So, I was going to order the Elf on the Shelf book today, but I started reading the reviews and completely changed my mind. For starters, the babies are too young for it right now, which I knew they were, but I figured they would grow into it. Well, some people were saying that right around the time their kids were old enough to understand the story and actually hunt for the elf was also right around the time they were able to realize that the elf was just a toy, which defeats the whole purpose. Other people were saying that the elf just scared their children, which he does look kind of creepy, and saying that the fact that he's "watching them" just creeped their kids out.
Also, I have never read the story before, but apparently the story tells kids that they are bad. I don't want my children thinking they are bad, and I don't need a fake elf to help me keep my children in line, which is what this thing is supposedly for. I just thought hunting for the elf everyday (from the beginning of Dec. until Christmas) would have been a fun idea, but after reading the reviews I'm thinking $30 is wayyy to much for a creepy game of hide and seek with hidden scare your kid into being good undertones..
So that tradition is not going to be a tradition in our home.
As for other traditions..
--We are going to do the ornaments. Every year we will get a family ornament and each child will get to pick out an ornament that they like to represent themselves that year.
-- We are going to decorate the Christmas tree together every year. I always loved doing that when I was a kid.
-- I was going to do Polar Express on Christmas Eve (I ordered it today), which is what we are going to do for a few years, but once both of the babies are old enough we are going to change up that tradition. We are fortunate enough to live near a place that actually does the Polar Express. The Chattanooga ChooChoo does it every Dec. It's a 75 minute train ride to the "North Pole" and back. On the way to the North Pole the kids get chocolate milk and cookies while they are read the Polar Express book, then at the North Pole, Santa comes on the train. I figure we will watch the movie and then go do that once they are older. It's $24 per person for anyone over one year old, so if we are going to spend basically $100 I want them to be old enough to actually enjoy and remember it.
-- We are going to have a Christmas family portrait made every year.
-- On Christmas Eve we are going to back cookies together. Real, homemade cookies. We are going to eat some and leave some for "Santa." And I'm thinking I may also get them each a set of pajamas that they can open and wear on Christmas Eve until Christmas morning every year.
-- On Christmas they will have a scavenger hunt for their big present. My mom did this with me, and it made Christmas even more fun! It made opening presents last longer and even more fun. She would always have one present that I couldn't open until last. In that box there would be a clue that lead me to the car, mailbox, fridge, under the bed, or something like that where there would be another clue, and so forth on until I ended up at my big present. I always loved doing that on Christmas, and I want to do it for my kids too. I think Grace is still young this year, but I am hoping she will be old enough next year.
So, these are our Christmas traditions that we are going to have.
That is a neat idea, a scavenger hunt. How did your Mom do it? Like clues or what?
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! I didn't know they did a Polar Express thing! I want to take Samantha! Gosh, so much cool stuff to do and I didn't even know about it.
Are you guys going back to that stand in the mall for your ornaments again? I really don't want to go back there, because last time it was like $60.00 for 3 ornaments. But they are the only place I can find with nice ornaments. WalMart always has junk.
She would have a piece of paper that told me where to go... like say it sadi "go to the fridge." Then there would be another clue in the fridge that told me to go somewhere else and so on until I ended up at my present.
ReplyDeleteThe Polar Express thing is supposedly a lot of fun, but it's expensive, so we aren't going to pay that much until they can remember that lol.
We want to get our family ornament there, and probably Brentley's first ornament. I'll let Grace pick hers from wherever she wants. Hallmark has some cute ones, but they are expensive too.
That is pretty neat that she did that.
ReplyDeleteYah. It sounds awesome! I want to look into it for next year. I am just afraid Samantha won't believe in Santa much longer. She has been telling me he isn't real since last year. Yet, she gets excited when she gets to "see Santa."
Eh. I hate how expensive ornaments are. :/
You could do an advent calendar. You can make one or buy them. There are various ways to do them. I did it when the kids were little. They looked forward to see what the picture was and they got a hershey kiss.
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