Awwwww you girls are gonna make me have a little cry. Thank you for all the warm fuzzies
. I really appreciate it.
Traditions at times like Christmas are hugely important for children. The year after the "fire" it was Christmas eve, I was 5 and my brother was 15 and he was stuck at home babysitting me while my parents were, you guessed it, at the pub. There was no Christmas tree at all. We lived on the Gold Coast in a rental across from the beach and my brother ran across the road and pulled out a small "pine" tree that night and came home and we cut up a Target bag, do you remember the paper target bags that had the red cirles on them. We hung the red circles on the tree as decorations.
Again as a parent looking back at those children, I am so saddened that any child would spend a Christmas eve like that. I don't feel so much sad for myself, but more as a parent looking at a child having those experiences and thinking how awful.
But then I am reminded that there are so many children who have had/do have worse childhoods than myself and it makes me really sad. I don't kid myself that I had it as bad as many.
I know how important putting up a Christmas tree is and how important doing simple tasks with the kids are, year after year because I didn't have it. Traditions, however boring, give children the feeling of stability and safety. My friends often tease me about how "over the top" I am at Christmas and boy there are times when I curse myself for creating all of these yearly traditions. Sometimes they feel like a noose around my neck as our lives get busier and busier but I still make time for them and try to live in the moment when they are happening because I genuinely know that they are the things that confident, well balanced grown ups are made of. I am none of those things but I sure hope my efforts result in those qualities in my children.
When I was growing up I spent alot of time watching old movies. You know the classics like White Christmas with Bing Crosby, anything Doris Day, Judy Garland, those sweet classics. I escaped alot into movies and wanted that picture postcard existence. Of course it's not real but my favourites were always the Christmas movies. Many dreams were born from watching those movies. So once I was a mother and able to create magical Christmas's I tried my very hardest. As the children get older I know some things will have to fall by the wayside, but many things will stay the same and my kids will always look forward to them. And when they have their own children and start creating their own traditions, wow won't that be an amazing thing.
Gosh I didn't mean to get so mushy and philosophical about Christmas, this is supposed to be a stress relieving thread
. Soapbox drama over people. On to the fun stuff.
Christmas this year - I have a few things put aside for the kids that we will take away with us and DD14 has mentioned she would like to forego tradition Christmas items for clothes and shopping. DS10 who is my "believer" will be happy with whatever I'm sure. It will be a little more complicated to make the magic happen but make the magic happen I will.
Me - I would like to shop for some new sunglasses, perfume and watch. I would also like a new engagement ring but DH doesn't seem as keen as me on that one so I'll likely just settle for the sunglasses
don't think Santa will deliver that one this year.
my idea of stress free
.
. As a parent myself now I just can't help shaking my head 
.
