Traditions are the things that make memories. Families are the things that make traditions. Yesterday was Black Friday, and Jill and Jessie were up at 4, and out of the house by 4:30. They met up with Jill's sister Jane, Jane's daughters, Katie and Kelly, and Jane's daughter -in-law, Jamie. They were in the store's by 5:30 and shopped til they dropped, finishing up around noon. Much money was saved. Many bargains were obtained, and a good time was had by all. The non-shopping spouses all descended on Jane and Mike's house after the shoppers returned home for a lunch of Sloppy Joes.
Once lunch was finished, each of the couples decorated a gingerbread house. Jane baked all the gingerbread and assembled the houses for us last week. Way too much candy was supplied, and the laughs were in good supply. This is a long standing tradition that goes back to when our girls were little. We would always go to Jane and Mike's, and the kids would decorate gingerbread houses. As they grew up, Jane baked more houses and the adults got involved too.
It is interesting to see how each house is decorated. Jill and I do adjacent sides and are pretty much traditionalists. (See above picture) My niece Kelly always puts on the most candy per square inch. Katie tends to go for the artistic. Last year she made a church with stained glass windows, achieved by melting gummy bears to get the translucent panels.
Garrett did most of the work on his and Jessie's house since Jess's time was being preempted by Benji. So, since Garrett is a Kansas City Chiefs fan, his house had a KC flavor to it, complete with a snowman being punted though goal posts. Andy Reid featured largely in this artistic endeavor as well.
As we decorated, Christmas music was playing in the background. As a "crowd favorite" Christmas carol or song came on the conversation stilled. As personal dislikes were played comments and laughter increased. Jill was lucky (?) enough to have two of her dislikes play back to back. All of us were scarred forever with the broadcast of that 1960s favorite "Dominic the Christmas Donkey." Jessie, poor girl, still has it stuck in her head today.
Hey! Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
It's Dominick the donkey.
Chingedy ching,
(hee-haw, hee-haw)
The Italian Christmas donkey.
(la la la-la la-la la la la la)
(la la la-la la-la la-ee-oh-da)
A dinner of Pizza and salad finished out the day and we went home around 7:30 or so. The shoppers were tired. Benji was out of sync because his routine was altered. Dash was glad to see us since he spent a long time in his crate. Jess and Jill hauled in their spoils from a successful day of shopping, regaled us with their shopping prowess, and told us again how much they saved.
To me this is what Christmas is all about. Those things that we do every year with family and friends. The laughter shared, the remembrances of "Gingerbread Houses of Christmases Past", comparisons of past shopping trips (it amazes me how they can remember in detail how much they saved and where they went in previous years.) and the more subdued dinner as tiredness sets in and begins to take it's toll.
Today, we will begin to put up Christmas decorations and get ready for Christmas 2013, and while this is a new Christmas, and Benji's first, attached to it will be connections to Christmases all the way back to 1952, as we carry on the traditions that in some cases started many years ago and those that have been added down through the years.
As Benji celebrates his first Christmas and I celebrate my 62nd, I have to wonder what traditions he will keep for his children and what ones will he add? What will his favorite Christmas songs be? Who knows, maybe it will be "Dominic the Donkey, " since Jess has been singing it to him all day.
If it is, it will be okay because we will all remember it started on his first Christmas.... and I am okay with that......
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