Skip to main content

Ask "theSwimMom" Holiday Edition

This year will by my husband and I's 14th Christmas together. It is difficult, sometimes, to belive that is even possible. It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating our first Christmas together. Six days before our second Christmas together we would have our fist child. Our second child was born 5 days before Christmas. We have one more that was born three days after Christmas. Only one of our children has a birthday in a month other then December.


It makes the Holiday's a pretty exciting, busy and at times overwhelming time of year for us. Through out the years we have created traditions embracing both the Christmas and the birthday part of our Holiday season. Creating those traditions has not always been an easy experience.


Like most newlyweds we rode the rough waters of what traditions to keep from our childhood. What traditions we couldn't live without. What traditions were essential to our happiness and to making sure that Christmas was just right. What traditions to create on our own.


When all has been said and done there remains only one tradition that can not be agreed upon. That is the tradition of stockings. In my husbands childhood household each Christmas they would take one of their socks and leave them out for Santa. At the toe of each sock was an orange and a few other items.


In my childhood home my mom had custom Christmas stockings made for each of us. They had our name embroderied in them. Each Christmas Eve we would take our stocking and leave it where we wanted Santa to leave our presents. Every Christmas morning we would find them stuffed full next to the presents left by Santa.


Every Christmas Eve Brent will tell the kids to run and get a sock while I look at him flabbergasted that we are having the same argument that we had last Christmas Eve.

 "We do not use our socks!" I exclaim. 

"We don't, I thought we did, what else would we use?" He will ask. 

For the millionth time I will yell, "We use the kid's Christmas stockings." 

Then he looks at me confused as if we have never once had this conversation. I look at him like he has to be kidding me because we have had this conversation at least a million and three times.

Maybe not that many but it seems like that many. By the time the kids go to bed their Christmas stockings are laid under the tree. By morning they are stuffed full of goodies with an orange in the toe.




This weekend after all the yummy food was ate we decorated the Christmas tree and pulled out the Christmas decorations. As I was hanging up the stockings it made me chuckle to realize that in 24 days I will be having the same argument with Brent that we have had for the past 11 years. I guess you can say it has become a tradition, a strange one, but a tradition none the less.

My question for you this week is, what childhood tradition have you not been able to let go of? Even though your spouse just doesn't get it and refuses to get it.

Just so you don't think Brent is the only one being stubborn, he has the tradition of eating shrimp cocktail every Christmas eve which I still don't get and I refuse to get.
Labels:

Comments

Scott and Stacy said…
One of the holiday traditions that I grew up with that Scott just doesn't seem to understand why I want to do it is getting the kids holiday clothes. We have the same argument, very similar to yours with the stockings. He doesn't seam to remember we did the same thing just the year before. It must be a Hutchinson thing. Scott has tried to do the socks for the stocking thing before but was shot down with that. I think that's just gross. Besides that my kids like the ankle socks, they'd get an orange and maybe one piece of candy.
December 1, 2008 at 5:23 PM
Willow said…
Stockings are the bane of my existance! Russell grew up with big, fancy, felty/quilted (depending on what his mom had made) stockings. They were stuffed with all kinds of small obnoxious things.... and candy! What kind of kid gets candy from Santa?

In my parents' home, we had caught on to the Santa gig. We knew we had no fireplace... we knew that old elf wouldn't be able to find a stocking lieing under the tree... we knew we were in trouble come Christmas morning unless we came up with a plan. It was decided, we would leave the door unlocked for Santa and he could leave our presents under and around the tree. The gifts were left in nice little piles... bikes were to be found near the piano... crayons, RC cars, and other toys would be stacked according to each child's deepest desires. Upon leaving us presents... Santa would kindly lock our front door.

I have yet to grasp the knick-knacky toys that Santa leaves in stockings. Luckily, Santa has been kind to me all these years and even though I have a stocking (my children insisted on it...bah humbug!), Father Christmas still leaves a small pile of delights for me beside the tree.
December 1, 2008 at 6:02 PM
Me, Myself and I said…
Right... I will refer you to that other post where I wrote a novel and then realized I was off subject. Yes, that comment should be here.

