Passing the Buck

...Or change actually. Meet Star. She is a 20-something purple pot belly who has a taste for metal. It has become tradition, really, that every Christmas when Grandpa Barnes comes to visit he brings Star full of change collected throughout the year. Then I empty the change through her slightly-too-small hole, send her back and sure enough the following Christmas she is full again.

After 20 years of practice I can empty this baby in about 35 minutes -- a huge improvement from the several hours it used to take me. Yes, practice really does make perfect. I have this down to such I science, I even know which spoons work best (ice cream) and which ones are wasting time (soup), and now, I'm passing the ritual on to Nora.

Last night we emptied her. Nora was so helpful, carefully picking up any coins I dropped and throwing them in the bucket. She didn't even try to eat any! Tomorrow, we'll take the change to the bank to see how much we have to open Nora's first savings account.

Trading Traditions Part 4: Giving More Than Gifts

First, I'd just like to note that while we are finishing up our packing this weekend and will be staying in Des Moines for Thanksgiving, this is the last holiday we will be spending away from family. Come Christmas we'll be settled and ready for the chaos to begin! And in future years, Charlie's 18-hour Black Friday schedule will no longer prevent us from having turkey dinner with those we are most thankful for.

This is part 4 of a four part entry on holiday traditions. I found this one to be highly appropriate for a Thanksgiving entry. I'd love for you to comment and share your favorite traditions of holidays past and the ones you want to start with your little ones in years to come.

Part 1: Christmas on Christmas Eve
Part 2: Back to the Basics
Part 3: A Toy for a Toy

4) Giving More Than Gifts. It's true the holiday's are a time of giving, but people are in need of much more than presents under the tree. Each December we are going to choose a place to volunteer as a family. Donating our time allows us a way to get out together during a season that usually encourages staying in and provides an opportunity for reflecting on how blessed we are to have what we have. Maybe we'll find a favorite place to volunteer each year or maybe we'll use the opportunity to help someone new -- what's important is that we are using our time to better the community in which we live and give gifts of food, hope, and warmth to those who do not have basic necessities.

Happy Thanksgiving all. See you soon!

Trading Traditions Part 3: A Toy for a Toy

This is part 3 of a four part entry on holiday traditions. I'd love for you to comment and share your favorite traditions of holidays past and the ones you want to start with your little ones in years to come.

Part 1: Christmas on Christmas Eve
Part 2: Back to the Basics

3) A Toy for a Toy. Much like an eye for an eye, for each gift Nora receives we plan to encourage her to pick one to give to kids in need. A new toy can replace an old one she doesn't play with anymore, and a new outfit can fill the hangar of clothes she has outgrown. Since they are her belongings, she also will get to pick which charity or organization she would like them to go to.

Trading Traditions Part 2: Back to the Basics

This is part 2 of a four part entry on holiday traditions. I'd love for you to comment and share your favorite traditions of holidays past and the ones you want to start with your little ones in years to come.

Part 1: Christmas on Christmas Eve

2) Back to the Basics. We have decided we don't want to overdo the consumerism side of holiday giving. I have no doubt in my mind that I will never be able to persuade our families to tone-down the gift giving because, well at 23 I'm still poked and prodded for a Christmas list every year despite my insistance that it is no longer necessary to spoil me rotten. Absurd amounts of gifts under the tree is just what they do (and hey, I'm not complainin!); however, at home, we have decided we prefer to just stuff stockings and then give one other very special gift. In part, this new tradition (and the one coming in #3) is inspired by our 625-square-foot house and the need to keep it simple, but I'm also hoping minimizing the materialistic aspect and broadening the act of giving will have a positive impact on her as she grows and learns what the holiday's are really about.

to be continued...

Trading Traditions Part 1: Christmas on Christmas Eve

I'm a planner. I'm a planner by trade and a planner by nature. I plan everything. I love the idea of spontaneity, but in reality it's stressful for me not to know what's going to happen next. Everything I do has a list; half the time my lists have lists.

This compulsive mindset carries over into my parenting frequently. I feel like I need to plan every week, decision, change, and lately, traditions, ahead of time. I can't help it. So with the holiday's fast approaching I've been doing a lot of thinking (read: planning) about how I hope to convey the meaning of the holidays and Christmas to Nora. This thinking has since translated into a list of traditions I would like to carry on and start with her each holiday season.

To spare you from having to spend a whole day reading my ramblings, I would like to share my list in four parts over the next four days as we lead into Thanksgiving. I'd love for you to comment and share your favorite traditions of holidays past and the ones you want to start with your little ones in years to come.

1) Chrismas on Christmas Eve. Growing up we always had so.much.to.do. that trying to fit everyone into one day of feasting and gift devouring just wasn't possible. Thus, we started celebrating at home on Christmas Eve. Of course the actual reason was because Santa couldn't possibly make it to everyone's house in one night so he had to visit us early, but I kind of get the side eye when I tell people that so my cover is that we just didn't have time to do it all in one day. Since Nora has inherited my HUGE multi-sided family and the Buskirks, we're most definitely going to have to continue the 2-day celebration tradition. Plus, as a kid, it's pretty cool to tell all your friends you get to open presents a day early.

to be continued...