That's not entirely true. I let them put on a few select (read: unimportant) ornaments on and then I put in a Christmas DVD and let that distract them while I trim the rest of the tree. I also tend to re-arrange if an ornament needs to be moved. And I never relegated the ornaments to the top 2/3 of my tree when I had crawlers or new walkers. After a few (or several) trips to time-out, they just figured out not to mess with the ornaments. It's a battle I chose to fight. What can I say? I'm a bit of a control freak. I know, it's a complete surprise because I hide it so well! :) I don't mind it though because I can pull out my sentimental (breakable) ornaments all by myself and reminisce about Christmases past in peace.
My children will have plenty of time to trim their own tree with their very own sentimental ornaments after they are married. I've been collecting them now for seven years.
(We are having big-time internet troubles here at the Taj McCall. It probably has something to do with the 78 miles per hour winds we had yesterday or the fact that Brad is always messing with the internet to make it work better, but really just results in it not working at all. Whatever the problem, I can only download the pictures of Eli's ornaments today. I'll post Phoebe's tomorrow or the next day!)
When Eli was just a teeny-tiny six-months old, I had a visit with my friend, Rebekah. She already had a daughter and was an old pro at this "tradition-making" thing. Every year, she bought her daughter an ornament and when she got married, Rebekah was going to package them all up and give them to her as wedding present. (I know it's not revolutionary...thousands of you do this very same thing, but it was a brilliant idea to this new mama!)
So I went out and bought this precious little snowman.
It made me think of the gourd snowman my mom had made for us that made Eli giggle and laugh and sent the rest of us into fits of laughter...enough to make us cry. That first year, I wrote his name and the year (2003)on the bottom of the ornament.
The next Christmas, I found this ornament.
It seemed like Eli's entire had a "western" theme. His bedroom, his birthday party, his Halloween party. Although Brad did point out that it was a pretty sissy looking cowboy boot...but it matched my tree and that's what was important!
I added this one the next year.
Oh, how I miss this sweet, precious baby! I'm afraid he's been replaced with a long-legged, skinny boy.
The next two years were all about cars.
>
When I found the second, "sparkly" car, I made the decision to make all the ornaments on my tree try to be blown-glass. I've collected a few vintage ornaments (and quite few reproductions) and these seem to give my tree a bit of cohesiveness. Although there are a fair share of homemade ornaments on there, as well. :)
The Christmas of 2008 was marked by his fascination with Elvis. Well, that and the fact that Eli is just a little bit rock n' roll!
He gets that from his Nena!
This year, our biggest thing has been starting Kindergarten. (And I haven't been able to find a blown-glass, "sparkly" Star Wars ornament. I'm keeping my eyes peeled, though!) I thought this little school house was just perfect.
And what am I going to do when I give all my ornaments away to my future daughter-in-law and son-in-law?
Buy all new ornaments that match, of course.
And then hire someone to decorate my tree!
6 comments:
Every year Randall's mom tells me that she did this for him and that I should have the ornaments. I never got them, I think she had good intentions. I also think she realized that if she gave them all away, than she wouldn't have any sentimental value on her tree and so she opted to keep them. But I get the speech EVERY year, I even think some years she believes that she did give them to me and I lost them! So be sure to give them to Eli someday, or never mention it to him at all! :o) I love your blog Jordan!
I started Lincoln's ornament collection...he got a sock monkey!
I, too, refused to only decorate the top half of my tree or make it look "off" simply to keep babies out of it. Like you, a few gentle reminders was all that needed and no one every messed with the tree.
Love your ornaments. Can't wait to see Pheobe's!
my sentimental ornament collection doesn't look quite so sparkly and beautiful. quite a few of mine were made by little hands, you'll get your share of those. Quite likely those are the ones you won't pass on to the kids. Those are also the ones that get relegated to the "second" or (now) "upstairs" tree. I love them just as much as the sparkly ones.
can't wait to see the decorated tree!
XXXmom/nenaXXX
I did that with my children---and I *did* give them to them when they married! I also bought myself a special ornament that captured each child each year. For a while, when they were in their late teens, I had way too many ornaments and had to keep buying trees! :) Now I have just enough and each year when I decorate I think of their childhoods. I makes decorating for Christmas extra special.
love your blog.
L.
We do this too! Love all of yours! So pretty-- the glass blown are very Jordan! ; )
Oh, and I bought that same school house one this year for my husband since he's in the "school business"!
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