Traditions

It is that time of year again, when families and friends follow yearly traditions. Having recently attended a "home party" for making family traditions I was brought to the realization that we really don't have any. When asked what we do for traditions, all I could say was, "Uhhh, eat turkey on TG, celebrate Easter when the rest of the world doesn't (Pascha) and fast on Christmas (old calendar)" Pretty uneventful. Well I became this consultants best customer-I started stocking up on tradition planning paraphenalia. My kids 7 and 9 are craving family tradition and family time. One thing we have now is called the "family fun box". In it are small slips of paper that the whole family has contributed. The idea is to take an idea from the box and do that activity as a family. Now mind you everyone has written their ideas on these papers so they range from, playing baseball at a local park to taking a death march (long walk) with Mommy. From having a picnic on a Wednesday to taking a family nap (Hermans idea). We haven't yet pulled a paper though, I'm kind of scared. I really don't want to have to play "spies building forts in the bushes" or freezing my patutty off pretending to enjoy a picnic in the middle of a rain storm. I may try to put in a "read a good book in your own room for 3 hours" slip, but I think Tansy (9) will catch on to that one. Another cool thing I have though is called "lessons for little ones" Becket asked if he was one of the little ones. These are monthly ideas that come with a little recipe, craft project, idea and frame. So for TG this year we may start a new tradition- a real one. As people show up to your house you give them a slip of paper to write one thing they are thankful for on. Then you take those slips and bake them into rolled up crescent rolls ( haven't checked the catch on fire aspect yet) then at dinner each person takes a roll and reads what was written, then they try and figure out who wrote it. Another idea is to have a small card set at each place with a pen. Each person write a short thank you note to someone. These are put in stamped envelopes and taken to the mailbox as a family. You take a picture of everyone holding their cards to be sent and put it in the frame. Kind of cute, ok hokey for Herman and me to do but the kids will eat it up. We are anticipating inviting a neighbor who we don't know this year. Not sure how he'll feel about these "traditions" but maybe it will become a tradition to have him back each year. I guess it doesn't have to take a whole lot of planning, sometimes the tradition may just walk through your front door.