Apparently, We Really Like to Keep Track of the Rates Our Children Grow, or Traditions Big and Small

The first Christmas after COW's grandma died was a sad one.  It was the first Christmas he had ever spent without her.  It was the first one I had spent without her since COW and I started dating.  Each and every year, COW's mom, all of his 7 aunts and uncles and their children and grandchildren gathered at Grandma and Grandpa's house for a big meal and a gigantic, chaotic present opening.  The first year it didn't happen, we were all off.  It didn't really feel quite so much like Christmas.  Since then, we've created a new tradition, but the days of old have helped shape it and are always in our minds as we celebrate.

COW and I love a tradition, so we have taken our favorites from our growing up years and added some of our own to make our years with our children full of them. Big or small, it doesn't matter.  Traditions give us something familiar and fun to look forward to.  They tie us together, and in the future will be the things we discuss around the Thanksgiving dinner table.

When Stasha had a call-out for listicle ideas, I immediately thought of traditions.  She chose it for this week, and I am excited to see the traditions other people have.  I'm always looking for new ones to add to our repertoire.  (Gotta admit, had to look that word up in the ol' dictionary.)

Some of our favorite traditions:

1.  Every summer we rent a vacation house with a friend from high school and his family.  We have just finalized our trip for this, our 11th year of vacationing together.  People are always surprised by this trip for a variety of reasons.  For one, we go someplace different every year.  Mostly, though, people are shocked that the other family goes with us.  They only have one child.  To ensure this tradition continues, we made them the godparents for two of our kids.  They are stuck with us forever.

2.  Every Friday during the school year we get half-price milkshakes at Steak-n-Shake to celebrate the start of the weekend.

3.  When I was growing up, my dad would make us kids sit on the steps for a photo before heading downstairs on Christmas and Easter mornings.  We do the same with our kids.

1986 - My siblings and me

The Christmas before Turken was born. They were so little!

4.  Each child gets to choose a restaurant for a dinner out with the family for his/her birthday.  We don't have a party tradition, as we didn't want to start that sort of thing.  With six kids, that could get out of hand really quickly.  Sometimes we have parties at our house with their friends, but no guarantees.

5.  Each holiday has it's own tradition.  Thanksgiving is spent with my family, Christmas is with COW's family, and the most fun is had at my dad's big 4th of July party.  Kids and water and ballgames and cousins and food and games and fun all day and night.

There's always the big "Everybody stand on and around the porch while one non-family member takes 300 photos with 100 different cameras" event.  

6.  Easter is the only major holiday we spend at home with just our family.  A few years ago we added a fun element.  Roasting Peeps.  Putting them in a s'more is optional.

Don't ask me why it looks like a funeral for a Peep.  They really do enjoy doing this.

7.  Each year we throw a big Labor Day pitch-in party for our friends from school/church.  This last year, we pared it down and only had about 75 people.  In the past, there were well over 100 adults and children running around the property having a great time.  

8.  Every year COW and I skip the school's Super Bowl party and have one with our kids.  We always have a cake from the Boy Scout cake auction (another annual tradition) and a table full of finger foods.  The food varies, depending on whether the meal planner and shopper is COW or me.  The amount of vomit also varies by the same criteria.

9.  Going to the State Fair is a family tradition we rarely miss.  Each and every year, we get a photo in front of the same barn to gauge how the kids have grown.  It is remarkable.

2007

2013 - the barn got a new coat of paint, the kids got ridiculously big.

10.  We are very aware of the fact we have 6 kids.  We work very hard to make sure each child feels special and gets individual attention.  The biggest tradition we have is the yearly trip.  Each year, one child gets to go on a 3-night, 4-day trip with one parent.  (Which means each of the big kids have gone on a trip every four years.  We're in the 3rd rotation.  Turken took his first one last year, and Cuckoo will get his first trip this year.)  The kids pick the location and the companion parent.  In the past, kids have chosen places such as Orlando, New York City, Glacier National Park, Hilton Head, Miami (Star got sooo lucky, as it was his year to take a trip the year COW won tickets to see the Colt's in the Super Bowl.), Denver, and Atlanta.  

Buttercup in front of the house where part of the second Hunger Games movie was shot.  We stumbled upon it while in Atlanta two weeks after the actors left.

Now, please tell me, what traditions does your family have?

Have a lovely day!