Wednesday, December 21, 2011

My Christmas "To Do" List

blog 2011

I grew up with parents who ran a small business.
As the small country town butchers,
mum and dad worked long hours,
which became unbelievably long hours as Christmas approached.

Dad made old fashioned hams in the smoke-house out the back of the shop
as well as catering for all other carnivorous requirements for the Christmas dinner table.
It made for a huge work load in the lead up till the time
that the last order got picked up late on Christmas Eve.

OND 2011

I don't remember spending a lot of time doing things as a family in the Christmas holidays.
I remember spending a lot of summer holidays with my grandparents.

As far as the lead up to Christmas,
I remember the local CFA decorating their fire trucks and driving down every road in our town
on Christmas Eve, sirens blaring,
Santa throwing lollies to the kids in their pyjamas who were gathering at the edges of the roads.
I remember Christmas Eves spent at the butcher shop
as the locals wandered in till quite late to pick up their orders
and staff, friends and associates would drop in for a drink and nibbles and a chat.

I have fond memories of those times.
I haven't grown up with a need for counselling
because I didn't make gingerbread cookies with my folks
or because we didn't drive around looking at Christmas light displays.

blog 2011

But, as a mum and as a somewhat compulsive person,
I have become quite dogged
about creating some Christmas traditions and rituals for my children.
They aren't anything extraordinary.
We go to a local pageant each year.
We decorate a gingerbread house and do some Christmas craft.
We donate presents to a charity tree.
We crank up the carols, put on our Santa hats
and decorate the tree and tinsel anything that isn't moving in the front yard.
We open an advent calendar each evening
and the children have a photo with Santa.
We cook some Christmas bickies.
We go out for gelati then drive to look at Christmas light displays.
Those sort of things.
I guess that I have a Christmas "To do" list.

I want my kids to look back at their childhood
and have some memories to hang on to.

2011 to be sorted

I have to say that I am gritting my teeth through some of them.
Some of them can be a chore or very, very trying.
But I am determined that they will be done
and they will be enjoyed- by the littlies, at least.
Because that is what it is all about.

All too soon, they won't want to be cutting out Christmas tree biscuits
and the magic of leaving out a plate for Santa will be long gone.

But, as a mum,
I hope that I will have left them with some memories
that, in time, will be something precious for them to hang onto.

OND 2011

2 comments:

dear olive said...

Yes, christmas traditions are part wonderful, part chore aren't they. But they are a lovely thing for a family to have, especially if your kids can laugh about them years later! Kellie xx

Mary said...

Hmm Christmas traditions, have to say I'm a bit slack in that department but we'll get there in the end. I remember the CFA truck though. We'd have to wait while it went all the way along a neighbouring rd where we could see and hear it. We were beside ourselves with excitement by the time it drove up our drive.