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<blockquote data-quote="Hound dog" data-source="post: 614901" data-attributes="member: 84"><p>Our tree was always put up and it and the house decorated the day after Thanksgiving. Christmas is MY holiday and I wanted to enjoy the entire season. There were years decor didn't come down until New Years day. But prior to decorating, the house had to be utterly spotless or I would not decorate. There couldn't be one without the other as I can't stand a dirty/messy house when it is decorated for xmas. So.....I did spring cleaning type cleaning first, every nook and cranny. (blame this on my mom, she started it)</p><p>The kids always helped decorate. As they aged they each had special ornaments they either made or someone had given them to place on the tree.....they always got to place their own special ornaments. The angel of our tree is extra special. Given to me by mother in law when easy child and Travis were babies, it was the angel that had topped her tree since their very first tree and Fred had grown up with. Nothing super fancy, just simple elegant. The youngest always got to put the angel on the tree, simply because they were the smallest and Fred could more easily lift them. So once Nichole became a toddler, she wound up putting the angel onto the tree each year. </p><p>The manger was always a huge deal at our house. I find it amusing as I'm not religious but spiritual, but my kids were taught why there was xmas and to them it was a huge deal. Since otherwise she would play with it non stop, Nichole got to set up the manger......until mother in law bought her a child version, then the kids took turns. </p><p>Many days during the xmas season were spent making homemade decorations with construction paper, cotton balls, glitter ect. I was trying to cure boredom and contain excitement. My kids have carried on this tradition and it ranks right up there with their fondest memories. </p><p>There were the evening xmas cartoons served with fresh popcorn and homemade cocoa. </p><p>There was the baking that no matter how young a child completely participated. </p><p>There was the kids busy helping with extra chores to earn money for Santa's Secret Shoppe at school to buy gifts for sibs, parents, and grandparents. Wrapping them (comical as heck). Them trying to keep their secrets until xmas eve when those gifts were opened so they wouldn't get caught up in the xmas chaos. </p><p>There was the Twas The Night Before Christmas read to them before bed on xmas eve. </p><p>Xmas morning they woke early but weren't allowed out of their beds until I said it was ok. They wouldn't want to interrupt Santa incase he was enjoying the milk and cookies they left for him. I'd get up and light the tree. (which was the sign Santa had been and gone) </p><p>There was no opening presents until after breakfast, so that children actually ate. </p><p>Presents were never torn into willy nilly in a frenzy. They were always opened youngest to oldest one at a time in order so that everyone could see and appreciate each one, as well as enjoy the reaction it got from the recipiant. </p><p>Then it was dress in your best and head over to mother in law's later in the day for xmas dinner. My children learned manners eating with china, silver, and crystal. Even at her house the meal was usually served first. Then the same rules applied with gift opening. </p><p></p><p>Nearly all of these traditions my children are carrying on with my grandchildren. </p><p></p><p>Now when Nichole was 5 I started working at a major dept store in the toy dept because Fred was out of work. Since I'm all about xmas, soon as the store entered the season I was wearing my Santa hat, xmas themed sweatshirts and jewelry. Of course the toy dept is packed at that time of year. One day there was a toddler who was just done with shopping, fussy whiny and giving her parents a hard time. She was over it. They were right by the cash register where I was standing.....on a pole by the cash register was the in house phone. I sang the first verse to Santa Claus is Coming to Town to the little girl. Then I pointed to the phone and told her it was a hot line to the North Pole. She stared at me decked out in my xmas garb and since I stand under 5 feet her eyes got big as saucers and she breathed "you're an Elf!" Heads turned, both child and adult. I was put on the spot. Without missing a beat, I said "Why of course I'm an Elf!" Never had another issue out of a child in the toy dept the rest of the season. I played it up. My coworkers played it up. We had a blast with it. Parents and grandparents ate it up and used it to their advantage. Since Fred brought the kids to pick me up each day........well, I had to explain to them that I'm an Elf too. </p><p>Over the years the story grew. I answered endless questions concerning Santa, the North pole, elves by my children and lord knows how many other children. If I were not such a xmas nut I'd not been able to pull it off. Once my kids were grown I became a "retired" elf. My grandchildren know their Nana is an elf with a direct line to Santa. This is why Nana can always seem to find that perfect gift for them, even when they never told anyone they wanted it. </p><p></p><p>This year, sad to say, I'm pretty bummed. So bummed that I am fighting off bah humbug at every turn. I had planned lovely homemade gifts. I had planned special baking with grandchildren. I would've just been happy with just some of the old traditions. But working up to 60 hrs a week at a very physically demanding job is taking it's toll on this elf. I had to scratch homemade gifts. Baking has been scratched because I'll be working right up until the 21st and that will end a 60 hr week. It will take days for me to recover, then there is xmas cleaning for the dinner. I shopped thanksgiving and yesterday for presents. I hope I hit on at least one they'll think of as special, but it's not feeling that way to me. Not excited to see them unwrap anything this year. Totally bummed over that. It has me just wanting to get the holiday the heck over it already.........and that is soooooooo not me.