Christmas Traditions

As the clock ticks down to Christmas day, I am reflecting on traditions of the past that I have kept and new traditions that I am starting with my children. When I was a child my mother would read us the story "Santa Mouse Where are You", then on Christmas morning we would get up and search the Christmas tree for a small package tied with yellow ribbon. I still do this for my daughters, but we now also ask "Santa Where are you?" and spend time the day before Christmas tracking the progress of Santa on the NORAD website They push back bedtime until they have seen that Santa has successfully made it to the United States and is on his way to their house. Both girls are sure that Santa may not be real but they love the fun of the traditions and so we put out snacks for Santa and Santa Mouse hang our stockings and wait each Christmas eve for morning to come. My favorite tradition is the one that made my parents smile the most, waiting in my bed in the morning and listening as my children "QUIETLY" sneak out to see if Santa made it through the snow of Seattle this year ( usually not a problem). Each of these small traditions bring the memory of my parents back to me and fill me with the joy of a child on Christmas morning all over again.