This week's theme for "Ten on Tuesday" is 10 Superstitions,Traditions, or Personality Quirks. Well, since we just heard about my "quirks", I've decided to do 10 traditions:
1. Mother's Day: Since I have been divorced, Mother's Day has been kind of tricky. Without a husband to take the kids shopping, we have had to get creative. It's not that I HAVE to have a gift, it's just that it disappoints the younger kids if they don't have anything to give me. Some years I have taken them to Target, given money to Joseph and Rachael, given them some ideas, and gone the other direction while they "surpise shop" for me. Other years, my generous parents have taken them shopping and let them pick something out. (Someday I hope a thoughtful and generous person will help them pool their resources and get me a pink iPod..hint, hint) But one tradition that has stood the test of time is that I have to pretend to sleep late (this can be difficult when you're a person who always has to pee as soon as she wakes up) so they can make me breakfast. Usually it's cold toast with butter and jelly, scrambled eggs, and juice.
2. Birthdays: Orange danish rolls are always made on the morning of a birthday. Other special foods may be present, but orange danish rolls must be made. There will also be a wrapped gift waiting. I don't know exactly how orange danish rolls from Pillsbury became the "special" breakfast, but it is.
3. Last day of school: I find a way to pick them up (which can be tricky since I should be at MY school. Luckily we rarely have the same last day.) and we go to Zesto's for ice cream.
4. Sometime in the summer: We always go, as a family, to see whatever Disney or Pixar movie is coming out to the drive-in. Friends are welcome, but we all go. We bring popcorn, drinks and snacks with us, but a visit to the snack bar for an ice cream treat is a must.
5. First day of school: I always make orange danish rolls on the first day of school, and we always take pictures on the front porch. The teenagers don't even argue about it. They know we're going to do it. And for the younger ones (now only Aaron), I park and go inside and take a few pictures of the kids.
6. Halloween: After we have lit the pumpkins and put the candy in a bowl, we troop up and down our street. Joseph and/or Rachael man the candy bowl, although in younger years, I have done it while they walked together. Our street is short and I can see them well in either direction. But it is a tradition for us, after we have done our street, to leave the candy in the bowl with a note to "Help Yourself" and pile in the car to go to Grandma and Grandpa's street. We are as well-known there as we are on our own street.
7. Halloween and Christmas: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is always watched together as a family sometime in late October. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is always watched together as a family sometime in December. It is a tradition which must NOT be trifled with. I am a serious Charlie Brown fan.
8. St. Nicholas Day: St. Nicholas Day is December 6. The night before, all the children put a shoe outside their bedroom door. Regardless of whatever else he might bring, St. Nicholas always brings an orange and a candy cane. Always.
9. Christmas trees: Until 2 years ago when the farm closed, we always went to the same Christmas tree farm WAY out in the country. They had a horse-pulled wagon that took us all over the fields. The horses knew the way so well that the driver would always let some kid "drive". He would let us off somewhere, wherever we wanted, and we would tromp up and down the rows looking for the perfect tree. After we had picked one out, and sawed it down, we would drag it back to the horse path and wait for the wagon to come backaround to pick us up. Then while the tree was being baled, we would get hot cider and buy an apple for the horses.
10. Christmas Eve: We go to mass as a family on Christmas Eve and then we head up to my parents' for really good food. Then "Santa" always comes to Grandma and Grandpa's house somehow while we're eating. Explanation: Santa is so busy during the night that he has to go to the grandparents' houses earlier in the evening.
1. Mother's Day: Since I have been divorced, Mother's Day has been kind of tricky. Without a husband to take the kids shopping, we have had to get creative. It's not that I HAVE to have a gift, it's just that it disappoints the younger kids if they don't have anything to give me. Some years I have taken them to Target, given money to Joseph and Rachael, given them some ideas, and gone the other direction while they "surpise shop" for me. Other years, my generous parents have taken them shopping and let them pick something out. (Someday I hope a thoughtful and generous person will help them pool their resources and get me a pink iPod..hint, hint) But one tradition that has stood the test of time is that I have to pretend to sleep late (this can be difficult when you're a person who always has to pee as soon as she wakes up) so they can make me breakfast. Usually it's cold toast with butter and jelly, scrambled eggs, and juice.