<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite3" alt=":(" title="Frown :(" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":(" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Hound dog, post: 614901, member: 84"] Our tree was always put up and it and the house decorated the day after Thanksgiving. Christmas is MY holiday and I wanted to enjoy the entire season. There were years decor didn't come down until New Years day. But prior to decorating, the house had to be utterly spotless or I would not decorate. There couldn't be one without the other as I can't stand a dirty/messy house when it is decorated for xmas. So.....I did spring cleaning type cleaning first, every nook and cranny. (blame this on my mom, she started it) The kids always helped decorate. As they aged they each had special ornaments they either made or someone had given them to place on the tree.....they always got to place their own special ornaments. The angel of our tree is extra special. Given to me by mother in law when easy child and Travis were babies, it was the angel that had topped her tree since their very first tree and Fred had grown up with. Nothing super fancy, just simple elegant. The youngest always got to put the angel on the tree, simply because they were the smallest and Fred could more easily lift them. So once Nichole became a toddler, she wound up putting the angel onto the tree each year. The manger was always a huge deal at our house. I find it amusing as I'm not religious but spiritual, but my kids were taught why there was xmas and to them it was a huge deal. Since otherwise she would play with it non stop, Nichole got to set up the manger......until mother in law bought her a child version, then the kids took turns. Many days during the xmas season were spent making homemade decorations with construction paper, cotton balls, glitter ect. I was trying to cure boredom and contain excitement. My kids have carried on this tradition and it ranks right up there with their fondest memories. There were the evening xmas cartoons served with fresh popcorn and homemade cocoa. There was the baking that no matter how young a child completely participated. There was the kids busy helping with extra chores to earn money for Santa's Secret Shoppe at school to buy gifts for sibs, parents, and grandparents. Wrapping them (comical as heck). Them trying to keep their secrets until xmas eve when those gifts were opened so they wouldn't get caught up in the xmas chaos. There was the Twas The Night Before Christmas read to them before bed on xmas eve. Xmas morning they woke early but weren't allowed out of their beds until I said it was ok. They wouldn't want to interrupt Santa incase he was enjoying the milk and cookies they left for him. I'd get up and light the tree. (which was the sign Santa had been and gone) There was no opening presents until after breakfast, so that children actually ate. Presents were never torn into willy nilly in a frenzy. They were always opened youngest to oldest one at a time in order so that everyone could see and appreciate each one, as well as enjoy the reaction it got from the recipiant. Then it was dress in your best and head over to mother in law's later in the day for xmas dinner. My children learned manners eating with china, silver, and crystal. Even at her house the meal was usually served first. Then the same rules applied with gift opening. Nearly all of these traditions my children are carrying on with my grandchildren. Now when Nichole was 5 I started working at a major dept store in the toy dept because Fred was out of work. Since I'm all about xmas, soon as the store entered the season I was wearing my Santa hat, xmas themed sweatshirts and jewelry. Of course the toy dept is packed at that time of year. One day there was a toddler who was just done with shopping, fussy whiny and giving her parents a hard time. She was over it. They were right by the cash register where I was standing.....on a pole by the cash register was the in house phone. I sang the first verse to Santa Claus is Coming to Town to the little girl. Then I pointed to the phone and told her it was a hot line to the North Pole. She stared at me decked out in my xmas garb and since I stand under 5 feet her eyes got big as saucers and she breathed "you're an Elf!" Heads turned, both child and adult. I was put on the spot. Without missing a beat, I said "Why of course I'm an Elf!" Never had another issue out of a child in the toy dept the rest of the season. I played it up. My coworkers played it up. We had a blast with it. Parents and grandparents ate it up and used it to their advantage. Since Fred brought the kids to pick me up each day........well, I had to explain to them that I'm an Elf too. Over the years the story grew. I answered endless questions concerning Santa, the North pole, elves by my children and lord knows how many other children. If I were not such a xmas nut I'd not been able to pull it off. Once my kids were grown I became a "retired" elf. My grandchildren know their Nana is an elf with a direct line to Santa. This is why Nana can always seem to find that perfect gift for them, even when they never told anyone they wanted it. This year, sad to say, I'm pretty bummed. So bummed that I am fighting off bah humbug at every turn. I had planned lovely homemade gifts. I had planned special baking with grandchildren. I would've just been happy with just some of the old traditions. But working up to 60 hrs a week at a very physically demanding job is taking it's toll on this elf. I had to scratch homemade gifts. Baking has been scratched because I'll be working right up until the 21st and that will end a 60 hr week. It will take days for me to recover, then there is xmas cleaning for the dinner. I shopped thanksgiving and yesterday for presents. I hope I hit on at least one they'll think of as special, but it's not feeling that way to me. Not excited to see them unwrap anything this year. Totally bummed over that. It has me just wanting to get the holiday the heck over it already.........and that is soooooooo not me.:( [/QUOTE]
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