Christmas Memories

Every Christmas so far, we've celebrated as our own small family after we get back from trip(s). I find it slightly depressing to come home after Christmas and all the hoopla that surrounds it. It helps to look forward to something else besides unpacking, doing laundry and putting away all the decorations. We don't do alot as far as presents: the girls are inundated with presents as it is, so we try to go easy and just get a few small things. And for each other, it depends. Some years we get something nice for each other, some years we get a few cheesy things that we would've bought anyway (one year it was a pedometer and a timer for me--and just so you know, I asked for them!).

I like to get a family ornament every year. Casey thinks it's weird (this ornament, especially. A little too cutesy for him, I guess). I'm always wanting to start/do traditions but I forget to keep them up. It's been hit-and-miss about every other year on this tradition. I got the cow one to commemorate the year I started this blog. Now even I'll admit that's a little cheesy.


We didn't get a usual tree again this year. Every year we think we'll get a pre-lit one until we see the prices, then we decide we'll get a clearance one, but I think everyone must have the same idea. Only the ugly ones are left by the time we get back in town. This year, we got this bushy little living tree that served a purpose for Christmas and then we potted it and put it on our once-bare balcony. One more thing I wanted to remember about this year, since it will probably be the last year it will happen. All this season, whenever we've gone to the grocery store or anywhere where there are Christmas decorations, the girls will say, "Hey, look! It's that kwimmus (Christmas) man!" I even pointed to a Santa one day the other week. "Who is that?" They exclaimed together, "Kwimmus man!" I love that they have no idea what his name is. But I must admit, I immediately started to get okay with the idea that they'd eventually learn his name when Claire pointed to his picture at a restaurant and proceeded to ask if we needed to get our drinks "over there, by God." Perhaps knowing him as Santa doesn't seem so sad after all. . .