Christmas around here brings with it a lot of excitement.
On a daily basis – if not several times a day, really – you can hear Zach say , “I’m so excited for Christmas!” He then makes sure everyone around him is excited too. He’s caught me a few times being a bit of a bah-humbug and lectures me about “How could I not be excited for Christmas?”
I am, I am. I just need to get feeling more Christmasy. Today we decorate our house, so that will help:)
Sam and Zandra had the movie “Elf” playing all day yesterday too – and that certainly brings in some good Christmas cheer!
What also helps is thinking back on the year we have had and writing some recaps, so I will get started on that. (Note: I didn’t say I will try to do that as that might imply I’m not going to get around to doing it. So, I’ll just do it:)
The other thing that helps is getting all the Christmas traditions in full swing…. And I will also share some of those.
It’s no secret that I think traditions rock. And in a blended family, they become the foundation – and you need to build your foundation on rocks!
So, in the spirit of thinking back of good things this past year and in sharing some traditions, I’ll share with you a new one we started this year called “Grandparent letters.”
Buying gifts can be really challenging for grandparents. Especially from the grand kids. Last year we were racking our brains trying to come up with something; something we hadn’t already done a million times and something meaningful. It’s hard! We are also pretty big into gifts from the heart around here too. Yes, we buy gifts for each other, but I prefer gifts of activities, time, and talent – so there’s a strong push for that:)
We came up with the idea of creating a box for my Mom (Gran) and Rob’s parents (Grammie and Grandpy) and decorating it and giving it to them. It was a “love letter box.”
We then told them that every week, for the next year, one grandchild would send them each a letter by mail. A little way to stay connected, (even though Rob’s parents are relatively close, we thought a letter would still be fun.)
I made it easy for the kids to do it each week. I filled a bag with notecards and envelopes. In the bag was also their grandparents’ addresses and I kept a full supply of stamps on hand. I would then remind someone to write the note. I kept track of who did it when in my agenda as I quickly figured out I needed to do that! Occasionally Rob or I did the note. Occasionally, we missed a week, but we just started back up the following week.
I wish I got pictures of some of those cards. I read a few, and my Mom shared a few that she said made her howl with laughter. My kids are pretty funny. And the cuteness of their creative spelling is sometimes too much.
I remember Josh writing one that said to Grammie and Grandpy:
“Have a God Holy day”
It was around Easter, but it surprised me how religious he was with them!
Actually, he informed me that he wrote:
“Have a good holiday!”
Priceless!
He also calls my sister “Auntie Di” (long story – her name is Sarah) and my Mom gets a kick out of him asking about “Die”.
Most of the time, the kids write about their week, what happened in school, their sports etc. But they are usually quite creative.
Often, following the letter, Gran or/and Grammie gives them a call, or sends them an email to thank them, and it becomes a way to stay even more connected!
It has been a big success! I wasn’t planning on it becoming a tradition, but my Mom has strongly hinted that she loved her gift from last year and would like the same thing again.
We’ll have to wait and see what Santa brings her…..
I love it and sounds like the perfect gift to me. And hope that Santa brings Grandma what she wants now!! 🙂
Janine Huldie recently posted…The Christmas Season Is Upon Us Wrap-Up
That is SUCH a great idea!!!!!! I can only imagine how much it warmed their hearts to receive a letter every week from a grandchild!!
I seriously don’t think I or my kids could keep up with that… but wow, it makes me think we NEED to do this. Be intentional and make it happen!
Thanks for sharing such a wonderful idea!! 🙂
Chris Carter recently posted…Devotional Diary: Women’s Devotional
I love this idea! I think my mother would happily live forever without ever getting another gift from my kids – but getting letters instead. I know I would LOVE the letters myself. From anyone in my family!
Ilene recently posted…The Bridge
Leah, this is great!! My kids and their grandparents. Whoa, that bond. I usually do photos for holiday gifts because hey, they’re professional quality and all!
I haven’t been feeling the holiday spirit yet. I get hints of it but nothing has bowled me over yet. I wonder if I’m too stressed and just need to chill. I have scheduled some major Santa events in the next week or so. I can’t wait for the anvil of holiday cheer to fall on my head!
Tamara recently posted…Those Crazy, Stressful Holiday Times.
What a great idea!! My boys don’t really have grandparents that we would do that with but I would have loved that idea with my own grandparents! I’m trying to figure out some meaningful gifts this year because there really isn’t much that I could buy for my boys that they don’t have and would appreciate.
Kim recently posted…Lessons Learned from a Group of Middle School Boys
I love it. You always leave me feeling warm and fuzzy. With all the tech rages, this is an excellent way for the kids to use good old fashion hand written greetings.
Joi recently posted…Why You Should Try Les Mills BODYCOMBAT
I LOVE IT! What a great idea! My children would really enjoy this!-Ashley
What a great idea and so much better than buying a gift. Those letters are absolutely priceless. I think sending letters is a lost art. Taking the time to write those words and sending them each week is just so meaningful.
Oh and in case I forget to say it later, Have a God Holy day!
another jennifer recently posted…Trimming the Tree and the Christmas Card List
I love this! So simple but has a huge impact! It’s something both your children and their grandparents will cherish forever. I’m big on traditions too. We do something similar for Valentine’s Day. Each of us has a box or bag and we drop little notes for one another saying things we appreciate and/or love about the person. I can definitely see why Grandma is hoping Santa brings her the same gift as last year.
Shannon @ The Heavy Purse recently posted…Create a Magical Christmas through Family Traditions
I love this! This is so sweet…they must love it. I think we forget how much letters mean to the person receiving it!
Michelle recently posted…Personalized Christmas Gift Tags {Guest Post}
So creative and fun for everyone involved!! As soon as my kids can write…
Allie recently posted…My Husband’s First 5K!
What a wonderful idea! It really is hard to figure out gifts for grandparents, and this sounds like a perfect one! Definitely going to have to steal this and adapt it for our family!
Leslie recently posted…Put a Stamp on It
This is a great idea. How could any grandparent resist that? I have always struggled with what to get my grandparents, but it’s true, the best gift is your time and attention. How sweet that your kids got so into it.
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