Wednesday, December 22, 2010

makin' memories...

One Christmas when i was little, we weren't feeling great & hadn't made any huge plans - so my parents went out & rented a VCR (yep... i'm 34...) & all the Star Trek movies - plus as an added bonus, the Planet of the Apes movie too. We had our own strange sci fi family movie marathon.
The funniest part?
i totally love that memory.
Sometimes it doesn't have to be 'traditional' to be fun.
i struggle sometimes with the lack of "Christmas cheer" in our house.
i know it'a just a part of who i am - & i've come to realize that i gotta have the freedom to be me...
but i do find the outside pressure sometimes overwhelms me... & i feel guilty for my inability to create the "Christmas" that you just *feel* when you walk in some houses...
& so - in honour of the unorthodox Star Trek Christmas of my childhood, i will tell you about our family's tiny holiday tradition.
A few years ago - i bemoaned the fact that we always travel for Christmas. My littles don't remember a Christmas where we didn't travel. i felt a desire to create something - just for us - a little celebration that didn't include packing up the Silver Fox - and becoming guests.
i think the idea for our party originated in Superstore - of all places. Neil & i were shopping & teasing each other about name brand versus no name... We decided to buy one of each and have a taste test to decide which item was better... Then we decided - better yet - to have a taste test party. We'd buy several items in both name brand - and non - and *that* would be our party theme.
We bought a movie - and had intermissions where Neil & i would come in with trays of appies - & each time we'd take a vote, which one was better.
Our no name "apple beverage" versus Sun Rype real fruit juice - served in tiny communion cups from the dollar store. Oreos versus "chocolate sandwich cookies", Old Dutch potato chips against President's choice... a tiny binge of junk - that didn't involve any prep...
but created a memory.
& ya - it's not this gorgeous flaming memory that will stand as an example for every generation that follows...
But one day - when my littles have littles of their own & they're baking homemade gingersnaps while the tea kettle sings on the stove - maybe they'll tell their little ones about their ridiculous Christmas party - where none of it was home made - but they'll say,
"The funniest part?
i totally love that memory..."

6 comments:

farm_girl_4_jesus said...

I love the memories that seem so weird, yet totally stand out to you. I have quite a few of those :)

Jen said...

So, is brand name better?
:)
That sounds like a totally fun idea!!!
One day when we need a new tradition or just something to do on a cold winters night, I'm gonna try that!
My fun memory from my childhood is when my Mom would put on a 'Mystery Supper'. Can't wait for my kids to be older to do that one!

stephanie said...

I am looking forward to this being the first year of many where a new tradition is created. We are doing no visiting on Christmas Eve for the first time EVER!

paige said...

j - depends - real fruit juice is better, but no name rice krispy squares. Real oreos, but no name bbq chips... :) 's why it works every year - there are so many things to sample :P

Marcy Payne said...

I think we each can make our own unique memories. Not everyone is crafty and home baking every year. We hardly home made anything this year, and you know what? It was my most relaxed Christmas by far! We just did what we could. We have made some traditions that are "just ours" too. I LOVE your tradition!! I think it rocks. We don't get to travel right at Christmas because my dh is a pastor and needs to be there for the services, but I am beginning to like just being us on Christmas Eve and Day.

mamalena said...

HA...As much as I am liable for the Planet of the Apes/Star treck Christmas (we were all down with the flu) I have also been able at times to pull off the "instant Christmas feeling" atmosphere. The problem with that is...that the expectation of that perfect feeling is often a sourse of the huge dissappointment and depression of the Christmas season for a lot of people. I have become one of those "esteem every day the same" people. I say.. let's all lower the bar with regard to some of those artificial (and usually economics fueled) atmospheric expectations. Maybe we could then lower the seasonal suicide rate...or at a minimum...the rate of tylenon consumption...haha...(at least I didn't use the word "humbug")

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