I started to comment on your last post and realized that I had entirely too much to say. I needed my own run down of traditions.

I’ve been feeling self-inflicted pressure to start the “right” traditions this year for Luke. I have no idea why I feel like I need to get all of our traditions down this first year, but I do. I think we have a good start without to much pressure for upkeep along the way.

We also started a collection of Christmas books. We read books every day but sometimes Luke is well along the path to sleep before we get a bedtime story in, particularly during the week. I haven’t officially counted yet so I’m not sure if we have a full 25 but I think we’re close. I’m sure this is a tradition I’ll appreciate more in the years to come.

I bought Lucas some Christmas pajamas at the last consignment sale we frequented. He loves it when I say “Ho Ho Ho” while getting him ready for bed. I like thinking about buying him new pjs each year in anticipation of the holiday season.

Eric and I have a few traditions of our own that we’ll carry on with Luke. Each year we’ve been married we buy a Christmas ornament to commemorate the year. Usually we pick something up on a trip, but we’ve had a few “milestone” ornaments like the blue guitar we bought the year Eric put out his CD.

We always put our tree up the Sunday after Thanksgiving, and this year was no exception. It took 3 times as long as years past in part because we got a much bigger tree but every 30 seconds I had to stop and move Luke away from the branches.

Next Sunday I’ll get together with some girlfriends to bake Christmas cookies. This is the 4th or 5th year, and it’s an all day affair, everyone brings a recipe and the ingredients, we bake and drink all day. And swap cookies at the end. My friend Kelli is an expert at cookie cut-outs and I’m confident that were it not for her, I would never come close to having cookies look so pretty. I like to think about Luke helping us in a year or two and eating as many cookies as he bakes.

In the next few weeks, I want to take him to see a holiday light display and (fingers crossed) to see Santa. The lines for Santa here are so long, I’m not sure it will happen and I promised Eric that if Luke cries I won’t make him do it. I love the advent season, especially at church, so we’ve been spending more time there than usual as well.

I learned in our first few years here that if I wanted to feel the Christmas spirit, I had to go searching for it. It’s to be 75 tomorrow and there’s not a pine in sight. But, with enough lights, holiday music and eggnog, when I squint my eyes and turn my head just right, I can almost feel the holiday spirit in all of its glory.

PS — I never saw that advent calendar. It must be kismet that you and Adam both had it.