Product reviews, parenting articles, and advice for first-time moms from the experiences of real-life mommies.

We decorated for Christmas this past weekend and of course had an absolute blast. We had the Christmas music playing while we unwrapped ornaments from Christmases long ago and put them on our live tree. (Love that fresh pine smell in my house!)

One of the many blessings that my parents gave me growing up was an ornament collection. Every year, my mom would give my sister and I another ornament, as well as getting them from school, etc… She would mark them with our initial and the year and then when we got married, she gave us our box of ornaments. It was so great to have a tree full of ornaments the first year we were married. Everyone always marvelled at all the ornaments, which seemed strange to me. Having known nothing else, I just figured every family did this. Now, I’m fully aware of how awesome my mom was to us girls (in more ways than one). Thanks, Mom.

So, when we were unpacking the ornaments this year, Kate was right there in the big middle of it all, of course. One of the first ornaments she reached for was a red reindeer that’s a little worse for the wear after DECADES of love.

I was just about to say something, when Shawn jumped in on my behalf. He quickly told Kate that this was a very special ornament and that Mommy had to hang it since it was her’s when she was a little girl. Then he gave Kate one of HER special ornaments to hang and then handed me my Rudolph. Gotta love a man who will protect your right to hang your favorite ornament on the tree every year!

When we finished decorating the tree and hanging the stockings, we pulled out the nativity scene that my grandmother made me when I was a teenager. Shawn had started a tradition a few years ago of telling the Christmas story as he and Kate placed each figure on the mantle. It’s always fun to hear a kid’s take on the whole story and hear the questions they can come up with. The first year he did it, Kate wasn’t even old enough to speak in sentences, but she would point at the mantle all through the Christmas season and say ‘baby Jesus’. Then last year, the funny thing was how she would say Mary’s husband’s name. He was ‘Jofus’ for a good year and a half!

So this year was no exception. When Shawn, Kate and Ethan were putting out the wisemen, Shawn was telling them about how they had brought gifts to the baby Jesus. Of course, Kate wanted to know what the gifts were. I’m sure she was thinking that a good gift would have been a ballerina barbie or something pink and shiny. So, Shawn listed off that this wiseman had brought gold and this one frankincense. As he was putting the third wiseman on the mantle, Kate said, “and this one brought pie. Cuz it wouldn’t be good without pie.” I guess that figurine must have looked to a 3 year old like he was holding pie in his hands. All I know is that I have a feeling this will be one of those stories and phrases that will continue through the years. I can just imagine us as a family years from now walking through a mall, or past a church’s nativity scene and talking about the 3 wisemen with their ‘gold, frankincense, and PIE!’. Thanks, Kate, for creating another family tradition!!!

BTW, if you want to see the rest of the pics of us decorating, check out this album on our family site… Happy Christmas Season everybody!!