Hi everyone. Today I wanted to sit down and share what kinds of things I enjoy doing around the holidays. Things have changed a lot over the years from when I was a kid. But that doesn’t mean we don’t celebrate. We just don’t go all out and crazy for every holiday.
Halloween -
October has become a busy month since they started doing Trunk or Treats around town at small businesses. They usually start about the middle of the month and go until the night of Halloween. This year we didn’t do as many as we usually do because of the boys being naughty and my mom having knee surgery.
Halloween night Ben, the boys, and I went to a trunk or treat across town for the first thirty minutes. Then we went to Sergeant Bluff, Iowa to go house to house. It was busy and cars were everywhere. The boys lasted until 7:30 PM because they got so cold. We ended up calling it a night so they could come home and wind down. They were on a sugar rush by the time I got home from the drive across town.
Thanksgiving -
Thanksgiving is right around the corner and we plan to do what we have done for the last two years. We are going to have a small family dinner with my mom, Ben, the boys, and I. Not sure if we are going to have a prime rib or roast this year. I can’t eat ham because of the salt, so we are switching things up this year. Plus, I don’t want to spend all day cooking.
Later that night, after everyone is tired from the food we usually dust the entire living room and put up the Christmas decorations. Not sure if we will get the tree up that night but usually we do. The boys love decorating the tree and Teddy our corgi loves stealing the ordainments off the tree.
This year Ben has to work Black Friday and one day on the weekend. But I don’t plan to do any actual shopping that weekend. If I do it will be online with fellow authors, small businesses, and maybe Amazon. I mainly do it this way because the stores don’t carry enough of a variety of things to pick from anymore. You can get all you need online and have it delivered to you. Since I am disabled and have issues walking long distance that is a big key to why I shop online. Plus, I don’t enjoy going alone anywhere so I can’t expect my mom or Ben to go with me because he is working, and she has issues with her knee.
Christmas -
Leading up to Christmas is always fun. I got a mixer two years ago and all my grammy’s recipes. We will gather on the weekend and make treats for the holidays. I plan to get the boys more involved this year. Last time we did banana bread Zeek pushed the speed dial too fast and had flower all over me and the kitchen. He was upset, but I went from shocked to laughing. Then he got over it. This year I plan to make their favorite brownies and maybe a cake. But I am not sure.
Christmas we usually do the one with my mom on Christmas Eve. Then Christmas day Ben and I do Santa presents in the morning with the boys. Not sure how many more years we have with Santa but it is fun to see how excited the boys get over Santa’s presents. We keep a few from Ben and I that we give to them on Christmas day. Then we spend the day relaxing and winding down from the holidays. It is major burn out by the time things get over with.
New Year’s Day -
We don’t have regular TV so we don’t watch the ball drop. I barely can stay up until 10 o’clock on regular nights let alone a holiday. The boys half the time are down at Gram Grams (Ben’s Mom’s Place) or we are doing some kind of activity to keep them from destroying the apartment.
This year it is going to be lying low and trying to keep our heads straight with everything going on. I’m looking forward to the holidays to be done by this point and I am happy when school starts back up.
What holiday traditions do you do with your family? Do you travel or stay home? Share your traditions in the comments. Look forward to seeing what you have to say.
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