Anyway, my favorite line of this is the dumbfounded husband, "We don't, I thought we did, what else would we use?" Let's see if he tries that for the 14th time this year, since it worked so well the first 13 times. Hahahahahaha. Ahhh. Hahaha.
December 1, 2008 at 7:34 PM
Carskiley said…
Brad and I have agreed on pretty much every Christmas tradition, and they all come from me, I don't think his family is that big on tradition. Every year since we've been married, we have had breakfast at the races on Christmas morning, and every year Brad's mom says, are you sure we do that I don't remember that ever being a tradition. What Ever.
December 1, 2008 at 9:09 PM
Sharonda and Zaron said…
Zaron didn't really have too many Christmas traditions growing up, except for one. So it hasn't been too hard to adjust except for the first few years of marriage with that one tradition that he had. In Mexico, Santa isn't really big, but the three kings are (the three wise men). The three kings, not Santa come and bring presents about six days after Christmas. He really wanted to hang onto this tradition once we started having kids, but I was very resistent. I suppose I should have been more understanding. Nope, I wanted Santa.
December 2, 2008 at 7:16 AM
Heather Bowles said…
Well Mitch did not have to many traditions or if he did he has not mentioned them to me, so we pretty much just do what I want, we have stockings and they do get filled will all kinds of junk. Santa does try and fill them with toothbrushes and other helpful things as well though. One thing that I do insist on is that every present is wrapped and the big ones that the kids really wanted get opened very last. We never eat breakfast first, we always open presents first and eat tons of candy while we do it. Then we try and fit some good food in later.
December 2, 2008 at 9:05 AM
Louise said…
Well, me and my husband's Christmas traditions are somewhat similar. However, in his family they eat SUCH large Christmas-lunches and SUCH large dinners and overspend on presents and it all feels over the top year after year and I am seconds from stepping onto a soap box and get into a serious rant about my in-laws. LOL. But really, they MEGA-celebrate if you know what I mean, whereas my own family are a little more discreet. I always think they do too much and he always think we do too little in my family. But I want it that way and he wants it the other way. Hmmm. Guess that is why we sometimes celebrate the evening of the 24th with out respective families and then get together on the 25th...did that sound weird?

Lou
December 2, 2008 at 10:21 AM
Louise said…
with out in my above comment should read WITH OUR
December 2, 2008 at 10:22 AM
4kidsandcrazy said…
Nate pretty much goes along with whatever I want. Our biggest argument is that he just doesn't care as much as I do, and I want him too. Santa fills the stockings with dumb little toys and some practical ones. He leaves one present and the rest are from Mom and Dad. We NEVER eat before presents and candy for breakfast is the norm!
December 3, 2008 at 8:54 AM
Anonymous said…
I was blog hopping looking for Christmas traditions and found your blog. Gotta be honest, I was kinda taken aback by your question.....I don't "get" all of my husbands traditions, but I still try to be understanding. There is usually some story or reason behind traditions and its fun for kids to do something that a parent did or grandparent did....Maybe instead of trying to "get it" you join in and have more traditions! How fun to learn new things! :)
December 3, 2008 at 9:29 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

At my Age

I saw this quote the other day and had to smile. It has been interesting finishing school at my age. I have had this feeling more than once that I am a little old, and finishing school is something I should have done a long time ago. Usually I remind myself that we all have our own paths to take in life. My path had me marry at 19 and become the mother of four beautiful rug rats by 27. Marriage and children defined me more than anything. I became more aware of my talents and abilities. I really didn't know who I was before I became a wife and mother. Waiting until now to finish my degree gave me time to figure out who I am. Well, at least to have a better idea of who I am. I love being in a classroom, I love learning, and I love helping others learn. My inner nerd does little happy dances every time I learn something new. Each person on this planet has their own God given talents. We have a responsibility to find our talents and to make the world a better place. How old you are wh...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pinewood Derby or Bust!

If there is one thing that Brent and I both agree on.  One thing that we both believe is essential to the proper development, growth, and raising of a son. That no boyhood would be complete with out.  It would be participation in the Pinewood Derby.   Yes, on this one thing Brent and I are in total agreement.  A boyhood is not a true boyhood until a boy has built a pinewood derby car and then competed in a pinewood derby.  It is that important!  I'm sorry if you have never had the opportunity to live in a house filled with the air of pinewood derby. If you have never had the opportunity of watching a father stand to the side as his son uses HIS power tools. The opportunity to take a chunk of wood and see that inside the wood is the makings of a CAR.   You wonder why men are so obsessed with cars, with how there made, and how fast they go.  Well if you have ever brought home a pinewood derby box kit to a home with boys and men all your questions would be answered. Once the car is b...
3 comments
Read more

The Kids Today

S. is now 11 years old and is counting down the days until she turns 12. She is in the fifth grade and says math is her favorite subject. She stays pretty busy with swimming and soccer. This past year in addition to a regular AYSO team she has been competing on an All Star Team. She has really enjoyed it and is really looking forward to a tournament that will take place in Hawaii this July. She still loves swimming and is still competing when she can. A. is 9 years old and is the professor of the house.  He is our silent man whose brain is in constant motion.  He reads and reads and reads and soon will read me out of house and home.  He enjoys video and computer games, and he loves playing sports.  In January he made the city swim team and continues to play soccer, basketball, and anything that I let him.  Al will soon be eight.  As in next week soon.  The best part of school she says is 3:25 when pressed for a better answer than that she say...
Post a Comment
Read more