, but it is quite easy to tell the difference between the gifts I wrap and the Martha Stewart Wannabe gifts that Michelle wraps. I know that wrapping gifts is a time consuming task, however in my defense, I do offer my services . . . but it is quickly declined. I don't blame her, besides I know Michelle loves giving me a hard time about it every year.
3. Our kids always love driving around and looking at all of the colourful lights and festive decorations that can be found around our neighbourhood. The only problem is that Michelle loves the look of her white lights . . . white lights on the banister, on the mantle, on the tree, and on the house. I can remember coming home on many occasions where the kids would see our house with the "classy" white lights on and the boys would "boooooo" them and say, "boring" and give the thumbs down. It became a bit of a joke every time we came home, so one year the boys and I went on a mission. We called the mission, Operation White Lights, where we simply got into the truck and headed out to our local hardware store and secretly bought some colourful outdoor lights for our house. When we got home we quickly strung them up and called Michelle out for the unveiling. The boys still get a kick out of retelling this story with Michelle every year.
4. I must admit that I am not a morning person and the kids have figured that out. The other day, the kids came into our bed in the morning and squeezed onto Michelle's side . . . I heard Michelle say to the boys, "How come you don't go to daddy's side?" Jamie's response was, "because he is grumpy". Personally I think I am just misunderstood because I just need a little time to wake up, clear my head, and orient myself as to where I am . . . this usually takes about 45 minutes or it will occur naturally after 9:00. I must admit that I do love having the kids crawl into our bed and not be in a rush to be somewhere . . . a slow morning in a crowded bed . . . priceless.
5. A hot vanilla latte is a must have . . . yes, a vanilla latte. The most important one of the day is the first one and it needs to be made by the Barista, me, by the latest 9:00. Michelle is a bit like the Incredible Hulk . . . she maintains her calm and caring demeanor until about 8:30, but then she slowly transforms into the Hulk. The warning signs are very clear and easy to spot for a trained professional like me. 1) She gives subtle requests such as, "coffee, coffee???". 2) Her requests become a little more direct, "Okay, lets get those coffees going". 3) She recruits the kids to 'jokingly' ask daddy for a latte, "Daddy, make mommy a coffee". 4) Skin begins to turn green . . . look out! :) One thing that I have learned is that once the first sip has been taken all of the symptoms will subside quickly and all will be forgotten. We generally have a few lattes everyday during the break, but the key one is the morning one. I have learned that this is non-negotiable and one that only the Barista can fulfill . . . sorry Starbucks, but you are not good enough for my Princess.
What can I say? Another amazing Christmas holiday with friends and family with our Super Mom at the center of it all!!!
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