The Stockings Were Hung...

The stockings were all hung on the bookshelf with care...

As I was thinking about what to write my next blog post on, I happened to ponder on my family's Christmas traditions on Christmas morning. I don't know about you, but traditions are big in my family, and we've had one that has stood in place for my entire life. This one will not be changed...ever! It has been hated and cursed but also loved (it all depended on your point of view). As kids we did all the hatin' and Mom and Dad did all the lovin'.


The tradition: We couldn't open any presents (nor touch them) before we were dressed and had eaten breakfast together as a familiy.

What. A. Bummer.

Now that I'm all grown up it's not so bad, but as a kid it was pure torture. It wasn't that I wanted to do nothing but open presents, but I was always so excited about Christmas I couldn't eat!! I was literally gagging on my food I had worked myself up so much with excitement. 

Okay, confession time. Last Christmas was the first Christmas that I remember where I didn't have any trouble eating breakfast! I was so happy. Breakfast was actually enjoyable.

But it's not like breakfast is small either. Mom or someone else now that we're older, will usually make a big breakfast, like a casserole or some other fancy thing. And there's always Orange Julius and hot chocolate...mmm, yummy.

Gunney's stocking at my home.

To be fair, Mom and Dad did allow us to open our stockings before breakfast. Every Christmas Eve "Santa" would take our stockings from where they hung on our bookshelf (they have never been anywhere else) and would fill them and place them on the dining room table for us to find in the morning. Before breakfast would be served, we'd all meet at the table and open our stockings together.

When we were little it was just us opening our stockings. Once we were old enough, we surprised Mom and Dad by filling their stockings. Now it's a yearly thing. We set alarms to wake up in the middle of the night to go look at the presents and fill their stockings. Looking at the presents is another blog post entirely. Anyway, we'd fill the stockings with small treats that we'd picked up and then head off to bed- and not before taking a look at the candy, but never eating. Yes, it was very hard to look and not sample.

Mommy and Daddy Pomeranian...

...And the three puppies.

We always fill the dogs' stockings with raw hides for them to chew on while we open presents. It keeps them busy. However, Toby is totally terrified of things Christmas so he tries to avoid the whole living room. Point: they get to open their stockings as well!

Although I was never a fan of this tradition growing up, now that I'm an adult and mature, I actually like it. I may even start this tradition in my own family in the future.

                        Merry Christmas!!!