Thursday, November 13, 2008

Day 2 - Blog Party - Traditions

Today's Momdot Blog Party is sponsored by: LaPlates and Lets Go Strolling and Natitys Design

Traditions, what are some of your favorite family traditions? What are some traditions you want to begin?

Before I begin with today's post, I must clarify something from yesterdays. No, I do not hang a real piece of cheese on the tree. The ornament is made out of foam similiar to the cheeseheads you may have seen people wearing at Packer games. I love cheese, but I would not want a stinky, moldy piece hanging in the house. Plus we have a cat. A real one would last all of five minutes up there before the tree would come crashing down. Now that we cleared that up (you guys had me cracking up) let's go on to today's post.

We have lots of the common traditions: trimming the tree, hanging up stockings, going to church on Christmas Eve and then driving around neighborhoods looking at lights, playing hid the pickle (OK, maybe this one isn't so common).

One of our new traditions, and a personal favorite, was started just three years ago. After Thanksgiving, we volunteer at the Operation Christmas Child processing center. Unfortunately, Morgan is still too young to volunteer at the center (she still participates in creating shoeboxes), but my parents come all the way out from Wisconsin to help. You feel like a real-life elf when you are surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of brightly wrapped shoeboxes filled with toys that will go to less fortunately kids around the world.


There is a Thanksgiving tradition that I would like to start. I saw it in one of my parenting magazines. You make a cute turkey out of yarn wrapped around Styrofoam balls and colored construction paper for the tail feathers. Each family member takes a feather and writes something they are thankful for, then the tail goes onto the turkey. Each year you add more and more feathers so your turkey gets fuller and fuller of thanks. I think this would make a great family tradition. Now if only I could get myself down to Michael's to buy the materials.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh, you're just wonderful! I love it! Here's My Day 2! I have Mr. Linky up, so leave your link!

Hanging Off The Wire said...

That is awesome that you do that. Bless you!

Cat@3KidsandUs said...

Okay, you're gonna have to elaborate on hide the pickle. LOL Or is it what I'm thinking?

Melissa said...

The turkey sounds like a great tradition to start!

Proud Mommy said...

What great traditions!!!

Unknown said...

What a great tradition to help others!

Staci A said...

What a wonderful tradition of helping others.

We made a Thankful Turkey last year. My son had me cracking up. There were sweet ones about playing with mommy and daddy, but he was also thankful for marshmallows and fruit snacks. It was so cute.

FreeStyleMama - Diana said...

Operation Christmas Child is awesome! Thanks for helping out!

Sarah said...

I have a run to make to JoAnn's. You want I should pick up your supplies while I'm there? Thank you for your volunteering! That is fantastic!

CompleteLee Blogger said...

A tradition of service--Awesome!

I made a large tree with many bare branches out of cardboard this year for Thanksgiving. Then, my kids and I cut out tons of leaf shapes in different colors and put them in a zippy bag. Each day, whenever we think of something we are thankful for, we write it on the leaf and attach it to the tree. We are hoping to have the tree full of leaves by Thanksgiving day.

Trish said...

Hide the pickle? That's got to be a good story! I like the turkey idea too!

Andrea said...

The volunteer thing looks like fun! So much Christmas spirit in any activity like that.

Natalie said...

Hide the pickle? I have to say I am thinking very naughty on that one. Bad Natalie I know. But seriously what is hide the pickle?

Tena said...

Good for you for making a difference for others!!!
This party is making Christmas seem more real huh? I am still in denial that we already in November!
LOL

MMJ said...

What a way to give!!

Unknown said...

That sounds like a lot of fun!

Our school always participates in OCC.

Sandy said...

We play hide the pickle too!

Momstart said...

Have fun making a turkey

hippos toes said...

Really nice traditions you have. I love the Operation Christmas Child. I will have to look into that!

Melissa said...

The photo of all those shoe boxes gave me chills! We do the shoe boxes too.. but we put one together and our Church sends them off...
The turkey with the feathers sounds like a great idea!

Leah said...

That is so awesome that you volunteer there!

Rita @ My Precious Pennies said...

I did something like operation christmas child a while back...it's a lot of work, but it's GREAT to know that you're helping to make a little kid VERY happy!

Momstart said...

operation Christmas Child IS awesome!!!!