Holiday Traditions: Part 5

Well, today is the last day of guest bloggers--I hope you had fun hearing about others' traditions and getting to know some of my favorite blogs:) Mom Next Door was one of my first "followers" and not only do I enjoy her blog, but I love the comments she leaves on mine. She really is the "mom next door"--funny, practical and real about being a mom and having fun doing it!

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First, I must say, I am super excited to be posting on What’s Mine Is Yours! (Very appropriate blog title for guest posting, don’t you agree?) It’s my first-ever guest post and I may or may not have jumped up and down and squealed like a school girl when she asked me, then got really nervous and almost threw up. So thank you Jenn. I’m truly honored that you asked and I will strive not to word vomit…or any kind of vomit…all over your blog.

Christmas is full of traditions: decorating your tree while drinking eggnog and listening to Christmas music, sending out Christmas cards with a year’s worth of family updates, and making fun of your Papa for being the “garbage man” because he was in charge of wrapping paper disposal as it flew through the air (literally, because we would all ball it up and chuck it at him…extra points if you got him in the head). Good times! (I miss you Papa!)

My favorite Christmas tradition growing up was our annual December 8 shopping trip with my mom.

[One thing I must point out is I HATE to shop. H.A.T.E.  I.T!!!! Department stores are my kryptonite. You think I’m kidding but I barely cross the threshold and suddenly I have been zapped of all my energy, I begin to shuffle my feet and whine like a little girl (ok, so when we started these shopping trips I actually was a little girl but I think that just adds to the authenticity of my argument). Rifling through the racks and racks (and racks) of clothing is a chore well beyond my physical capability.]

Despite my loathing of all shopping related activities I really did enjoy our annual December 8 shopping tradition. You see, I went to Catholic School and as such we got off for all of the Holy Day of Obligations. (Which I always found kind of ironic. The point of having off was so you could go to church, yet, I went to school next to the church. I would have been much more likely to go had I been in school. But hey, if they want to give us a day off you won’t hear me complaining.) So the Feast of the Immaculate Conception turned into my childhood Black Friday. Sure, there weren’t doorbusters or mace-waving lunatics (at least not every year) but hey, I was spending my mom’s money on presents for my family so it was all good.

We never did anything extra special on the shopping trip, and I definitely still whined (ok, I still whine when I’m shopping) but spending the time with my mom is what made the tradition so special. Sure, I lived with her and saw her all the time but there is something about sticking to a tradition that makes that time so much more special.

Despite now living 4 hours away from her and my job not giving me off for Holy Day of Obligations (jerks) we still continue this tradition. It takes a little more planning and we’ve shifted the event to the weekend closest to December 8 rather than the actual day, but it still holds the same special meaning to me. Actually, it’s even more special now because I don’t get to see my mom nearly as often as I’d like and when I do I rarely get her all to myself.

As I write this my mom is in her car driving to my house so we can continue our tradition this year. Who needs Christmas day? I’m already excited for her to get here and it’s just about the only present I need. (Except for the new laptop my husband and I splurged on as a shared gift. I really need that too.)

I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thanks again to Jenn for letting me share one of my favorite holiday traditions. (My other favorite Christmas tradition is listening to the New Kids on the Block Christmas Album. I think everyone could use a Funky Christmas!)