2. Birthdays: Orange danish rolls are always made on the morning of a birthday. Other special foods may be present, but orange danish rolls must be made. There will also be a wrapped gift waiting. I don't know exactly how orange danish rolls from Pillsbury became the "special" breakfast, but it is.
3. Last day of school: I find a way to pick them up (which can be tricky since I should be at MY school. Luckily we rarely have the same last day.) and we go to Zesto's for ice cream.
4. Sometime in the summer: We always go, as a family, to see whatever Disney or Pixar movie is coming out to the drive-in. Friends are welcome, but we all go. We bring popcorn, drinks and snacks with us, but a visit to the snack bar for an ice cream treat is a must.
5. First day of school: I always make orange danish rolls on the first day of school, and we always take pictures on the front porch. The teenagers don't even argue about it. They know we're going to do it. And for the younger ones (now only Aaron), I park and go inside and take a few pictures of the kids.
6. Halloween: After we have lit the pumpkins and put the candy in a bowl, we troop up and down our street. Joseph and/or Rachael man the candy bowl, although in younger years, I have done it while they walked together. Our street is short and I can see them well in either direction. But it is a tradition for us, after we have done our street, to leave the candy in the bowl with a note to "Help Yourself" and pile in the car to go to Grandma and Grandpa's street. We are as well-known there as we are on our own street.
7. Halloween and Christmas: "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is always watched together as a family sometime in late October. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is always watched together as a family sometime in December. It is a tradition which must NOT be trifled with. I am a serious Charlie Brown fan.
8. St. Nicholas Day: St. Nicholas Day is December 6. The night before, all the children put a shoe outside their bedroom door. Regardless of whatever else he might bring, St. Nicholas always brings an orange and a candy cane. Always.
9. Christmas trees: Until 2 years ago when the farm closed, we always went to the same Christmas tree farm WAY out in the country. They had a horse-pulled wagon that took us all over the fields. The horses knew the way so well that the driver would always let some kid "drive". He would let us off somewhere, wherever we wanted, and we would tromp up and down the rows looking for the perfect tree. After we had picked one out, and sawed it down, we would drag it back to the horse path and wait for the wagon to come backaround to pick us up. Then while the tree was being baled, we would get hot cider and buy an apple for the horses.
10. Christmas Eve: We go to mass as a family on Christmas Eve and then we head up to my parents' for really good food. Then "Santa" always comes to Grandma and Grandpa's house somehow while we're eating. Explanation: Santa is so busy during the night that he has to go to the grandparents' houses earlier in the evening.
So that's MY "Ten on Tuesday". What are some of YOUR traditions?
J.
7 comments:
I loved reading about your traditions! Great meme! I think I'm going to head to my site and do it too!
Have a Great Night! ;)
Man, you've got all the holidays and birthdays organized! What are you going to do when Joseph is off at college? Everybody drive up and have the orange danishes in his dorm room?
Yeah, you will. ;-)
Tookie - Thanks! It was fun to think of all of them.
Jay - It's not something I deliberately organized, they are just things that have evolved over the years. As for what to do when Joseph is off at college, gosh I don't know. It is a little scary for me.
J.
You have a lot of family traditions. Very important. Good for you!
My husband absolutely ADORES those orange danish rolls...
And I miss drive-ins. I hear they're making a comeback - and I'd love if one would come back here!
I always wear all black on Halloween. And we also take our dog out trick or treating in full costume with the kids. People tend to give dogs who are dressed up dog treats.
Craig - Thanks. Funny how so many of them revolve around holidays.
Sayre - I knew that man had good taste. Why don't you drive up here sometime and we'll take you and Z-boy to ours?
Eatmisery - Some people dress in all black all the time. Are you sure that's a tradition? LOL.
J.
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