Christmas of Dreams -- Day 2

We are on to DAY 2 with Christmas of Dreams

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Today's Question is:
Traditions, what are some of your favorite family traditions? What are some traditions you want to begin?

I'm going to make some list to share my "family Traditions"

List 1 - Melissa's "Past" Traditions

(this is a list of traditions from my childhood and early adult years)

Thanksgiving

1. Thanksgiving Dinner at Grandmama Smiths house.

2. Papa telling the same stories he told the year before. LOL! (I wish I had listened closer)

3. Lots and Lots and Lots of food.

4. Watching football after dinner.

5. Always had the following:Turkey, Ham, homemade rolls, Sweet Potato Casserole, Asparagus Casserole, Fruit salad with coconut, the best green beans in the world, relish tray with canned pickels.. and much more.

Now on to Christmas Eve

1. Another big dinner at Grandmama Smith's house on Christmas Eve.

2. Open gifts (AND there were always a ton. NO toys though.. just clothes and things we needed. This would take hours.. as Papa or Dad passed out the gifts and we watched as each person opened their present. This is on my Dad's side where the family is quite small. So we have Grandmama Smith, Papa Smith--now in heaven, Aunt Suzy - the BESTEST Aunt in the whole wide world, Uncle Dennis, Mom, Dad, Jason - my brother and myself.)

3. Mistletoe over the dining room door. (Papa always wanting to be the first to get a Christmas Kiss. I would give him a million kisses right now if I could... I miss him so)

4. The Christmas merry-go-round that my Grandmama and Papa Smith made to use as a Christmas decoration. Only brought out at Christmas time. Had elves riding reindeer and candy cane poles, played some Christmas tune ... I can't remember. And the top was the best... a cone shaped top with LOTs and LOTS of silver glitter.

5. Who ever says "Merry Christmas Eve Gift" ... would be the first to open a gift. (after dinner of course).

6. I just remembered something... My Papa would give my Grandmama $$ every Christmas.. Always hiding it someway or another. One year he hid it in her perfume package that he had given her. One year I helped him roll up $20 bills and place paper clips on them and we hung them on the Christmas tree.

Now for Christmas Morning

7. We would wake up (my brother and I) and check out all the cool gifts Santa left for us. Nothing was wrapped.. just all sitting pretty under the Christmas tree.

8. We would play and Mom and Dad would make a big breakfast.

On to CHRISTMAS DAY

9. Around lunch time we would head to my Grandmama Pattersons house. A whole different experience. Larger family as my mother has 2 brothers and one sister... and they all have children.. We would draw names and get one gift from the person we drew and one gift from GG Patterson.

10. Dinner would usually be pick-up foods. Including Shrimp cocktail (as that was a super special treat) and Shelby, NC BBQ (OH YUMMY!)

11. We would hang out, visit, laugh, and have fun together.

Melissa's "Present" Traditions

A lot of that stuff above still happens but I've moved away... My Family lives in NC and SC and I now live in AL. Everyone once in a while we'll visit over the holidays.. but not that often.

Now I'm married and have children my time is spent a little differently during the holiday season. Here are a few traditions I've started with my boys.

1. Stockings get filled and placed at the foot of the bed after the children have fallen asleep.

2. We do my version of "Elf on a Shelf" (my mom gave me 2 little elves and I use the tradition story of the magical elf, but we have 2 and they are much smaller and easier to hide.

3. We bake cookies every year and hand them out to our neighboors.

4. We have Pick up foods on Christmas Eve and we'll open any gifts that were mailed to us.

5. Our gifts from Santa arrive wrapped... so the boys have fun unwrapping on Christmas AM.

6. We make a big Christmas breakfast. (which is mostly done by DH.. which I LOVE)

7. We usually put up our Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving and we always get a REAL tree. None of that fake stuff for us. However, I do have a little fake pink tree I'll be setting up this year in my "work at home" office. (oh I'm excited about that!)

8. Oh, the boys always get new PJs on Christmas eve. Steve has already picked out the PJs for this year. Star wars with a light up chest.. They'll love it!

9. Now each year we watch Polar Express on Christmas Eve... Oh such a sweet movie!

10. We do watch all the TV Christmas shows thorugh out December. I love them ALL!

11. We make reindeer food with oatmeal and a little glitter... and throw it on the lawn for the reindeers on Christmas Eve. The KEY here is to make JUST a little for each child... and very little glitter. Don't need those little buggers checking the lawn the next day to make sure the reindeer ate the food. (last year we just turned on our sprinkler to wash a way the "food".

Melissa's "Future" Traditions

I really don't know what my future traditions will be but I'd like to add a few. I like the Spider story... I need to see if I can find a book or something on that.... I'll add as I find new ones that are do-able for me.

BTW, if you took the time to read all of this... I owe you a Beer or a glass of wine or whatever you prefer. LOL! thank you!!!