Traditions

You should check out Claire's Christmas Light post. It's a fun one.

I suppose we all have our own ways of celebrating or getting into the spirit at this hectic time of the year.

I myself haven't put up a Christmas tree for about the last 7 years. Pretty hard to believe if you knew how much I used to love this holiday. But my December working schedule is brutal and I don't even do my Christmas shopping until the inn closes which is a few days before Christmas.

But when I was little it was a whole different story. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer was made into the TV special when my sister and I were little. Then came Charlie Brown's Christmas and our all time favorite, The Grinch. (Sorry but I never liked Frosty the Snow Man and I was glad when he melted.)

We lived for our Christmas shows so you can imagine how excited I was when my kids were finally old enough to enjoy these wonderful classics.

My son, who's the oldest was just fine with watching TV with me, especially if it involved snacks.

And then there were my daughters.

They were about three and four the night that Rudolph was to be on TV and old enough, I thought, to appreciate my effort at starting our own little family tradition. I made sure everyone was bathed and wrapped up in blankets and then waited for the fun to begin.

I hoped they would remember it for years to come.



Unfortunately, they did.

It started when Rudolph left home and became lost. That's when I realized that Baby Girl was crying.

Why?

Because, she explained as she sobbed and bawled, "Rudolph needs his mudder!"

She didn't stop crying until the show was over.

Then I thought Vet Tech Girl was going to have a stroke when The Bumble (Abominable Snow Man) fell off the cliff with Yukon Cornelius.

She didn't give a hoot about poor old Cornelius, she was upset over The Bumble.

I pointed out to her that the Bumble survived and even helped pass out Christmas presents, and wasn't that nice?

But she still wasn't having any of it. "Sure!" she shouted. "How would you like it if someone yanked your teeth out?! You'd be nice too!"

To this day neither one will watch this show.

Frankly? I feel that family traditions are highly over rated.